The sun., 1894-02-04
BASEBALL IN THE WEST
Prospce:s Were Never Better Tor n Success
fui Season.
From The Ean.r. Ciu TYms.

From The HGnaIs CIfv TYme.
The Western baseball situation at present Is
In the most promising OF positions. although
it is Just that season OF the year when little can
be said In reference to the movement Of the
League, as nothing active is being done. aside
from the signing OF player here and there to
complete teams In about twelve weeks the
teams will be upon the diamonds In prelimi-
nary games. and then the public will be better
able to Judge OF the respective merits OF the
eight clubs which will do battle for the West
ern Association pennant At present there is
not a man. no matter how good a Judge OF
baseball timber. who can come anywher re- near
placing the teams as to relative strength. The
managers have selected eight sets OF men.
who. as a rule. are now to Western audiences,
and who are so evenly matched as to records
that every city In the League is entitled to
hope that its team will be at or near the top
from the start.
This state OF things should be a healthy one
for the League. Too often season opens with
two or three clubs hopalessly in the rear. and
that has much to do with the failure OF some
OF the teams in league aud its final disrup-
tion. Should tho Western bs lucky enough TO
hayo its clubs well punched In the race. the
coming season will show financial success
seen. II Is the uncertainty. the hope 10 the
last that a club, even as low as fourth place.
~
team may beat our the nth, that make sea
son interesting and profitable.
The players list published last week was
furnished by President Johnson. but in It WAS
Included large number Of players claimed
by the ctuhs, but still unsigned. When ths
new League was formed an agreement was ar
rived ut that the manager OF each cluB should
submit To President Johnson at the earliest
possible moment list OF players they would
like 10 have Tor their respective teams,
The object OF this was 10 avoid. II possible.
competition for players between managers OF
different clubs in the League and thereby OBJ
Viate danger OF "a violation Of the salary agree
ment This was done. and the lists priAted
were the lists OF players each club originally
desired to obtain. The agreement was that
when two or more teams selected the same
player Tor a certain position the settlement OF
the dilileuitJ should be left To PRESIDENT john
son as arbitrator.
In some instances as Il happens the clubs
have signed number Of the men they named
in the Preference lists. but some OF them have
since signed with other leagues;
Grand Rapids has an exceptionally strong
team, ana it looks on PAPER IKE the pennant
winner The club succeeded in securing an
able manager in W, ;. Wright;
., Inc team Ma9agsr Wright has signed is as
George, Callopy Hin. Fisher. Borchers. Bolsn.
Fat hctauley. Knight. and Sippi.
Manager Sharsig 81 Indianapolis has not
been making much noise, but has. neyeTthe-
made ~ his Indianapolis team which will DO
as follows: litchsrs. Gayls. Phillips. and
Mauch; catchsTs. Snyder. Westlake. aud Gray;
inhelders FLOCK, Mills. Deyinnsy. and GTa-
one Of tho catchers neTammany Will cap
tain the team. One more flns pitcher Is being
negotatsd with and will probably be secured.
Manager sharsig l. confident that this team
Will more than hold its own, even II a majority
oL o. the ne PLAYERS are comparatively unknown In