Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-03
Brief Recital of the Most Prominent
Sporting Features Of :.
Last Year.
GREAT PROGRESS OF ANATEURISM
The Victory Of Gibbons Over Bowen and
What 1t Proves About Pugilism-
TIE sbGyIs AND SULLIVAN MUDnLE.
Gsod Prospects c, the Pttsburg Club Securing Denny
Lyons for Next Season

We have passed another mile stone on
our mundane journey and are Just entering
into another stage Doubtless we are all
full Of the proverbial resolutions and hopes
lust as yve were one year ago to-day, but
whether these hopes are realized or not
tAev are always very useful and encourag-
ing They prompt us on and tend to make
four disarpointments lighter. The hope OF
better things is, indeed, one of the import
ant essentials of human life. The stage Of
our journey Just completed has been an
eventful enc in many respects and those of
rs who have indulged in these weekly talks
and chats have much to reflect about True,
there NAV have been more eventfui years in
sporting annals, but the year that has just
left us has on its records many very inter
esting things regarding sporting events.
As has been nv custom 1 propose to begin
the new year bv reviewing a few leading
features of the cid and before beginning al
low me to say to all my realers: A Happy
New Year.
The Baseball Features.
Probably the events in baseball have been
as important during the year as the events
in anv other branch of sport. When we be-
gan 1891 the majority of us thought that
the very disastrous conflict of 1890 had en-
tirelv vanished and left a warning that
would deter others from in any way repeat
ing the folly. But 1891 had hardly been
ushered in before the two major organizations
we're irving to clutch each other with
death grasp. and as time wore on it again
ho44 bo
shrs were absolutely running the entire
national game The American Association
leaders were absolutelyat fault. and, as men
actuated hy impalse and vindlctiveness in
stead of reason, they boldly did everything
they could to not only ruin their own pros
poets. but those of the National League and
sll other leagues
Wise counsel finally prevailed. and, as
We ali know, the contending parties met
and reasoned together, and as a result be-
fore the wear closed everybody concerned
hal agreed to begin this year and continue
through it hand in hand. How this year
will end none of US, of course, can tell, but
certainly the year of 1891 witnessed some
extraordinary changes in baseball. 1t
witnessed the establishment of the great
experiment of O. 12-cfub learae, or. in plain
language, a huge monopoly in baseball, and
the concentration of forces that previously
had been considered too varied in their in
gradients to ever form one whole. Tie
consolidation Of such forces was, indeed,
one of the great features of the wear. How
they viii keep together, time will tell;
probably this wear will tell the story.
The wear in its diving stages also brought
about the most remarkable change in the
position of the players. They began the
wear as monarchs of all they surveyed and
before it had taken its flight to eternity
they were absolutely at the mercy
Of the maonatns. This reminds Us
that 1891 contained one of the most import
ant lessons to bail players thai cnn be found
in the entire history of the game. They
were in a position to use their power and
they used it in a way that to say the least
was outrageous, and used it in opposition to
the advice of such intelligent and conserva-
tive PLAYERS as Mr. Hanlon. Surely the
ball PLAYERS ought not to forget 1881.
But the game lost none OF its popularity
last wear, although il did not become as
popular as it might have done. The pub
lie steadily made manifest the fact
that the national game is the great game of
:he country. Altogether the year vanished
leaving behind it seeds that bid fair to grow
and bloom and give us this year full reali-
zation Of popular and profitable baseball of
good quality and free from the quarrels and
conflicts tha: have tarnished it of late
years.
Amateur Branches OF Sport.
In no branch of sport has there been so
much progress made during the year than in
amateur branches. This progress has been
general throughout amateurism, and GER
tainlv the fact ought to he gratifying to
those who desire TO see honorable recreation
and pastimes, and the bone and muscle of
our youth developed In the world of
amateurism. if there has been one thing
more remarkable than another, it has been
the wonderful increase in the popularity of
Rrgby football / don't think that the
game was ever so popular or so we'll PLAYED
during its history in this country as it was
last year. And let me remark that its in
creased popularity gave indication of its
rough features being toned down. Most
assuredlv, as fcr as football is concerned,
1sGl left it better in this country than it
ever was before The year saw the healing
I'D of the differences between Harvard and
Princeton, and that in itself gives promise
of football being even more popular this
wear than it was last At anv rate, we be-
gin this year with more football PLAYERS and
teams of better quality than we have ever
had before.
1t is to be regretted that in amateur boat
rowing we have not made any progress at
last wear. a few wears ago it did seem as if
We were again to come to the front as anna
teur scullers, hut all hope of that kind must
have vanished last year In 1890 Mr..
Psotta, our best man, made miserable
show against the English amateurs, and our
contests of last wear did not introduce to US
anybody the equal of Psotta Rowing clubs
ought o bestir themselves this year, and
more particularly should the. patrons of
rowing in and about Pittsburg try and
bring forward g few promising young scul-
lers.
In sprinting distance running and ath-
letic sports generally the amateurs did very
well, and il We did not introduce to the
world some new phenomenon we certainly
did not lose ground Our amateurs during
the wear proved TO the Europeans that the
best sprnters in the world are in America
And in bicycling we also have the laurels,
as Windle's mile in 2:15 stands at the head
Of the worlds list.
The Trotters and Runners.
There is not space to deal fully with the
matter of trotting and running events But
the general remark may be safely made
that as far as trotting is concerned 1891 has
been the most remarkable year on record
The famous record of Maud S was lowered
by Sunol: a record that few people thought
could be downed for q long time to come.
Stallion records, yearling. two-year-olc,
three-year-old, in short all kinds of records,
have been dowEed during the year. True,
the kite-shaped track has figured in the
work, but the fact remains that the horses
covered in each instance a full mile and if
irnDrovemertS have increased their sneed so