The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-06-16

new crop and finding nothing before them
worth q trial, are forced to look behind
and try to rekindle some Of the half burned
out enbers Washington not only took up
King, but they gave German trial after
the New York club let him go Arson
went back to Pfefer after finding Mcbride
Reilly and Flynn wanting and was even
forced to put himself into his nine to fill
out the weak spots. Tt is astonishing to
look over the List of the new material which
was brought into the National league last
spring and notice how small a part of it
has been able to keep in the swim. "
Every day one hears that some younger
player has been released or that another
has been loaned OF farmed to a minor
league club
1t is a significant fact that at this time
when a general complaint is going up
throughout theatrical circles of a disas-
trous season. baseball shows growing pop
ularity at almost every point in the land
Decoration day turned out nearly 1O7 600
spectators to the National league games in
six cities, which is 10, 900 more than was
counted on those grounds since the 12 club
circuit was formed And had it not been
that the two best holiday cities in the cir
cuit-New York and Philadelphia-wer
provided with the poorest drawing cards
for that day-namely, the Louisville and
st. Louis teams-the number would have
been 10000 OF 90, 600 larger.
This holiday swell is carried over into
the everyday attendance. The increase is
especially noticeable at Washington and
some of the western cities. The minor
leagues are also riding on the crest of the
public interest, and altogether this prom
ises to be the banner year for the national
game
NIutterings Of discontent come from one
city alone Cleveland is the storm center.
The club owners in that city are not only
discontinued, but admit that they are dis
gusted- For several years Cleveland has
not turned out enough people at the games
on its clubs grounds to pay expenses, al
though the team has furnished first class
sport and has been an honor to the city
whose name it bears. Had it not been for
the generous recognition Of the Spiders
great playing by foreign patrons the club
would have lost heavily for several years.
The result of this local indifference is to
make the owners anxious to sell or trans
fer the franchise, and many rumors of
such disposal have gone forth at stated
periods. A year ago a Detroit party would
have bought the plant and team, but Rob
isOn's fellow Rlagnates would not agree
to the transfer. Recently a plan to trans
fer the club to Indianapolis was cOnsid-
cred, but not 1natUred-
The difficulty in the way is the ironclad
agreement signed by the IL clubs when
the com bination was made in 1891, where
by it was stipulated that the circuit could
not be changed without unanimous con
sent.
The cause Of Cleveland's Indifference to
its excellent team has never been clearly
determined. The most plausible explana-
tion was that enthusiasm was killed when
the club allowed its team to play Sunday
games on the road So this year Sunday
games were tabooed, but still the crowds
remained small. Times are hard, and
money isss1aToe, - was another excuse, but
times are no harder and money no scarcer
in Cleveland than elsewhere. A third rea-
SON advanced is that the conduct Of TIE
beau'a men en- tha field has driven away a
large element Of respectable PEOPLE from