Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-09
A REVIEW OF SPORTS.
Baseball Magnates Talk Twelve Clubs
and a Shorter Season.
INTEREST In THE NATIONAL GAME.
Pugilist Corbett is Insisting on Dollars
With His Glory.
LATE TALK ON TIMELY SPORTING TOPICS

According to what the baseball magnates
have declared during the week just ended,
we are to have the 12-club League continued
next year and shorter professional season.
Many more changes of lesser importance
are contemplated, but wheth er or not they
will take place none of us can tell.
There was something out of the ordinary
connected with the meeting of the magnates
on Tuesday The vital question they met
to consider was that of depleted treasures
and pressing debts. As sort of side issue,
Ihev determined on a 12-club League for
next year. This was very strange, as it is
seldom indeed that our magnates arrive
soon at conclusions about the next season.
In the past this has not been their way and
what it means this time is something they
haven't told Us.
But when everything is taken into con-
sideration there is just as much likelihood of
the 12-club League being continued because
the maguates have said it will as there would
have been had they never met There is
nothing on earth as uncertain as baseball
legislation. At one time there was some
thing like stability about it, but that quail
ity is entirely absent now and it NAV be
that many of the magnates have no serious
intention of continuing the big and losing
League even though meeting has declared
in its favor. There is one very good reason
why ali the u clubs should hang together
for awhile longer The debt incurred bv
the indianapolis deal has not been paid yet;
in fact the League is behind in its payment
TO the extent of $40, 600 for the season. Time
has been asked to pay this, and there is
above $50, 900 TO be paid next year. Ii the
y cub League was to break up ,hereIwould
certainly be difficulties In making all the
clubs paw their respective shares, and it is
likely that this fact has a very great weight
toward influencing the minds of the mag
mates in favor of the 12-club League If this
is not the reason, fail to see any reason at
all for continuing League that is lowering
the standard of baseball and running it finan-
eially.
Work of the Magnates.
Tuesdays meeting of the magnates was
one of the most doleful in the history of
baseball The effects of that historic sur
render at Indianapolis showed themselves
to much greater extent than anybody ever
expected. Out of the u clubs represented
no less than ten clubs had lost money this
year, and the losses were heavy. There
might be some consolation if better state
of things could be hoped for, but 1 cannot
for the life of me see how matters are to be
any better next year than they are this.
1t is quite true that a very large number
of people are contending for the champion
ship of the big League. They are hoping
for an improvement, but / wish to state
here that when the big and useless organi-
zation was formed L opposed it, and argued
that its results would be bad. So far this
has come true, and my estimation of the 12-
club league is the same to-day as it ever
was. The public does not want it because
il is dragging down the standard OF base
ball 1t is forcing the general reduction of
ball PLAYERS salaries, and Just as sure as we
live that will cause considerable trouble,
and trouble alwavs has bad effect on the
popularity of baseball.
EThis 12-club compact is to be continued
on the most tvrannical and oppressive prin-
ciples that in the ordinary affairs of life
would be condemned as unjust and.unfair.
Were these principles to be enforced by the
wage-receiving portion or salary-receiving
portion probably a charge of conspiracy
might be presented. In very plain terms