San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-12-06

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warm weather and maintain an inter
est among lovers of outdoor amuse-
ment. 1t is true that an athletic
company might give sprinting races
six days during the week, or hold
jumping contests, or even continue BIZ
cycle racing indefinitely, but in ten
days the public would become so thor
oughly satiated with a sport that had
so much of the sameness that the ven
ture would quickly prove its unprofit-
\ ableness. A man runs 100 yards to
attempt to defeat another. For a mo-
ment there is a trifle or excitement
as the superiority of the one over the
other is demonstrated at the critical
period in the race. That however is
all. One might admire the grace of
the runners, their well formed ply
siques, and so on, but it would be
| equally possible to stand on a crowd
| ed street and gain as much satisfac-
| ton from passing humanity.
The bicycle race carries with it on
ly a certain amount of local pride in
seeing certain favorite wheelmen win
if possible. There is seldom more
! than one climax to a contest and it
takes a vast amount of mOnOtonous
pedaling to bring that about. And
thus it is with the entire round of
summer sports aside from baseball.
One admires the exhibitions now and
then as a pleasing variety but none
could become daily permanent from
the fact that they do not bring enough
variety to the spectators.
Nor can football as exciting as it
becomes at times, ever supplant base
ball. This is not altogether due to
the elements that enter into teh respec-
tive games, but from an instrumental
bic obstacle in the way of football
the weather. Athletes, no matter
how well trained, could not play foot
ball, during the heated term without
prostration from the effort Baseball
is bad enough, but it does give its par
Elephants an opportunity to rest and
regain their energy. In football it is
a ceaseless and terrific physical strain
for two periods of forty-five minutes
each. Football is essentially cold
weather game, and thus it will re-
main for all time to come from sheer
necessity.
Baseball differs essentially from all
sports in that the uncertainty about
it renders one days game equally as
much a matter of interest as the 9TH
er. In addition too, it has a pleasing
variety, for it blends running, throw
ing, batting of the ball and expert
fielding in a constantly changing pam
Drama that gratifies not only the pas
sion for excitement, but the local pride
that bases itself upon hoped-for sue
cess on the part of the home team.
Today's game may be won by ire
mendous drive in the last inning; to-
morrow's may be the achievement in
part of the skill of the pitcher; on the
following day at just the critical mo-
ment some fielder may run long dis
lance and catch an apparent safe
drive with one hand. And then, too
there is always that possibility for the
peSsimistic croaker that the home
team will get everlastingly defeated
by the visitors. One goes to ball
game and witnesses players do the
same thing perahps twenty times in
succession, but each time in q different |
way, more or less acceptable as the
play is more or less perfect. That |
cannot be said of any sport except |
cricket, as previously stated, to ''be in |
at the finish of a cricket game may
mean stay of considerable indefinite
ness. That fact, too, is another in IA
vor of baseball, since the average time
for a completed match is scarce two
hours.
The most powerful rival to base
ball in the past two years has been
horse racing. Not however, from any
particular love of the sport, but be-
cause humanity does love to gamble,
and at the race tracks that opportuni-
ty is afforded. Baseball is not sullied
by anything of the kind and thus has
much more to offer in the way Of in
ducement than all the galaxy of |
oon,hina1 C1nha