Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-03
What the Public Can Do In
Helping the Local Ball
Club to Betterment,
THE GENERAL SITUATION.
Growing Popularity Of Outdoor
Amateur Athletic Contests
THE DIXON AND JOHNSON BATTLE.
ssms Leading Pastures Of Their Recent
Contest for the Championship
s0DpLRD's vICT0RI OVER EAULIFFE

During the past few days the cid storie,
and old charges of drinking smong the.local
ball players have been freely circulated. Il
is very often that assertions and charge!
lose their force by repetition, and dare say
that in the latest charges of local ball play
ers indulging too freely in the ''dissipating
beverage" the public will be disposed tc
take little interest Charges of this kind
have been SO often made, and 80 foolishly
and falsely made, that there is a disposition
to let them pass unheeded now.
But there is some truth in the charges OF
the present instance; so much so that two
OF our most prominent players a few days
ago pledged their word and honor that they
would not ''take q drop" for a month. 1t
is not charged that these players drank to
degree of intoxication, but it is charged
that they drank lager beer sufficiently to
iniure themselves And let me state that
this kind of drinking has caused the release
of two very prominent local players
already.
Baseball players are very foolish, indeed,
to indulge in beer drinking during the
playing season OF course, there may be
exceptions, but lager beer is really the
worst liquid that an athlete in training can
take as beverage I have noticed its
effects, its bad effects, on many occasions,
and you may depend that few drinks of it
daily will coupterbalance the effects of lots
of hard and honest work. Bail players
should know this, and if they want to be
true to themselves, their employers and the
public they should refrain entirely from in
dulging in anything that will tend to injure
their condition.
Some people may argue that a baseball
PLAYER has as much right to take drink of
beer as ANYBODY else. 1 argue that he has
not There is definite and signed under
standing between him and his employers
that he will keep in good playing condition,
and if beer drinking Injuries his condition
he is certainly violating that contract by
drinking beer Suppose yov, INV gentle
reader, matched a man to run q race. You
put him into training and are responsible
for his keep and all expenses But your
man goes contrary to training rules and in
oulges in that which not only does not do
him good, but actually does him harm, what
will you do about it? Why warrant that
you would not stand it for a day. Well,
the obligations of the bail PLAYER are
even more binding than would be the obliga-
tions Of the athlete in the supposed case
just mentioned.
" hat the Publfc Can Do.
This question of injurious tippling, as we
may call it, among the ball players is be-
coming serious one. The public insists on
interesting itself in the matter and 1 sup
pose will continue to do so as long as there
Is public interest in baseball This is all
a. .na---tis hopeful sign for the success
u hall Il
ing to see the public greatly interested in
the national game, particularly when the
intensity of that interest prompts the peo-
pie to look out for the interest of the club
Now the public can do a great deal to-
ward helping to keep a ball team in condi-
ton The public almost always has oppor-
tunities of seeing these acts of dissipation
smong ball players and if these cases were
honestly reporled to the proper officials of
the club it would be infinitely better for all
concerned. There need be no fear of pub
hcity in the matter and it would certainly
be much better than quietly circulating the
stories Of drunkenness among the players
1t is these stories that are quietly circulated
that does most of the mischief. The orig
inal charge grows and grows o. it travels
until everybody concerned is injured. This
being SO. isn't it tar better to have each
case reported on its merits and as soon as it
Is known?
Ii that part of the public who take IN in
terest in the game would simply do this 1t |
would be a benefit to the honest-living
players. Only those players who, by their |
clandestine acts, try to hoodwink the club |
officials and the public would suffer. There |
is one thing about the matter, viz, that any, |
body who knows of drinking among the |
players and does not report it to the club |
officials has no right whatever to grumble |
about the shortcomings of the team. In |
fact, that person is encouraging dissipation. |
And it is not any kind of espionage that |
is here recommended no more than it would |
be to ask the public to point out a violator |
OF the law when one is seen. AS long as
some baseball players are faithless to their
obligations to the public and their employ
ers they must expect a surveillance of |
some kind, and they themselves are only to
blame for any system of surveillance that |
may be employed. And let me ask those
who are always clamorous for good ball |
team: Is it not your duty to help the club
officials in maintaining good standard of
playing?
The General Situation of Baseball
There has, indeed, been much to talk
about relative to the general affairs of base
ball during the. week. If all reports are
true matters are neither running smooth
by one sensible magnates are beginning to
zee the evil OF the 12-club monopoly and be-
fore the season is fully out the opposition
TO ii may be much larger
The fact is very clearly dawning on many
minds that there are cities in the big league
circuit that are financial failures and that
are causing losses to other clubs. An ex-
perienced and intelligent baseball authority
like Captain Anson points this out verv
forcibly and the sooner the 12-club plan Is
knocked on the head the better will it be
for everybody concerned.
The League does not want such persons in
II as Won der Abe and the tact of his being
q member of the organization is one of the
great arguments against the y club league. |
1t is long since Won der Abe ceased to be
either ornamental or useful in an intelii-
gent and honorable baseball organization |
aud his latest tricky proceeding in the
Genins matter only adds force to the fact
that the League would be better without
him. II is not smartness, nor is it shrewd-
ness to make false representation or to tell |
wiilful lies Anybody can do that if their
morals are depraved sufficiently. Gentle
men OF honor depend on the word of each |
other and as soon as the stage is arrived at
when that cannot be done it is time to shut |
up shop.
And that prize package system in the
Western League does not seem destined
for much success; at least there are numer-
ous stories coming from there relative to
The difficulties the League is in. If the or |
Zanizatlon were to collapse entirely 1 should
not be surprised. Indeed, it has ALREADY
been more successful than / anticipated. {
Its principles are not those that will assure {
Hsting success, and are more adapted for a