The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-05

since October /, 1868, and their record
stands as the most remarkable achieve
ment in the matter of victories that
the game has ever known or ever will
know.
The names of Harry Wrght's roll of
honor, those heroes of glorious past,
embraced Asa Brainard. pitcher: Doug
lass Allison of Washington, catcher;
Gould, first base; Swasey, second base;
George Wright. short stop; Waterman,
third base; Andy Leonard, left field;
Harry Wright, captain, manager and
center field, and Cal McVey, right field.
But the Reds were compelled to sur
render the championship of that year
to the crack Chicago nine. The rule
deciding the championship in those
days declared that the team winning
the best two in three games were the
bearers of the palm and laurel. The
Chicago team won two in three from
the Reds, and were consequently de-
clared the champions. But the legion
of Harry Wright's followers in Cincin-
natl disputed the claim. The Chicago
Whites the Atlantics of Brooklyn, the
Mutuals of New York. and the Athlet-
les of Philadelphia, all laid claim to the
Championship. But there was no spe-
cial organization between those clubs,
such as exist between the clubs of the
major league to-day, and thus the title
of champions was, after ALL but NOM
inal.
THE power and prestige of the press
were brilliantly illustrated in those pri-
mary school days of our game. The peo-
pie throughout the country were base
ball mad, and the achievements of
Harry Wright's peerless champions
We're in no small degree responsible for
hi ,,nJ CA, 10 nf IY,AS
Editors We're quick to note the public
pulse and to fall into touch with the
spirit of the times. Columns were de-
voted to the various games of the star
mines, such as the Reds the Chicago
Whites, the Mutuals, and the Atlantics.
This spread of the baseball fever led to
the first professional league of clubs in
five-year existence. The Athletics, of
Philadelphia, won the first pennant and
the Boston Reds, under the manage
ment of Harry Wright, were the cham
pions for the four following seasons.
This season of rs witnessed sundry
evils creeping into the game. such as
contract breaking and gambling. In the
fall of '75 we made an effort to bring
about a reformation, and this led to the
organization of what we called the
National League of Professional Base
ball clubs. The reputation of the game
was blackened during the season of II,
when Hail. Craver Devlin, and Mich
els of the Louisville club sold
themselves to gang of gam
blers by deliberately throwing games.
1.-THE late Mr. Hurlburt of Chicago,
was then the president of the league.
He blacklisted these culprits after
searching investigation and the stern
lesson he taught the players was never
forgotten. That's why l have always
looked up to nv old friend Hurlburt
as the savior eff the game. The Nat
ional League of Professional Baseball
clubs has weathered twenty-five years
of sunshine and adversely. We met
with healthy opposition when the
American Association entered the field
in 1882 with Chris Ven der Abe as the
Lord High Everything Else of that or
ganization. The league, and association
had several quarrels, all drawn bat
ties. ~
During the summer of 1889 we heard
rumblings of dissatisfaction among the
players over the salary classification
They had organized what they called a
brotherhood and demanded that the
league should knuckle down to certain
propositions and adjust some fancied
grievances. But the league properly
refused to BOW to thee will of its en-
ployes and the leaders of the brother
nOOQ SET ABOUT TO enllSL capital TO be
invested ihheight baseball plants in OPP
position to the National league. Angels
as the theatrical folks call hackers,
were numerous and oeasy of picking
These angels, the majority of whom
were men of hg social and financial
standing, sank half a million dollars
in the lost cause of the players, while
the league also whistled half a million
down the wind in it's fight to finish
with the SaceSEiOniStS Roth MIA
tons were ready to give up the ghost
at the end of that disastrous season.
But AL Spalding and Soden, Conant and
Billings came to the rescue with their
dollars and put up a substantial sum
as the life-saver Of the expiring organ
ization.
THE revolt of the players was the