Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-08-13

w ,'., ash sa 4. BE- x E'
inator of the idea, JOHN CLARKsoN.
and he was openly backed up in it by the
Clevelands. The Louisvilles also would
not have been ayerse to the plan. Yet, to
show how far from successful outcome
tho scheme remained it is but necessary
TO say that nearly every eastern club OPP
posed it, although such an arrangement
would have temporarily put money into
their treasures, and it would require a
unanimous agreement of the IL clubs to
cause such II transfer to be made.
There is no doubt that every club in the
League would temporarily benefit by such
change, but the after effects would sure
ly be slow death to the game west of the
Allcghanies 1t took too long to build the
game up after the late war to let few
unthinking, grasping magnates pull it
down again In the middle sections of the
Union.
1t Is true that, comparatively speaking,
the attendance upon games is very small
in the western cities. But it would be put
ting the case in trucr light to say that
the eastern attendance has been phenom-
enally large, whereas in the west the re-
vival is not felt to any decided extent.
Comparisons between the vast crowds
that fiji the eastern grounds and the mea-
ger attendance in the west make the west
ern magnates cnvious. But, inasmuch as
the Observation-Disclosures gate receipts equally
between bono and visiting clubs, tho rich
returns iii the east keep the western clubs
out of financial distress.
There aic u number of reasons that can
be assigned to explain the depression felt
by the western half of the National league.
The clubs have been disappointing in their
play. But two of the four are in the first
division, and those two are farther back
in tho race than their patrons placed them
in prospectus last spring The Clevelands
good start, followed by their great to
boggan" act In May, cooled enthusiasm
on Lake Eric quicker than II ton of
fee could cool cucumber. The chill
was SO great that tho Cleveland rooters
have not since had a chance to warm up.
Chicago, too, was disappointed, and tho
western metropolis will not support los
ing club St. Louis and Louisville have
nothing to attract the public or appeal to
local pride. In Cincinnati, when its team
was making that record of / 1 straight vic
tories, the attendance kept growing fast
and furious, like squash vine on n
warm night in June. But it was merely
u squirt. Tho dump came, and As Cincin-
natl cranks have had 10 years experience
In that Same old channel tho boom col
lapsed AS quickly rs it came up.
Pittsburg by far tho best baseball city
in the Union, population considered, has
been sorely disappointed. They had reason
to expect good showing from their team
this season Tho Pirates We're extern
siyely toutcd rs Improbable winners early
in tho year. But their pitchers went to
pieces, and a team with poor pitchers is
like the Biblical house that is built upon
the sand.
These are the main causes for the com
parativcly poor turnoutS in the western
National league cities But other factors
arc at work tending to aid that end. The
labor troubles and financial distress have
been felt moro in the west. 1t is also the
section where Sunday ball playing is in
vogue. j have always contehded that tho
policy of using the Sabbath to take in
money Mt baseball clubs gates was "a
ruinous business speculation. l believe
Sunday ball playing has done much to
keep the game unpopular in western cities
among " certain class of people whose pat
ronago should be courted There is no
mbre reason for opening the ball parks on
Sunday than there is to open the race
tracks on that day. In referring to Sun
day games | am discussing the question
purely in business sense without refer
ence to the moral issue.
But there is deep laid dissatisfaction
with the particularly poor showing made
in attendance Mt the Cleveland games.
There is no secret made of the club own
ar'G ~ f.ff mt Of hp ny,
that account, and his attempt to that end
made last winter will probably be remem-
bered with better success after this season
ends, If Clcveland's franchise be sold and
transferred, Buffalo, Detroit and Indian
apolis will each make bids. Buffalo would
get it without doubt were it not for the
city's geographical situation. a city
farther west would give better satisfac-
ton to the schedule maker.
OF course this talk of weakness in the
west gives rise 70 the old, old story that
there are to be western and eastern circuits
next year-that is, the National league
will split, and the intersectional games
will not take place as they do now. do
not believe the National league will ever
agree to confine itself to the Atlantic sea-
board. 1t would lose its nationality by
such change. There is much more pros
pect of return to the old eight club cir
cult, with Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburg
and Baltimore in the western circuit and
Boston, New York, Brooklyn and Phila-
delphia rs the eastern half.
Still the chances are that there will be
no change in the circuit next year unless
the Cleveland franchise be transferred
Meantime August has come, with the
Eastern, New England and Western
leagues and the Western association do
ing business at the old stand, with
promise of closing the season in good finan-
cial shape. There are less baseball wrecks
this year In August than there has been
at this season during the past four or five
years.
John Clarkson, for whose release the
boston club paid the Chicagos $40, 600 less