Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-07-19
H REVIEW OF SPORTS.
The First Interstate Season Closed,
and the Second Under Way.

the Home Olub-The Pennant
Race in the National League.
Bowling and Cycling and Other
Matters Of Local Interest.
The second season in the Interstate
league is fairly under way. The start
has brought forth some surprises, but
it is too early 10 figure On the results
of the games already played, with ref
erence 10 dhe strength Of the teams,
When the other ser.es started II found
Fort Wayne in good shape, and ali the
other teams weak. Now the conditions
are reversed. The hitherto almost in
v.ncible Indiana club fell down twice
in succession before the MillOnaires,
and failed TO coAnec, with the plate il
either game. Fort Wayne is in a sadly
crippled condition and the management
find it necessary 20 fl up the fielding po-
sitiOns with pitchers. As a matter oi
course good results cannot be obtain
ed under these discouraging c!rcum-
stances. The Farmers will very pro-
baby suffer many defeats a, the hands
Of the Eastern clubs, and viii go home
with a long lead TO overcome. Whe.G-
er they VIII succeed in again landing IN
first place, will depend entirely upon
whether The team can regain its old
time form. That the Farmers feii
down twice before Washington, does
not argue any great strength for the
latter club, but is rather an indication
of great weakness by Fort Wayne.
Washington was twice whitewashed
during the same week by New Castle,
after the Yangegans had lost three
straight games 70 Wheeling. II these
results proved anything, they tend 10
prove that Wheeling Outclasses Wash
ing,on. Fort Wayne and New Castle, ana
that Toledo outc,asses Wheeling, but no
person who is familiar WIKI the game.
will admit that any OF these propositions
is true. The Western clubs have found
greater strength in the East than when
they visited this section in the first sea-
son. and they will return 10 tne West
within a greater number OF teams IL
the second division than the East has.
Wheeling finished second in the first
season race, the deEtlls aad eXplana-
tons of the Toledo people 10 the con-
trnry Notwithstanding. The papers oIt
there have been labOring hard to con-
vince their readers that the local pa
pers have resor;ed to misrepresenta-
Con and Ulfa. rnsss in order to bring
Wheeling under tne wire in second
place. The Bee and Commercial de-
ve,Op symptoms OF rabies and the Blade
is already frcthing at the mouth. and
characteriZing the work OF the local
newspaper men as 'babyish.' The
Blade should remember that mere as
serti0l proves nothing. Where are The
facts? The Wheeling papers have not
thrown Out any games. The burden Of
proof is Oh the Toledo papers. It is
a fact. however, that the league mana
gers threw out two games which were
protested by, and counted against
Wheeling. but subsequently reconsider
ed It's action, because, forsooth, the loss
would fall upon the two tail end clubs,
which were mt that tine considered
weak in a financial sense. Il IS GER
tainly fair 10 assume that the directors
are of the same Op.nCn still regarding
the merits of the case made out by
Wheeling. But these games were not
counted against the home club. in the
standing Of clubs as prepared by the
local papers. There is anC her fac. in
connection with this controversy. To-
ledo has played many Sunday morning
games. none Of which were sch iu.ed.
and most Of which were won by the
Mud Hens. These certainly cannot be
called championship contests by any
stretch OF the Imagination. Toledo also
played the scheduled week day games,
and therefore some Of Jhem. or some
of the Sunday afternoon games were
also exhibition games. The double
Sunday game innovation was starred By
Gunnels about the time his club de-
veloped a winning streak. Yet
these extra games DO nc, have TO be
thrown cut to figure Wheeling ending
in first place Wheeling fairly earned
the second place honor, and Will sur
render it 10 Toledo upon no less author
ity than the president OF the league.
The work Of the home cub IN the
series with Toledo has not been Of the
chnrac,er 20 justify penn1nt aspirations,
but the fans" can afford TO wait at
least a week before forming any con-
clus:ons regarding the relative strength
Of the different teams. Recent changes
have improved the club beyond a doubt,
and It 5 stronger in the box than ever
before. but there appears to be a lack OF
life and animation in the work OF the
team as a whole. This fact was very
much In evidence in the games with
Toledo. and was a subject OF general
comment with the patrons.
The splendid work Of he Cincinnati
club has been the surprise Of che sea-
son in the National league. The con-
test between the Eastern and Western
clubs promises this season 10 end W On
q victory for the West, inasmuch as that
section has TWO aspiran,s for the pen
nant honors, in Cincinnati and Cleye-
ind either Of which : likely to land