Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-08

a sum in salaries footing up not less than $l, GOO, GOO. Theso arc somo of the cities represented in tho great baseball national agreement circuit:
 National League.-Boston, New York Brook lyn, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, PittsburI, Cleveland. Chicago, St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati.
 Eastern Lcaguc.-Buffalo, Toronto, Binc- hamtOn, Springfield. Pruvidencc, Scranton, Syracuse and Wilkesbarrr.
 Western League. - Minneapolis, St. Paul. Kansas City, Milwaukee,, Detroit, Indianap- oils, Grand Rapids and Toledo.
 Western ASSociation.-SiOuN City, Rock Is land Moline, Peoria, Jacksonville. Lincoln, Omaha, St. Joseph and Dos MoinCs
 New England League.-BanGor. Fall River, Lewiston, Portland, Pawtucket and Worcester.
 New England AssOciation.-Lowel, Law renee, Haverhill, Manchester, Brockton and Salem.
 Texas LeaGue,-Dallas, Dennison, sherman, Fort Worth. Galveston, Houston, Shreveport, San Antonio and Austin.
 Central League.-Montgomery,N New Orleans, Atlanta, Nashville, Chattanooga, Evansville. Memphis and Little Rock.
 Virginia League. - Petersburg, Norfolk, Richmond. Newport News. Roanoke and Lynchburg.
 Then among tho other associations named above will bo found clubs in the following cities: Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, Dubuque, Springfield Ills; Springfield, O.; Burlington, Joliet, Dayton, Lima, Sandusky, Troy, Amsterdam, Schonec- tady, Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Meriden, Hazleton, Waterbury, Potts town, Morristown and Reading. And still the list Is not complete. No season in the history of the game ever began with so many cities of the United States repre- Sented in the professional field.
 A decidedly distinct feature Is given to this opening season by every one of the la National league clubs going south to train. This is tho first instance in tho game's history when that has occurred. Some are already on their Dixie training grounds, others arc ready to start, and the rest aro getting ready to go By the mid de of March tho teams will be located thus, BOstOns at Columbia, :. C.; Brook lynS at Savannah, Now Works at Jackson vill,, WashinStons at Charleston, Balti- morcs at Macon, Clcvelands at Littlo Rock, St LouiSos at Hot Springs, Louis villes at Houston, ChicagOS at Galveston, Cinoinnatis at Mobilo and Philadelphias at Hampton, Va. Tho Pittsburgs will bc the last of the 12 to go south, and they will take tho Brooklyns' placc at Savan- nah about tho goth, when the Brooklyns start through the Central league circuit to play n series of games.
 Now. what caused all this rush for warm training grounds' Nothing but tho Baltimores' success last year. Manager Hanlon early in March, 1894, took his team to the southern states and kept them there till the championship season opened. They went into the race as hard as nails and cantored away at pace that greatly distressed the stiff muscied, SOTO armed stars of other clubs, who had trained in oyerooat and arctics in the chill northern cline. The lesson taught by that Balti- more trip is generally needed this spring When the League championship season opens April 1S one may expect to see ov- lead. and there may be nothing but tie games for @ week or two after the staIk Even our venerable Uncle Anson may be expected to come back as nimble as a kid in knickerbockers. Here's hoping that tho grand old man may find what poor Ponce do Leon did not-the fountain of perpetual youth. The presence of tho l2 League clubs in the southern territory during the month of March is bound to stir up baseball enthusiasm.
 Unusual interest Is always attached to the schedule meeting of tho National league every spring There is no exccp- ton to that one which recently convened in New York. The schedule of champion snip games thereat adopted Of course Is of concern only to tho cities of tho major cir cult, but the changes made in the playing rules intercst followers of tho game evory- where because those same rulos arc the rules by which every professional club in the United States will be governed during the season. Some of these changes in the playing code are of considerable impor- tancs and should be we'll received. That which makes a foul tip caught by the catcher standing directly behind the bat a strike is doing tardy justice to the pitcher The play Is so nearly a strike that no dis unction should ever have been made to take 1t out of that class. If tho ball hits the bat with enough surface to be deiiect- cd from its course, the catcher will not be able to get it. and therefore tho play is easily classed as foul
 The League acted wisely in conflning the use of the big mitt to catchers and first basemen and in limiting the size of the gloves used by other members of tho nine. The glove and mitt rago has grown so much during the last year or two that some fears were felt that unless check were given the fashion 1t would not be long before baseball team going out to play would look much like soldiers of the middle ages on their way to battle.
 Lovers of the game owe the rules com.