The San Francisco call., 1897-09-26
Yesterdays Game at Central
Park Poorly Patronized
by the Public.
NEW LEAGUES PROSPECTS BRILLIANT
Recreation Park and How the Grounds
Differ From Those Formerly
at Haight Street.

Notwithstanding the cheering reports
and words of encouragement which have
greeted the advent Of the California
League on the diamond in this State, the
baseball managers and the players in the
now disrupted and divided tournament
emphaticaily demand an 1temized bal
ance-sheet of the games played. Tney say
that yellow baseball methods have gone
far enough, and they want to see the
tisures and what the receipts and expendi-
lures have been.
The expose in yesterdays CALL of the
vast sum that the prom ters would make
aroused great indignation. The most en-
thusastic aseball partisan had no con-
ception of the magnitude of the receipts
and the profits accruing to the saffron
management from them.
After 1HE CALLS figures were carefully
studied all pronoun ed the baseball tour
nament in the interests of charity and for
the advancement oil the national game
Stupendous scheme 70 mislead and rob
the public. On every side the expression
was heard "Yon viii never see me at a
game at Central PARK again. Not cent
will L contribute TO advance such dirty
methods where the management gets 1t
all and the players nothing. Why not
reverse things and give the players some
thing out of the receipts 1t is shame
the way the present tournament has
been conducted. l am with the new
league, where the players get 60 per cent
of the gross receipts. The management
at Central Park has been making barrels
OF money out of the games, while the poor
players, directly accountable for the hand
some box-otfice receipts, have been train
ing on lamlnated sandwiches and coffee
(,1rrat Z ho Mo n col
Ii further attestation of the unpopular
ity of baseball under the present tourna-
ment management were necessary il was
furnished in yesterdays game between
Santa Cruz and the California Markets.
Less than 800 peop!e attended the game
If the box office recelp pts be a criterion.
The game was well played. But in saying
this, allowance must be made for the de I'd
ball used. The dead ball is entirely differ
ent from the live ball of the National
League and which will be batted about
the field at Eighth and Harrison streets in
the new California League, composing the
Olympics, Gilt Edges, Reliances and
The Eighth and Harrison street grounds
when completed will cost betw, en- $1,000
and S8000
The grounds are superior to those of
HaIght street. The foul line, left-field
side, is tour feet longer than the foul line
IN the HalEht-Street GROUNDS. The right
field foul line Is eight feet shorter than the
Haight-street grounds. There is a differ
eEce of tour feet IN favor of the Haight-
street grounds in the center garden.
The shortest lint in right or center
fields, wilt be the same distance from the
home plate the mammoth scoreboard at
the Haight-street grounds.
The grand stand Will be the most
modern ever constructed on grounds in
California. 1t is so arranged that the sun
strikes the spectators IN the face. At the
Haight-street grounds the sun was at the
back.
The main grand stand is 356 feet long
and is equally divided on each side of the
home plate. In the second story boxes
have been reserved for the Bohemian
Pacific, Cosmos, Colum bia, Produce Ex-
change and Athenian clubs. 1t is esti-
mated that the grounds will seat 5000.
The Dleachers in right field will accom-
modate 3040, and those on the LETT garden
go The carriage driveway will be in
right field
Every carline, except those of the Union
and Geary street lines, will transfer
direct to the grounds. The Market-street
line will run cars down Eighth street
during the game hours and will transfer
day, October 2, the grounds will be dedi-
Gated by game on the grIdiron between
the Unive sity OF California and the Re-
lance football elevens.
On Sunday, October 10, the OlymDics
and Reliance will play the initial game of
baseball in the new league.