The Philipsburg mail., 1899-01-20
CHARLES NICHOLS.
(BOston's Great pitcher,)

\DOSlOU 1Icdt IltChSAo
the greatest judges of ball player that
ever lived, whipped championship
team into shape. Boston also won fSe
pennant in '7s. John Morrill, man
aged the Boston team from 'S2 to 'S8,
and won one pennant. In 80 James
Hart, the present president of the Chi
cago club, was the manager of the
Boston team.
In 80 Frank Selee, a successful MI
nor league manager, from the Western
association, but Massachusetts Yam
kee by birth. was engaged as manager
by the Boston club owners. Selee has
been the manager for the Boston team
from Brotherhood year to date. Dur
ing his first season he brought with
him to Boston a pitcher who stands as
an honor to his profession. / mean
Charles Nichols, who has been instru-
mental In winning every pennant that
the Boston club has won since Mr.. Sc
lee assumed the reins of management
In Boston.
This Is Mr.. Selee's ninth year in
Boston, and the Boston team, under his
management, has won five pennants.
1t looks, after all, as though Boston
has monopoly on pennants. Credit
Is due Messrs. Soden, Conant and Bill
lings for their conservative policy in
keeping ball player season after sea-
son If that player gives the club good
service. There have been fewer
changes In the Boston club than any
team in the league since 1890. The
patrons of the game in Boston are a
fair-minded class, who give visiting
team all credit possible for great
play. There is nothing OF the partisan
about the patrons Of base ball in Bos-
| ton.
l have heard that the majority Of
base ball fans would prefer to see the
pennant 60 to western city. May
| the best man win was a favorite max
| i'm Of a favorite sporting writer OF
| mine. l mean Pearce Eagan. And
when the best man does win favorite-
ism Is thrown to the winds. That will
| be the case with the Boston team this
| season.
I believe that Mr.. selee is to be con-
graduated ON winning the pennant,
handicapped as his team was by in
juries to his players. When the acci-
| dents put Tenney and Hamilton out OF
the game it looked to me as If Boston
would be lucky to finish in the third
notch. But the team played steady,
consistent ball in spite Of the acci-
dents to Hamilton and Tenney and
also to Stahl, who was on the hospital
| list for two weeks.
This season has been one Of the
, worst financially that base ball has
seen since it's birth as professional
| sport. But reaction is bound to oc-
! cur, and this reaction will come next
season. ! am no oracle, but predict
| that next season will be one of the
most prosperous we in base ball have
ever seen. l have been connected with
| base ball almost since its inception.
| I have marked the rise and fall Of the
sport, the patronage that has been ex-
tended the game season in and season
| out, and / have noticed that a dull
| season has been the forerunner Of two
or three years Of prosperity. Now. on
| form, as the bookmake, says, l think
I am justified in taking fore-glimpse
into base ball, and in this forecast l
can see nothing but prosperity mapped
out for us next season.
| For the greater part Of the season
the champions, despite their many ac-
cidents, have kept close to the top. A
month after the season had opened
they were in third place. On July Is
they were tied with Cleveland for Sec
! ond place. In the middle Of July they
were still in second place, and in Att
gust they were In the same position.
Sept. s Duffy and his men displaced