The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-17
A REV LEW.
The Baseball
Season of'9S.
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ITS FEATURES.
Magnates Have Dropped a
Cold 100000.

The magnates OF the National League
and incidentally of nearly all the mi
nor organizations-will long remember
the season of 'sS. For them ii has been
year of very hard shedding; for them,
with few notable exceptions, it has been
year of financial loss. It has cost
good money and lots of it to keep the
National League and the national game
going this year. The exact figures have
not been announced at this early date,
but it Is safe to say that National
League franchise owners are in the ag-
gregate 100000 out of pocket as re-
suit OF the years play. Boston, Gin
cinnau and Chicago are the only clubs
that have made money this season, and
their profits have been merely nominal
The base ball playing in the National
League has been fully up to the stand
ard; there have been very few disgrace
full exhibitions or outbursts of temper
in the games this year: the race, until
Boston went out of reaching distance,
a week or so ago, has been exciting.
These are all elements of success in
base ball. But that even greater ele-
ment of success-large attendanoes-
has been lacking. With poor crowds,
gate receipts inevitably fall off and
financial losses follow. The war with
Spain proved expensive to the base BAH
magnates as well as to Uncle Sam
There is consolation, however, in the
fact that the setback is only tempo
rary, and that next season base ball
promises TO boom as never before.
Boston has won the pennant again,
purely the result of superior ability and
clean, sportsmanlike tactics upon the
field, as was the case a year ago All
through the season the Boston PLAYERS
have manifested a sterling integrity
and loyalty to their employers that has
been most comInendable This was
well illustrated during the last two
weeks OF the league race when they
played each and every game for all
they We're worth, and won first place by
+ good margin. The title meant moth
ing to them, while if Baltimore. their
rivals, won, the Oriole players were to
divide $4,000 between them through the
generosity of the management. Per-
sonaliy, the Boston players sympathies
We're with their opponents, but club
loyalty prevented that sympathy from
nndlng open expression. For once
IN his life, John L. Sullivan voiced
more than his own sentiments when be
said in Philadelphia a few weeks ago,
that he believed the Boston owners.
with the smallest pay roll of any club
in the league and reputed to be maxi
ing more money than any of the 9TH
ers, should be willing to substantially
reward their players in event of their
winning the pennant. There is no
doubt but that the Boston MANAGEMENT
has been somewhat niggardly in it's
treatment Of its players.
The position of the Baltinores, win
ners Of second place, has never been
in doubt since that fatal slump of the
Reds a month ago. While finishing
second in the race, the gallant fight of
the Orioles during the season now
ended has characterized them, beyond
the shadow of a doubt, as a combina-
ton Of the first class, and one that
Boston may well feel proud of having
defeated. Cincinnati follows Han
Ions team as one Of the teams lin the
money. For more than two-thirds of
the distance. the Reds were thought by
many to be sure winners this year
They led the procession for many
weeks, and then a let-up in their field
ing work followed by a Woeful falling
peg until Boston and Baltimore both
passed them. For time it was a
question whether Ewing's men could
keep ahead of Cleveland and Chicago
for the remainder of the season AS
for Chicago the Windy City PLAYERS
have made a remarkable record for
themselves. With a badly crippled
and in some respects a weak aggrega-
ton, they seemed certainly ticketed for
a modest place in the second column
Tom Burns ability as manager.a Judge
of players and handler of men. soon
began to assert itself, however. Ably
seconded by President Hart, he began
a system OF wedding out and rebuild
ing that was almost immediately eff
fectiye. The team took on a burst of
speed that carried it into the second
division, and has finally landed il
fourth in the pennant race.
Cleveland. sadly Handicapped by the
withdrawal of home support, always an
essential for success, its esprit de
corps dampened by the effects Of
constantly shifting schedule, and all
kinds of disquieting rumors as to its
ultimate disposition, deserves much
credit for the uniformly good ball il
has played. Had conditions been equal
between Tebeau's men and their opro-
nents, the story Of the pennant race
phia, by pluck and perseverance, I'm
isles in first division company The
Quakers We're handicapped by poor
management in the early part Of the
race and We're conducted on more CT
less OF the go-as-you- please plan for
the rest of the year.
The Giants succeeded in leading some
thing, if it is no more than the second
division. Too much Freedman ac-
counts for New Yorl's miserable show
ing, however much Andy may attempt
TO shift the blame off upon othera.
Discussions, brawls, personal Jealous
les, total lack of control and MANAGE
ment and pretty nearly every other
cause that could possibly contribute 10
the downfall of base ball team is re-
sponsible for the sorry showing of the
once formidable New York nine Louis
vile, like Philadelphia, has shown an
interesting burst of speed as the wire
was being approached. The tide of de.
feat turned to victory when Malachi
ktttredge Joined the Colonies after be-
ing released by the Colts, and to the
Fitchburg boy belongs much of the
credit Of Louisville's late-season show
ing. The Brooklyn, Washington and
ST. Louis nine are in a class by them
Overwhelmingly tail-enders- hay
ing won but 26 to 81 per cent Of their
games during the season. at no time
nave they been in the race, nor since
the other teams began to settle down
to their respective strides, have the
three clubs mentioned changed their