New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-11

THE GAME OF BASEBALL A PRODUCT OF
AMERICA.
STURDY. STRAIGHTFORWARD sPoRT-UNlNEh
SALLY POPULAR EARLY DAYS OF THb
c.SrrNr NrT


SALLY PoPILAR-EARLY DAYS OF THb
FAsrIME IL NETWORK
Baseball is not like the historic gourd which
grew up in night and withered and disappeared IN
. day. heard a modern historian make this com
pa rison the other day in regard 10 the candids'y
for political preferment Of one of our war heroes.
IT expresses what want to say as tersely as any
thing that | can call mind at this time
Baseball is particularly American institution
and its evolution furnishes an interesting STUDY.
From It's first conception. when we as boys played
what AZ that time we called one old cat. the pas
time has had a peculiar fascination for the youths
of this country. There lot Of snap. VIM go
and enthusiasm about IL. which appealed directly
TO athletic youngsters. Bringing. as II does. all
the muscles of the body into play. 1t is game
which should he encouraged. and am glad to say
that It has been. The wise in our great
seats of learning have always done what they
could 20 encourage baseball among tho students.
AS amateur sport there is no other form OF ex-
ercse which Is INDUCED I'm as much az baseball
II sharpens the cye and builds up the physical
being. AMI as mental tonic II has 10 superior
II takes our young and old into the open air. al
lowing the PLAYERS and tho followers Of the sport
opportunity 10 I'LL their lungs with oxygen
which is the greatest Of all toncs and invigorators
In its professional sphere baseball has stood the
test OF time as no other professional sport has
done II except horseracing. II has mono OF tho
dlaagreeabo attributes which go TO make M other
sports Betting on baseball has been frowned
down by the promoters Of the sport. and gambling
consequently has never PLAYED any important part
in the game There Is. Of course. Httle pNtthg
among friends q times. but II IS never don" openly
and the average spectator at = ball game would he
willing IN declare that as far AZ no knew. there
had never been a bet wagored on a ball game that
he had seen
GAMBLING STAMPED OFT.
Many years ago betting promised to come to the
front in baseball but it largely I'm th~ West
and rs soon the club-owners were able 10 get
~ tho root Of the evil II did not take them long
70 wipe 1t out ! remember that there was sus-
plclon that some II the comes in tho West had
20 IT was said boon Influenced by the money
wagercd upon the outcome. The club-owners
started rigid Investigation. and the result Is toid
in hushed whispers even at this date. " was
found that several players had directly or lndl-
rectly been benefited by the money wagered by
clique OF gamblers. The club-owners did not mnce
matters The PLAYERS were found guilty. and all OF
them were blacklis,ed None Of them were ever
allowed to play baseball again, and none Of them
ever will be. This summary action served 70 drive
the gamblers to other fields and IT acted az
gentle reminder to the players tn" good effects
Of which are potent to-day II was hard on those
players possibly. but at the same time II "stab-
lishcd a precedent which will live forever, and II
has never been necessary since 70 blacklist players
for the often
baseball honest.
and I believe that those conditions will prevail
10 the end The worry nature Of the game makes
dis honesty and chicanery dangerous For olub
10 be successful tho team I'm its employ must win
games To become \ successful player ana re-
ceive \ handsome .alary. tho PLAYER must 40 his
best al all times I Rave heard alleged critics say
that records do not count. hut in many years eN-
pcrience in the game I have found that Just the
reverse is the result. 4 great batter baserunner
and nelder car he great only when he makes plenty
Of base hits gets round tho bases In better style
than do his conrad = and is on" who gets every
thing that may come his way when in the field
great PLAYER makes errors ~ course simply be-
cause ho goes after everything. II is the careful
PLAYER who takes no chances. and who accepts
only those chances which come directly 10 him
who makes any errors and who Is really
most undesirable man TO have on a team
player OF that sort s looking for his personal rec
ord at the expense Of the club and, as general
thing mon Of this class seldom last for any length
OF time on tho green diamond field
THE METROPOLITAN CLUB.
There arc epochs IN al Of our lives to which We
look back with me keenest pleasure. Ny early
experience in baseball is one Of them When James
Mutric and myself started professional baseball In
Neys-York many Of my friends made II a point 70
come to me and ldvse 20 drop the thing right
there that ! was seeking financial ruin. and they
made other pleasant predictions Ike that We or
ganizod the Metropoltans In 1850 and professional
baseball In New York he said to have been an
emphatic success frcu, the start ! remember
some Of tho players who were the first 10 don
uniforms for w-York-Lynch. Repschlager.
Hankinson Nelson and others. Most Of our first
players arc living today manly men all OF them.
and all showing tho splendid benefits IN their later
lives OF athletic exercise. We played for time
on the old Union grounds. IN Brooklyn. where
baseball had been played In the early seventies.
and which had then been abandoned. Three weeks
later We secured the Polo Grounds. AT Onehun-
drcd-a -tenth-st. md Tifth-ave. Polo had been
played there for n long time. but that game was
rather expensive and the gate receipts had been
none large rad little trouble in securing
lease Of the field
II remember correctly took charge about
September !. 1sso and the first games that We ar
ranged with the at that time famous Ma
tionas ~ Washington | made deal with that
club to and play three games with the
Nets" giving them guarantee Of s75 for eacn
game This fabulous sum for the appearance OF
team at tina, time caused much comment and the
papers said all sorts of things about the financial
ruin that would follow such daring piece OF non
sense. Ny business friends downtown made 1t a
point TO come around and SOC me themselves 10
determine TO their satisfaction whether had really
gone crazy or People stopped me on the
street and did not hesitate 10 toll me that 7
crazy. really had 20 dodge my friends for several
days they were solicitous about my mental con-
dition OF course FL this sort Of thing helped 10
advertise the game and on tho afternoon OF the
initial match there was quite a crowd at the
grounds.
BAD QUARTER OK An HOUR
And here is where had The only real trouble of
my life In baseball u looked squally for a time.
but II came out al righ' I'm tho end. II WAS the
only time I'm my baseball experience that cur
patrons found serious fault with me, although II
was no fault Of mine AZ tho time advertised for
tho game 70 begin the Nationals had not made
their appearance. "'hc spectators Srew impatient
and demanded their money back some OF the
more hot-headed making some uncomplimentary
remarks Messengers were dispatched In every
direction To try find out what had become OF the
Nationals and did tho best that we could 10
calm the oulookers. every minute seeming Ike
day. We started in 10 return the money taken In