The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-13


referred to the spectators hooted decision
Which the umpire made In good faith Ev-
cry boot was like so many dagger thrusts
into his heart by q vengcful, Jealous Bru-
tus Like all careful minded Kentucky UNI
pires, this one carried small gatling gun
Just below his right kidney. Instead of
training the gun on his traducers, he calm
ly walked behind the backstop and blew
out his brains. For who would fardels bear,
brave the wild crank's contumely, etc. if
hehis brains could scatter with six shooter?
Good thing the League umpires are not
80 sensitive as was that kentucky official,
else every backstop in the 10 cities would
be plastered with brains. never in all my
16years' experience with professional base
ball knew as much Kicking" to be indulg-
Ell In ON the fields Of the major league rs
has marred the early championship games
thus far In 1894 But President Young has
instructed his umpires to nip the evil in
the bud, and they are doing it by system
OF lavish, costly and painful fines. Stages
forfeit of that Washington game to the
Brooklyns under strict construction of
the rules was the most autocratic move
made by any umpire to date. Yet it was
merely n strict construction of baseball law
as it is written.
have dwelt upon the great revival of the
song without music, but l cannot refrain
from adding few words to express wonder
over the demonstration at the Polo ground
In New York on the opening day, April rs.
There Is no record in the history OF the game
wherein that demonstration was euualed
Rain began to fall on that afternoon before
l o'clock, yet the multitude kept pouring
into the ground with umbrellas up The
rain never wholly ceased during the after
noon till about o'clock, but the crowd
poured in until more than 1900 people
We're present to see II game In the rain
And they saw it. The two clubs sensibly
agreed that such faith and enthusiasm
should have theirreward. So, contrary toall
usages, the game began in n steady down
pour of rain and was played for several in
nin9s under such unusual disadvantages.
The immense grand stand, which seats
more than 5000 persons, was crowded even
to the aisles, and the rest of the throng sat
or stood In the rain unmindful of their
drenching. Another surprising feature of
the game was the presence, in spite of the
elements, of several thousand ladies'
The Polo ground attendance of over So
600 spectators in the first seven games tells
in thundcrous tones of the games resurrec.
tion. To this is added the unusual testi-
mony of $1,000 people at the first two Sat
urday games in PHILADELPHIA.
Oh, yesl 1t seems certain that the mag
mates will make money this year. Well,
why shouldn't theyP These men who have
stood by the game when it was necessary to
feed 1t with bank rolls to keep it alive lost
during the disastrous years of 1890, 1891 and
1892 more than 100000 New York alone
sunk 100000 of the amount. Now, why
should not their gameness be rewarded
with chance to retrieve this loss? Yet at
the first sign of prosperity comes the NUT
tering of the ball players. Though they
carried off the greater part of the money
which was fed into the game in those three
years, they are ready to try to Garrote the
magnates as soon as the latter get n few
dollars the best of the business. The Bos-
ton players are loudest In their demand for
higher salaries, and they even go so far as
to make threats against another year. 1t
Is not likely, however. that these threats
can be put into execution. The lessons of
the revolt of 1890 and 1891 were too dearly
learned and are still too wildly remember
ed, and the mistakes OF those years will not
be repeated. Should the year prove flnan-
cially successful, salaries will gradually be
Increased, but they'll never reach the ruin
GUS size Of 1890. Nevcrmorel
The news OF the death of the veteran
Bob Ferguson in Brooklyn on May sent
q feeling OF sadness topeople wherever base
ball ms Il game Is known. He was one of
the most famous of the "old guard His