The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-30

The movement for the organization
of an association antagonistic to the
National league has been magnfied in
Importance by sensational newspaper
stories concerning it sent out of Chi
cago and other baseball centers, says
the Sporting News. The proposed ri
val to the league is without clubs, cir
cult or capital. Every city which its
promoters claim for it is under the pro-
lection of the national agreement and
equipped with club belonging to the
National or Western league. the strong
est baseball organizations in existerca.
The cities to be represented according
to report, are New York, Philadelphia,
Washington and Baltimore in the East,
st. Louis, Chicago, Detroit and Buffalo
in the West. Boston is also mentiorei
as possibility.
The probability of II reduction of the
National league circuit to eight cIups,
the strained relations between Andrew
Freedman, the chief owner of the New
York club, and the dominant faction
in the league, and the operation Of ST.
Louis and Cleveland and the Brooklyn
and Baltimore clubs by syndicates.
prompted the promoters of the new
league to agitate its formation. Their
idea is to avoid a clash of dates in cit
les where National league clubs are
operated, and to engage players from
season to season without the right of
reservation, so as to enlist the support
of the labor organizations.
The statement has been made that
Freedman favors the move, and so do
Franklin of Buffalo, and Van Derrick
of Detroit. McGraw and Robinson
have been offered the Baltimore fran
chise and the new Chicago club is to
be controlled by A. C. Arson. Two
wealthy Hebrews will, it is alleged,
back the Philadelphia club and Mike
Scanlon will be at the head of the
Washington club. George Schafer one
of the syndicate which has controlled
Athletic park in this city, and Won der
Abe are the only parties named as con-
nected with the movement in st. Louis,
but 1t is claimed that a brewery official
and a capitalist are, or.will be, identi-
fled with it.
The promoters of the new league
contend that there are enough large
centers of population In the country
for two major independent leagues;
that the monopoly enjoyed by the Ma
tional league is harmful inasmuch as it
shuts out competition and results in the
fnfiiction of poor teams upon .eommu-
mites; that the players as we'll as pat
rons are subjected to injustice for
which they have no remedy. The play
ers' revolt in 1890 and the war with the
American association which followed,
prove that baseball cannot prosper I'M
der a dual government. The revolu-
tionary period of 1890 ana 1891 had
handicapped the game by bankrupt
ing club owners, disorganizing players
and disgusting patrons. Professional
baseball is a business which depends
for its permanency upon the returns
from the investment. Rivalry between
the clubs for. the best playing talent
would swell their salary lists beyond
their earning capacity. The players
would temporarily benefit by this cha
otto condition, but this would be more
than counterbalanced by the reaction.
Here is an article which forcibly ap-
plies to the batsmen Of the period as
much almost as 1t did when Henry
Chadwick wrote it 10 years ago:
There are certain rules applicable to
the art of welding the bat in facing
the ball. which, IL properly observed by
batsmen, would make them far bet
ter batsmen than they are now, even
the best of them. One of these is that
of measuring the strength of the blow
given the ball by the bat by the speed
WIFI. Wnlcn II is delivered to the bat
Batsmen who never think of studying
anything in the way of the theory of
the art they strive to excel in are tn
be seen. time and again, striking at
the ball with all the force at their
command, no matter whether IL comes
in swift or slow. They never think for
a moment Of graduating the force of
the blow according to the speed of the
ball Then. too. this class of bats
men. as a general rule, have an infat-
nation for home run hitting, which
makes them strive. for their favorite
hit at all costs. 1t is just such bats
nenOas these who become easy VIC
tins tof strategic pitchers. When such
pitchers see these home run hitters
comejup to the bat they know by ex-
perlahce that all they have to do is
TO give them a tempting ball to hit
TO the outfield-first placing their out
felders well back for the eatch-to see
them fall into the trap as easily as
possible Before this occurs, however.
they will probably have given the
pitcher chances TO strike them out
from their impotence in waiting for
the ball they want, for home run hit
ter rarely remains content with a
chance given him for a safe hit for
single base, and as for sacrifice
hit. no ridicules the idea of such an
effort to bat for the side. With him
IT is home run or nothing, and most
frequently the latter is the result OF