The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-23

HARRY DAVIS, THE NEW GIANT.
lManagcr Sclco says that in Davis the New
Horks have signed second Mike Kelly
have been tic after tho first Baltimore
game, and aG least two moro games would
have been necessary to decide the issue.
AS it was, but little moro than SIS, 600 was
realized ut Baltimore where u close contest
would have been worth Mt least SO, 900.
And the Clcvclands by winning three sue
ccssivc games on their own ground abso-
lutcly Knocked the bottom out of gate re-
coipts at Baltimore.
There arc :, few shortsightcd critics who
dcploro the highly partisan feeling be-
tween tho two teams and their respective
following which led to some rough con-
duct on tho part of u few spectators in each
city. believe IL few noffcnsivo missiles
We're hurled ut tho visiting players of each
team. out OF which elimination and re-
elimination We're manufactured That.
however, shows the great interest which
tho American people take in the national
game. So long rs such lcavcn is found to
Keep the mass OF rOotcrs sccthing, the in
tcrcst will not die out or fall flat and soggy.
Farmcrboy Young, who has on several
occasions furnished an inspired sub jcct for
my pen, WAS the hero of this series. He
pitched i'll three of the five games and won
the trio. Cuppy won and lost Il game If
temperance apostles want another good
example in their business, lot them take
up Pitcher Cy Young, whose only dissipn
ton, they say, is to ride through the
streets of Cleveland on bicycle with his
baby strapped on before him
During the recent international athletic
contests ut Manhattan field, iii New York
between English and American teams, TO.
greet was freely expressed that tho two
4,it
terms on the baseball field. If 10, coo poo.
pic went tn SEQ tho athletic continents
contests, what a multitude would gather
to SEQ IL contest between ~ representative
ninc OF England and one Of Amcrica WHY,
10, 900 spectators have many times during
the past sumner filled the stands uf the
various National league grounds III Now
York, Brooklyn, Boston, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, pittsburg, Cincinnati and Chi
cago. No Other sport in the world. devoid
of betting privileges, would attract 20 per
cent of tho daily attendance which was be-
slowed on tho National league clubs from
tho latter part of April till the LIST of Oc-
tobcr. Athletics and football will do for
q few days or II few weeks, but neither
could over DO madc to support teams which
cost &13 600 u year to maintain.
1t is not likely that we shall soon sec
baseball! diamond. The English take TO
our national game very grtdginGly. The
latest reports sent ont from London are
that baseball has taken IL great stride i'll
that country this year, but is still Very
crude. Even the third class scmipr0fes-
6ionai team which went over there from
Boston several months ago had no trouble
in defeating every English nine they met.
What u farce il would then bo to match
one of our crack professional mines against
tho best nine which could be picked from
tho English ranks. l cannot understand
why u country so proficient in cricket can
not develop good ball players The lnto
Harry Wright insisted once in my presence
that good cricket player ought to DO
good baseball player and pointed to his
brother George as an example. lilo was
too modest to include himself. But am
convinced that man who once becomes
cnamorcd of cricket, in u thousand in
stances out of Thousand and one, will
never succeed as "a baseball player. Will
somebody explain why? l can't. 1t is
merely u deduction which l have made
from observation.
Speaking of good ball players reminds
mo that there is u great demand for them
this fall, and tho demand is going to on
tend into the winter and spring. The
stronger clubs are securing tho minor
league and scmiprofcssional ranks for
young players. New York has already
signed seven who hail from Indiana to
Virginia and Vermont. Arson has drafted
about Us many more from every corner of
the land. Cleveland has four youngsters
corralled ana is looking for more. Pitts
burg and Cincinnati also havo agents out
OF tho hunt, and Boston, through Mana
ger s;olcc, intends TO recruit from tho back.
woods. The intention is to wash for gold.
If i'll dozen thus selected one star is found
lit to play, the trouble and expense Will be
scpaid.
The managers have at last abandoned
The old plan of waiting till the clubs of
the minor leagues have picked up these
young country stars and developed them
before they get u chance in that direction
So they arc dispensing with tho middle
men, rs it were, aru going ont among tho
villages and towns and galhoring in tho