The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-09

4 SOIL IN the NdtlOnal league settles De-
| yond any shadow of doubt the question
whether base ball has regained it's
| former great hold upon the hearts Of the
| American people. 1t has. I am going
| further and predict that the enthusiasm
which will this year attend the national
sport wherever it is played will exceed
| anything of the kind ever known In the
| history of the game.
To close observers this wave OF popu-
! lar rage" about base ball was seen roll
| ing in last winter, and it increased in
size and sweep during the early spring
exhibition games. II required but the
/ opening championship contests TO dem
| onstrate the real, deep and widespread
! enthusiasm Of the people. In the four
| league cities where the season opened
| on April 10 the total attendance fell a
| few hundred short of forty thousand. an
| average Of 10000 10 a game. Last year
| when the season was opened in four
| cities New York not being one Of the
| FOUR there were about twenty-siX hun
| dred spectators at the four games, so
| that the increase has been nearly 30 per
cent. under very much similar circum-
| stances but with less population to
draw from this year. That mighty
| thrOng at Baltimore was a great sur
| prise. I saw the multitude flow into the
| grounds on that day, and its size was
not exaggerated. The Monumental City
was base ball crazy and showed it by
that concourse Of nearly seventeen
thousand people.
Base ball enthusiasm. as a rule, knows
no one locality. 1t is in the air and
| spreads with greater rapidity and more
far-reaching scope than an epidemic of
cholera.
This crowding Of people by thousands
TO the base ball field causes some sur
prise to the persons VINO always stop
to give a reason for everything that
happens. To their minds the result
should be just the contrary. Instead Of
the attendance increasing. IL should fall
away materially. Are not times hard,
is not money scarce, and doesn't II be-
hoove the majority to practice economy
Then why is so much more money paid
into the treasures Of the base ball clubs
this year than ever before? 1t is not
such an inexplicable problem after all.
In times Of business depression men nat
urally look for mind diversion that is in
expensive. They can find none so potent
none that costs so little-as base ball.
nor does it interfere with what business
the devotee of the game NAV have The
game begins at o'clock and ends in
time for supper. One need not take a
half day away from the office nor sacTi-
fee any part of the evening to see and
enjoy the game. This year, as last,
curtail their trips across the ocean. TO
the mountains or to the seashore or
foregO them altogether. The base ball
grounds offer a partial TecOmpense TO
these stay-at-homes. and they gladly
avail themselves of the Offering.
Base ball is not only becoming more
popular. but it is also growing fashion
able. In st. Louis ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
O'Meara and Mayor Walbridge were on
the grounds. and each made a short
speech before the game.
In Washington the administration was
represented by AttOrney-General Olney,
who is crank" of the most pronounced
type. He was accompanied by the Hon.
Allan tombstone, secretary Of the British
embassy. who, as we'll as Sir Julian
Pauncefote, is a frequent attendant at
base ball games. Baron Clemens Won
Kettler Of the German embassy escorted
a party of ladies to the ground. Then
there were almost enough members from
both houses Of congress scattered
through the grand stand and among the
boxes to make a quorum had the roll
been called by the umpire.
In Baltimore among the spectators
were Judge Morris Of the United States
court Mayor Latrobe, ex-Mayor David
son. the postmaster and six ministers
from the city churches. This public
recognition Of the great sport by the
highest officials and by the heads OF
churches is what endears it 10 the hearts
where IL was in 1889, before the players
revolt and it promises to enlarge its
hold upon the people until no other out
Of doors sport will ever be a rival.
Pitcher Ed Stein Of Brooklyn, ! am
told. has fully recovered his health
which was bad most of last season. If
the report is true, the Brooklyn club IS
TO be congratulated. For a part Of the
season of 1892 Stein probably did the
best pitching Of all the pitchers in the
league. His work was so good that his
team won nearly every game when he
was in the nine Stein is young and has
a good head" and a magnificent pitch
ing arm. Like the little girl with the
curl. when he is good he is very. very
good. Therefore. if Stein has physical
ly recovered, the other league pitchers
must look to their laurels If they do
not want to see the Brooklyn twirler
carry them off.
There has been one piece of base ball
history this spring which is not credit
able. The Southern league was forced
TO reject a ball which had been selected
as being the most desirable TO play with
The league was notified by the chair
man of the national board that the
Kiffee ball could not be used by the
clubs of that organization if they desired
to retain membership under the laws Of
the national agreement. Moreover, the
ball to be used must be either the
Spalding or the Reach ball.
IL IS SHOWN bndl the pidglnS IuleS OF |
the National league require the use Of !
one or the other of these last named |
two balls in any and all championship |
games played by club members of the |
league. Then the national agreement |
provisions stipulate that any organization /
receiving protection under that instru- |
ment must be governed by the National |
league playing rules. Therefore Chair |
man Young holds that the Southern |
league must use either the Spalding or |
Reach ball or surrender its national |
agreement privileges.
Naturally this dictum filled the souls |
of the Southern league magnates with |
feelings of bitter resentment, but there !
was no way before them but submission. |
Somebody evidently took a very little |
and mean advantage of a technicality |
to sell a few balls and prostituted the |
honor of the national game and the ma |
tional agreement TO do it, | know A. J. !
Reach personally and cannot believe him 1
capable of such narrow minded business. |
Whenever the National league or ma |
tional agreement is brought so low as \
to be used as instrument to sell \ /
few dozen balls under cOmpulsiOn, then /
the shade of the late William A. Hubert /
will WraD it's ghOStly ShrOud around ats Il