The San Francisco call., 1898-12-02
THE STANDING
 OF THE CLUBS
 IS IN DOUBT Santa Cruz and Cof- froth Claim Second. ALL WRONG, SAYS ROBINSON THE LEAGUE HAS BEEN MAN
 AGED POORLY. Not a Thought Has Been Given to the Future, Which Is the Most
 Important Point
ALL WRONG, SAYS ROBINSON
THE LEAGUE HAS BEEN MAN
 AGED POORLY.
By doe corbett.

There is all sorts of trouble ahead for some one Thigh up' in the estimation of the Pacific Coast League. The correct standing of the clubs has yet to be com puted, and some one Thigh up" must do the work.
 Of course, the trouble as yet has not in reality put In an appearance, but when Manager Coffroth, an able gentleman, comes out hat-footed and says, with all the veracity at his command, that the club he represents (when Bunker and Rauer permit him) is in second place, 1t is really time to prepare for the worst.
 Coffroth insists that he spent much time in figuring out the whereabouts of his collection. He is positive that his figures are correct, and yet from the town of Santa Cruz comes the cry that the Sand Crabs still hold second position. despite the reverses met al the hands of the Attn letics and Oaklands but week past.
 This is but an inkling of what is to be expected when the gentlemen high up" Is heard from. That his figures will be noted may be judged from the following little extract secured from a Santa Cruz paper:
 Of course as might be looked for. the league officials, who are resorting to all sorts of trickery to down Santa Cruz will come with new set of figures showing Santa Cruz to be in fourth place.
 The above little item is but starter, so to say. It makes no difference to the Sand Crabs how the league figures out their standing; they are Tn second place according to their own reckoning, and there they propose to remain, if defeat does not change the situation. And Man ager Coffroth also proposes to remain where he is, yet really believe the hand some, curly headed boy will be pacified: in second place is a mystery to me still. He claims, however that out of the last ten games played six were awarded on account of the opposing teams playing Eastern men principally; one was com plete victory and the other defeat. It IS in these games awarded nis club on protest that he finds himself in second place. but Colonel Robinson says that the Napoleon of managers errs terrifically.
 The colonel claims that he has figured it out himself, and knows for a certainty that he alone Is correct beyond doubt.
 And so it goes. Every manager in the league will have the standing Of his club figured out and not one of them will agree with the official; and then lookout for the unearthing of real scandals Trouble Is in the air over this standing of clubs prop osition, and from the manner Tn Wnich the entire league was run and managed can- not see how trouble can be averted Not, I'll wager, in the history of the National League, have as many games been pro tested as there have been in this league of ours in the past three months. It is something awful when one considers 1t, and the blame rests entirely on the fact that the league from top to bottom has been miserably managed. Rules were made and disregarded at will. It was simply case with all concerned to get the money in any old way. Too much stress was laid upon this moneyed propo- sition. IL was this that led few of the clubs to playing two and three East ern men when the rules distinctly read that each club was allowed one Eastern man and no more. But what did they care for rules. Two or three Eastern men would draw a big crowd and money galore would ensue: Some of these clubs, or rather all of them, show that resorting to such methods would mean the loss of the game by protest, yet this did not deter them. Game after game was played. and when, finally, meeting of the direc- tions the protested games occupied all the time, and what a hot old time' 1t was. Wordy mix-ups were frequent, and after a halt was finally called the managers began figuring unto themselves how they had protited in securing few protested games. As a result of this meeting Cof- froth figured his team in second place, as has already been mentioned So did Santa Cruz, and the colonel states that everybody is wrong in the matter but he. What the outcome will be 1 am not in position to state yet. l am apprehen- sive.
 One very important point has been over looked-the future of baseball on this coast. After the miserable judgment dis played in the management of the pres ent league but little confidence remains in the hearts of those who have all along desired to see league run in accordance with the rules that govern such undertak- ings The blame for 1t all can hardly be placed at anybody's door. All connect ed, in my opinion, were too avaricious and thought not of the future and what 1t would bring if things were run on the proper basis.
 There is hardly any use, however, In finding fault. What has been done can not be undone, yet, if the same people running baseball at the present time pro- pose continuing next year a system had better be created at once. No lover of the game will put up with all the non- sense that has been the peoples lot of late. At another time 1 will touch on this question again. What is more important at present is the correct standing of the teams. If the colonel has this problem and give Coffroth and the Sand Crabs an opportunity to show how the entire affair Is mixed up as they imagine. If they are both In second place where will the others line up at?
 The following Is rather amusing squib regarding Catcher Chance-and inciden- tally the trouble young catchers are sub- Jected to on enterinig the league:
 ] watched one of the Chicago Baltimore Journals sporting editor. last summer. and was just tickled over maneuver made by of the Baltimore players which resulted in the discomfiture of Chance and a through the resulting error. Chance was behind the bat One of the ex-champions batted fairly high foul which Chance started after. It fell about twenty-five feet away from the visiting play CTS bench. As soon the ball hit, two of the Baltmores jumped to their feet and menced a vigorous movement among the bats. kicking them from side to side, as if to make way for Chance so that he could get the ball. The young backstop evidently the movement. for he hesitated. apparently think ing he was running into bats, made desper- vous grasp. And the two Orioles hugged them selves in fendish glee at the success of their ruse.