Evening journal., 1892-09-06
lEWS FROM OLD NICK.
Young Revives the
Spirits of the "Rooters."
LUMP SEASON SAFELY PASSED.


he National league, has Just permitted |
imself to be interviewed in the interest Of |
baseball ! have known Mr.. Young ever
ince his first official connection with the
National league, which was when he was
lected its secretary at its inception in the
pring Of 1876. and in all Of these more
han sixteen years Nick has never refused
respond TO the interviewer when tapped
or baseball encouragement, which has oc-
surred regularly and annually ut intervals
If about two months
. Mr.. Young is a small man physically,
)ut giant in optimism There is a great
light shining before his eyes always, no
natter how the dark clouds lower over the
4 discouraged magnate or the disappointed
frank. lie sees some good in every APP
parent calamity, and If the Asatic cholera
|trikes this country and carries of some
Df our most promising baseball stars
haven't the least doubt Of Nick's ability to
4 demonstrate the exact benefit the game
viii thereby receive.
From his observations at Washington
President Young sees n wonderful interest
Everywhere in baseball, especially in the
League cities Now / admit that his
glasses are far more powerful and cor
rect than those which any other one Of us
ave. They cannot deceive, for they count
every paying spectator who enters a
league ground. To be plain, Mr.. Young,
Is treasurer of the League also, receives
bitter each League game 10 per cent. of the
gross receipts TO form a sinking fund. He
5 therefore the only being in the world
who can have positive knowledge of the
sxact condition of patronage in the Ma
ional league.
Consequently when he says, and says it
Boldly that he is surprised at the great in
Ierest which is being taken in baseball at
his season of the year, we are bound TO
believe that this great interest really ex-
lists or that Mr.. Young is, TO use an ex-
pressivc piece Of slang, giving US taffy
The average attendance has undoubtedly
more than held its own since July 4. and
that is rather unusual. The month of Au-
gust has always been the hardest month
financially to baseball clubs of the entire
season. Mr.. Young's expression of graft
hcstion over the present condition Of affairs
. in the League therefore is probably well
founded. Such revival now would mean
permanent good to the great game, because
the improvement in public interest would
probably continue to the end Of the season
and extend into the opening Of the season
next year.
An attendance Of 5000 people upon a
saturdays game in Cleveland is one Of the
events noone would have anticipated prior
TO the midsummer holiday. Yet that has
+ happened.
There may seem to be a radical "flop" in
my opinions concerning the alleged revived
interest in the game as expressed by my
letter this week and last. Upon close com.
Il. Il
ence exists. Last week ] wrote from my
r observation and Judgment, and this week
from that Of President Young. I admit
that Mr. Young's means of estimate are
truer than mine, and if he has not been Civ
4 ing us "jolly" his Judgment should be the
better. Besides, within the week some as
tonishing changes have been made in pa
. tronage. Cincinnati crowds jumped from
800 to 5000, and in Chicago and Cleveland
almost as great an improvement has been
marked. This makes the general average
excellent, and If it continues we may safely
say that the game has passed the slump
stage.
The great showing made 10y the Cleve-
land team is another proof OF the glorious
uncertainty of the national game The
general belief existed prior to the eastern
clubs western trip that the first four
teams to face the Clevelands on the lat
ter's grounds-viz., the Bostons, New
Yorks, Philadelphias and Brooklyns-
would together check their triumphant
squirt. But they did not They were as
pygmies in the Clevelanders' hands. Such
playing if continued through the rest Of
tho season as the Clevelands did in those
three series would land them winners in
October a dozen games before their nearest
rival. It is long way to the wire still at
this writing. Every element Of chance
favors Cleveland in the race as against
the club Of any other city.
Some very promising young players are
coming TO the front since the midsummer
Reorganization. Some of them were ii
League harness prior to that time without
having good chance TO distinguish them
selves. OF such we have Doyle OF the New
Yorks, Young and Cuppy of the Cleve
lands, Kennedy of the Brooklyns, and Par
rott, Dreber and Root Of the Chicagos. d
the new ones who came in with the secont
season Ward and O'Rourke Of the Balti
mores, Clausen Of the Louisvilles, Hawle,
Of the St. Louis Browns and Abbey Of thu
Washingtons may be prominently classed
Hawley is the Fort Scott pitcher whom
Mr.. Won der Abe recently engaged upon thu
strength of a record which he made agains
the Little Rock club when he pitche,
fifteen successive innings without permit
ting his opponents to make hit. Thi
feat stands next to that Of Mullane's, VIII
pitched sixteen successive innings agains
the Cincinnatis in 1852 without a hit, as
have related before Mullane's task wa
much more marvellous than Hawley's be
cause his batters were more powerful
Still Hawley's second entitled him to tn
confidence of managers in clubs Of q highe
class than the Fort Scott or Little Roc
clubs occupied. Heis quite young and ha
the physique to last and improve. If hedoe
not swell out too much under his cap, an
will take care of the abilities nature Ina
bestowed on him, he may be just enterin
upon his future and his fame.
A Columbus (O) paper trying to explai
the bad financial failure OF its club in tn
Western league, in spite'of its win of tn
championship, lays it to the bulletins il
the city poolrooms The application Q
this reason is not what one would make a
first thought, for in no pooroom was
dollar offered or accepted on a ball game
But the games as played are reported o
the sporting ticker together with the hors
races, and as it costs nothing to the poo
room people they post the innings to hel
attract visitors. Thus baseball Gran
can natrouize n nOOlrOom bet on the race