The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-07-06

Has anybody lately made the remark
that baseball is dead or dying? Probably
not because it is painful and Improbable
to kick against the pricks Any lingering
doubt that may have existed of the immor-
tally OF the national game was DESTROYED
by the demonstrations of Memorial dny.
One hundred thousand people-lacking less
than 3O0-witnessel the games in the six
National league cities on that day. This
beats the record since baseball has been
played.
The floodtide of this mighty attendance
was i'll New York, where %, 1874 spectators
were inside the Polo grounds to see the aft
ernoon game between the New Works and
the Cincinnatis. No such crowd ever be-
oreattendcd Il ball game. In 1855 n crowd
estimated mt $4,000 entered by the gates
and broke through the fences at the old
Polo grounds near Central park on Memo
rial day afternoon to see the Dctroits and
Giants play. But even with the thou
sands who got i'll without paying on that
occasion the total number fell below the
enormous throng that paid admission this
year TO the New York Cincinnati game
The number given i'll this instance is the
official count-not an estimate.
All further fear for the life and domi-
nance OF the national game may be dis
missed. 1t once more asserts itself as the
sport most beloved by American people.
The attendance at the National league
games on Memorial day was proportionate-
ly duplicated in the Eastern and New Eng
land leagues. Down SOUTH in California
and among the various state and interstate
associations the same good reports are
heard. Then, too, the college games this
year are enthusiastically received. From
ouo0 to 5000 spectators have greeted the
teams every time the Harvards, Yales or
Princetons have come together this year
The first triple play of the season of 1893
went on record ut PiitsbGrg during tic re-
cent ysssEsss t9 that city s. Mr. Won der -the,s
Brown Stockings. 1t occurred in the fourth
inning, when Brodie and PETIT started off
with hits and Pitcher Breitcnsiein waited
for four balls and filled the bases. The
Pittsburgs then made their triple play and
retired the st. Louis team without a run
by n neat piece of strategy previously ar
ranged. Griffin, the fourth St. Louis bat
ter, popped up n fly Just inside the dia-
mond, and Catcher Mack gave the signal
notifying the Pittsburg players that the
time had come TO take advantage of their
prearranged trick. Pretending to let the
bali drop for n force" he ut the last mo-
ment put his hands under it near the
ground. Brodie, full of the belief that
Mack was playing for n force out, started up
iIhC. anu i HllQ Lyons lOllOWpu
him. Mack threw to Lyons, who, being
right on Brodes heels, touched the latter
and then threw to Shigart ut short, who
was near enough to the ratified" PETIT 10
touch him. Thus Brodie, PETIT and Grit
fin were all retired on the play, for under
the present rules fly ball to the inlield
when a man is on first base need not he
held by the fielder to put the batsman out.
but if it touch his hands the umpire must
declare 1T IL fly catch. Mack was careful To
let the ball touch his hands before il
reached the ground and thus turned what
he first gave the impression was to he Il
force" into fly catch.
Two wealthy men recently met with
financial reverses. Both men have figured
conSpicuously IA baseball magnatcs One
is Elastus Wiman of New York. and the
other is Charles +. Prince of Boston.
Mr.. Wiman took up baseball in 1856 I'M
der rather peculiar circumstances He was
ut that time largely interested in Staten
Island real estate and i'll the ferry company
and rapid transit arrangements on the is
land Being Il man of wonderful inventive
faculties and executive ability, he set about
dcvising schemes that would attract New
York people To Staten Island About this
time the Metropolitan Exhibition company
of New York owned two baseball teams,
representing two rival associations or
leagues, and they at the same time had
but one ground on which TO play. In this
dilemma they offered TO sell the team and
franchise of the Mctropolitans, the repre-
sentative of the American association.
Wiman thought he saw an opportunity to
attract the masses to Staten Island and he
bought the Me,ropolitans for about So. 900.
Then he fitted up magnificent grounds mt
an expense of nearly $4,000 at ST. George,
facing New York bay.
The Mctropolitans played ut St George
for two seasons, but their earnings did not
pay their running expenses, nor did they
draw 10 their new home the many thou
sands OF visitors upon which Mr. Wiman
calculated. 1t is believed that this base
ball experiment cost its originator nearly
100000 in cash, and probably helped to
throw him into his present financial troll
bles
Mr.. Prince is the leader Of select few OF
hackers who were chosen by the brother
hood of players iii the winter of 1889 to fur
Fish the money TO establish their club in
Boston. The gentleman was honestly led
to believe that, to use Colonel Sellers ex-
preston, there were millions in it," only
to find after one years experience that
there were many thousands of dollars in
the scheme-on the wrong side of the ledg-
RI. He drew out of the game entirely,
with heavy loss, and his reverses in that
experiment no doubt led up to his recent
financial embarrassment.
OF all the capitalists who were induced
put their money behind the PLAYERS when
the latter revolted against the National
league, only those in New York and George
Wagner OF Philadelphia are now III the
game reaping the profits to offset their
heavy losses in the Players league
Their great disadvantage was that they
went into the affair deceived by Il false es-
innate of tho previous profits of the game.
irhnx li1 Lnl "a, IL.