The morning call., 1892-02-22
BATTLEFIELD NOTES.
Everything in Readiness for The
Spring Opening.
Vanderbeck Preparing Treat for San Fran
cisco Patrons-J Peck Sharp in
New Role.

All that now stands In the way of an
suspicious opening of the California League
baseball season of 1892 is the intervening
time between this and the 9th of March.
The clubs have all completed their rosters
with the exception of a man or two, and
these are holding back for better terms.
1t is expected that they will be brought to
time by the last of this weei-, and then the
personnel of the teams will be officially
announced to yearning populace.
Saturday afternoon the league maguates
met and finished up some unfinished bust
ness left over from the last meeting. A
schedule arranged by Harris was adopted
as read with the exception of one amend
ment offered by Vanderbeck, which gives
the southern magnate all tho national holt
days billed for next summer. As the ma
jOrity of these holidays fall on MONDAY, on
which day no games are scheduled, the con-
cessiOn is not so great as it first appears to
the naked eye. The temporary officers
elected at the last meeting were regularly
installed without one dissenting vote.
There is a great deal of talk at present
over the formation Of an opposition league,
or McCloskey's annex, as some call It, AS
yet the new league Is not an assured fact,
and there is also some doubt as to whether
its projectors contemplate poisoning out
with a standard attraction carrying its own
scenery, or will content themselves with
one of those little One-night 10, 20 and 80,
no higher, aggregati0ns. In either event
the games would be certain TO draw. The
magnates are Offering no objections, and
even assert that the opposition would be Of
benefit to the league on the ground that COM
petition is tue life of trade.
Ii is the intention of this new enterprise
TO invade the league towns and also to take
IN Sacramento, the hotbed Of basel ball, and
Vallejo, making a siX-club circuit EN-
ployment will thus be furnish 4 to numer-
Gus last-SeasOn favOrtes and give a healthier
tone 10 the baseball situation. Several
young men in town at present who were
speedy enough last year are not in Ii now.
Take Louie BalsZ OF Vallejo for instance.
In the late selections there was not a con-
certed rush for Louie, but if new oTRant-
cation is effected he will be all right If
Louie cannot 20 10 the league the league
will come TO Louie. All things do to him
who waits.
Another promising young man, who seems
10 have been entirely overlooked, is Mike
Fitzgerald who tried to help the colonel out
last summer. Mike admits that he made
dismal failure Of himself. but he was out of
condition and sick besides. Since leaving
the team he has been employed In Oakland
and deyotlng all his spare time TO getting
into condition again. He visited this city
Saturday night and announced that he was
open for an engagement and able 10 hold
his own should be be placed in any Of the
teams. Fitzgerald was not reserved by the
colonel.
Vanderbeck promises treat to the San
Francisco cTanks oh the occasion Of his first
professional trip 10 this city some time in
Auril. In addition to his team, Mr.. Van
do aat~ nj a M If lcraa
10 be distributed 10 the Haight- street patrons
free Of charge. Ii is his intention 10 fire tile
oranges at the audience, one at time, from
a clay pigeon trap set IN the middle Of the
diamond Those who are able 10 field their
positions clearly will probably secure some
Of tie fruit
Pending the opening Of the season, that
versatile young man, J. Peck Sharp, has
accepted a position OF trust and RESPONSE
biljty. James IS hostler in the New
Western billiard emporium. His duties are
to groom the chalk dust off the tables every
morning and see that the pool balls DO not
stray from their stalls. lie Is also an au-
th0rlZed agent Of the Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty TO Cuspdors, and sees
that those highly ornamental and useful
receptacles are not 0verwoTked.
Robert McHale, the promising young
Sacramento bal-playeT. was taken 10 the
Stockton Insane Asylum Saturday from his
home in the capital city. lie went violently
insane one day last week and had to be
locked up as a precautionary measure. 1t
is said that his malady was brought on by
witnessing a performance Of "Dr. Jekyll
and Mr.. HYDE" The unfortunate youth
imagined that he W as enacting the role of
Mr.. Hyde, and developed homcidal ten
denotes
Jim Mcdonald has received his commits
sion as one of the California League UNI
pires. Sandy McDermott will probably be
the other. Jim would have much preferred
10 play ball. but received no offers from the
magnates.
Bill Hassamer has been signed TO play the
short field for the Los Angeles team, which
is now complete.