Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-06

thrvc home runs at GalvcstGn. Thrro aru only q few BSmarcks, AnsonS and Glad stones left, and il is just as we'll that our reminders of their declining years but i'm mortal hunurs come tu us at tho samU time.
 Tho preliminary practice season uf the mnj"r teams in tho south does not suggest that the National lcaEun has found much useful material in the half hundred of now players taken from thu minor leagues, but uf tho successful few -\nsun appears to have mUr" than equal sharr because, nS usual, he Srcms tn have made good srrC tinns. If hv could but find strong pitch cr ur two tEo hyprrcritiCs of Chrapo would have tn cat dust before the dog days come.
 The hUuupd Ur more Clul'S Of minor leagues are now gathering togrthrr their players and will ono hy "uV fall into cham plouehip struggle, soon after the National lraEu" pvnEHnt race begins. By tho mid al" uf May nearly sc"ro of professional haerhaM championship, will he in prugrrSS \tVvr hLs a Year opened with such hril liant prospects and widv> >prCnd interest i'll the gu at national game.
 And the si;urt iS laying hold upon other lands and Ur-n oth,r nations. Tho cable rrrrntly Aun"uucvd that tho lord mayor of London had hvrn elected president of the baseball nssociation uf thnt city embracing a score of clubs. Tho PrinCO of Wales, moreover, has promised to be present on May at tho opening gamo of tho London association. Baseball to his royal high ness is no new Ramo Ho watched tho world tourists play in 1889 and became quite fond uf the sport. If Prince Albert Edward smiles on baseball it will be q go in England.
 There Aro now nearly 100 baseball clubs In England, all preparing for busy sea srn of many games. Thus far profession alism in that sport has not reached the English, but 1t is bound to como. Our British cousins nrc just about 80 years be- hind the times. In thu sixties baseball in the United States was what it Is today in England, purely amateur, but sprcadine rapidly. Rivalry between clubs grew to such a degree Tt last that players woru paid | tu render exclusive services to one club, and once professionalism was introduced it spread liko rnutne!0n.
 | During tho last month great deal of ''nrwSpapCr talk" has hVCn going on about tho prospect of n division uf the l2 1 club league next year into eastern and western sections under independent or i 9atiHatiunS. It Is n waste of 1rlco and l timc tn discuss that wholly improbable l result. Tho National league may pass away some day if baseball ceases to be 1 played professionally, but not till then And so long us the National league lives tho Chicago club will bo bone of it's bone and 1lrsh of its flesh Ever since the Ma | tional league was organizeL-lQ years ago | the Chicago club has been member, and, with tho exception of the Bostons, is l the only club now in the League that made | up the original circuit. Without tho Chi l cago club the League would lUso its identi- ] ty. And should the limit limo be drawn i 50 as to cut of n territory along the At | lantjc Coast only the League would ne more be national and would lose its mag netic power, which has always attracted the attention of baseball followers in every quarter of the Union as the sun attracts l the planets.
 Let no one be deceived by this gossip of a split in tho League. There may be q re- turn to an eight club circuit and reor- ganization of tho old American assOcia- ton on a 25 cent admission basis and Sunday games. That is probable. But Chicago will stay in the National league while that league lives
 If their new second bascman, James J. Stafford, is able to replace Ward on the nine without loss of strength, the New
 Works should havo tho best chance to vii the pennaut of all the contestants, But
 Stafford Is an experiment to degree. IT
 1899 he played shortstop for the Los An
 geles club and led the shortstops of tht
 California league in fielding. Manager
 Davis played with him awhile on that nint
 and has always been confident that Jim
 my would mako great second baseman
 Stafford $ work Ht second at practice il
 the south has certainly boen moro thar
 encouraging.
 Tho young man went to the Augusti
 club of the southern league from Califor
 nia. In 1893 the New Works bought hi
 release and since then he has been Giant
 filling the place of a substitute. Unti
 Ward oeased playing Stafford had m
 chance to show what he could do in majo
 company with steady work and a perma
 nent place on the nine. He will be watch
 ed more closely than any other player il
 the country, for on his work largely de
 bends New Yurk's chances for tho pen
 nant. 0. P. CAYLoR