Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-01-05
THE BASE BALL WORLD.
A Distinguished Writer Gives His Views Set
Ting All Disputed Points.

The following article was published in
TIL" Portland Evening Express. Jan ,:
Although this is snow time there Is
considerable talk being made regarding
base ball for the coming season. Port
land has long been regarded as one al
IN" best cities for Il minor league in the
country. \ decad" ago the great game
was tiourishing in these parts and AT that
period the metropolis of the Pine Tree
state WAS represented by as splendid an
aggregation OF players rs was ever col
i"ctod "ntsih" Ia" ranks Of the ma jor
prsaiIiZat ions. What enthusiast of this
city will ever forget the days of ~, and
81 when IN" Portland club led by skill
ful ANA ;tdroit barry Spencer was able
10 conquer ali professional mines that
came along?
As has been explained in the Express
before. the most serious thing mat ever
happened to Portland hasr ban was when
tn" New England League attempted the
experiment Of placing teams in the other
and much smaller towns Of the state.
The idea. which WAS al first thought II
b" feasible, soon turned out Ia be Il mis-
take, that All realized. Portland was a
dozen years ago trained 80 compete with
real cities on the diamond ana the game
enjoyed its greatest popularity in this
section when teams came to The D.crins
grounds from such splendid base ball
cities rs liaVrrhill, Lowell. Manchester,
Lawrence. Br"ckton. and other Of the
stirring Massachusetts municipalitics
which afterwards secured franchises
In many quarters during the lH1t few
years il has htcomr quito The general
fashion to remark that Lowell und Man
chester are poor ci1icS in which 80 place.
professional ban clubs Such purI'ilc talk
is in all oaS'- INDUCED in hy parties who
know nothing whatever of the paImN
were represented ~ strong mines and
handled by competent managers. These
sam" cities would next summer prove
winners for any busting manager Thu
same Old enthusiasm would be manifested
"ul all cUUid.b p" made to go along Just
3t smoothly as WAS The case of yore.
~ regards thu outlook for tn, game IN
Portland I'M the season off, '">. it does NOS
1t tho present time seem t. A1 Of th,
roSi".t Aur. The officials uf the Now
England Lea@ue have become imHa.J
with lho notion thdl Portland H. too tHr
AMY ANA ihHt an this account If WoUll
MOI by advisable 10 plac" club in th"
'f@AlliZdtpN t"F next year. In" ON 'lalS
reason, ami reason rightly. mat Bangor
ana Augusta which once enjoyed d tiicI
rN'~t"nc" nm thc league, di1 not prey.
-O' +tSSlUl ana therefore they want no
part OF IN" birlEo state. ~ direct
result IL is rNtr' mrlE unikely that this
'it| VIII ENJOY professional oa!t the COM
eI year. ''h w" Whpie E"ftl&Nd cnthNf-
lHSiS H'!4eNv ilat one season OF rest VIII
b." dcc'd-alE advantageous.
ono iplh% may be set down 1Ght h"'''
! ms Guy wants no more % any Stat
League. PORTLAND mas been used To the
very pest article IN New England ana Is
dNrlSs 10 pchE ri1SN't "lth villages liu-
able to MAINTAIN strong teams. Iht
St"t' LtdEN" was "a iiliurc last year rs
AL Wril-ini"rm"d enthusiasts prodlctcd il
would ne. ~ WIS tpnhdcn'iN hop"H tHdl
a larry GOOD aftlCi" OF pan "oHiu ho seer
ana while tllcr" were occasional interest
ng contests. tho SiNl" II ban was of "a
most inferior. amalcuriSh description
IN" good players could al ne counted
upon TIA" myers OF one hald.
from tE}c TO TIM" mention IS made hH
m" Boston historians OF IN" gam" that
mpire Connolly Is 4 most competent OLE
ciai ANA that IA" ought long ago 10 hIN'
been promoted {" S"rN" on the staff Of the
bis league. Connolly IS a lalfIE Eooo t'm-
pine. bur he has his equals. IN TINS fli\
hr has ms Sup' flpr IN MI. td9S"it, VINO
has been tried and always l"tihd equal tt
every emergency. MI. fidSS"tt mas loi-
lowed the game for years, Knows all lts
rules from y To L, ana above all possesses
that qualification when is nearly always