The evening times., 1899-02-13


strength that have been the most substan-
iiaI supporters OF the club. have long since
reached the zenith of their usefulness,
yet they have maintained their high stand
ard for several seasons. 1t is not, how
ever within the realms of possibility that
they can continue to do so. The slump
must come. and it is liable to come this
season, for the men have been in the busi-
ness for many years and have about reach
ed the average duration of their profession
al life With these three men failing to
play up to their standard the club would
be so badly handicapped as 10 make their
capture OF the 1899 pennant a question of
grave doubt with the chances in favor of
the doubt.
The oft-told tale that Baltimore is a
dead baseball city is not generally credit
ed The game has too many loyal friends
in the town who will not allow the in
Ierest to die The only trouble is the
people have become tired of a pennant
winner. A snappy. hard-fought contest
Will excite their enthusiasm more than
the one-sided contests that have for so long
characterized the game there. The ians
Of Boston. after their club had won sew
eral consecutive pennants, became indlf-
ferent. and failed to attend the game in
large numbers vet when their club tell
back 10 second or third place they return
interest. They claim that they are just as
loyal to the sport as ever. and notwith-
standing they have been surfeited with the
exhibitions OF their pennant- winning team
with mediocre or tail-enders that failed
10 euthuse them up 10 the point of interest
or excitement. they have not abandoned in
rerest in the game. They regret the re-
moval of the star PLAYERS of their club
10 Brooklyn, yet they appreciate the fact
that the change is for the best inerest
Of The sport 4 Baltimore fan who is in
close touch with baseball sentiment in
that city said TO the writer. If there Is
reasonably strong team placed in Balti-
more and put i'm charge of McGraw and
Robinson interest will be renewed and the
venture VIII prove a financial success,
and all this talk about dropping Baltimore
from the League should be cut out. as it
A. injurious 10 the game, and impractical
& lltimcre viii have strong club next
%3 son-one in which the citizens will take
pride-if the promises of Ed Hanlon can
he relied upon; one that will take posi-
tion in the first diyision-lnake a note of
the prediction-and instead of coming out
a loser viii make money. The reduction
Of the salary list in comparison with thar
OF the present team will so far toward
reducing expenses. and the inevitable
increase Of attendance which is assured
Of business are arguments sufficiently elo-
quent TO convince any reasonable man ia
miliar with the baseball business that
Baltimore will not be a loser next season.
1t is stated that Bergen. the famous
backstCp of the Boston Club. whose physi-
cal disabilities kept him out of the game
a part of last season. has entirely recover
ed and is now in first-class condition for
the approaching campaign.
One of the most refreshing things con-
nected with baseball is TO be told by some
writer's of sporting papers just what is
going to happen al some regular annual
meeting to be held in the future: they
seemingly are not only confident. bur
technical in all the details of the legisla-
ton that will be enacted. From what
source they receive their mind reading
rrOcivities cannot even be conjectured.
One Of these literary magicians tells US
that the schedule will not be adopted at
The February meeting but will be the sub
1ect Of consideration month later by
which time the ST. Louis muddle will be
settled and the reduction Of the League
circuit has been accomplished. IL does not
seem possible that anyone in the light of
facts would be so gullible as TO believe
such ridiculous representations.
McBride's ultfmatum of $3.50 per month
made to the Cleveland Club will probably
be turned TO the wall and the chances are
that the clever pitcher will be returned
TO the Youngstown Club where he will re-
ceive a much smaller salary than the one
offered him by Tebeau.
Shorty Fuller is seeking and no doubt
viii find a comfortable berth in the Wes-
tern League. He says he is in splendid
condition and can play ball as well as he
ever did. If he can verify this statement
by actual results he would be a valuable
man for any league.
The New York Club is CARRYING more
dead weight in the way OF played-out and
never-was ball players, than any club in
the country. Mr.. Day ought not TO have
any trouble in selecting material for dis
charge out of this aggregation of misfits.
Jake Morse. of the Boston Herald" il;
one OF the most inveterate and persistent
searchers after news to be found in the
ranks Of sporting writer's. He has n
speaking acquaintance with almost all the
ball players in the country and knows their
professional pedigree. and is reliable au-
thority in all baseball history
President Harry PuIliam. of the Louis
VILE Club. is wintering in his native vii
lage, Scottsburg, Ken, where he will re-
plensh his repertoire with some old and
heretofore undiscovered jokes with which
to regale his brethren of the League at
the next annual meeting. As a story
teller Harry is unique.
Dad Clark, who has been mark for the
arrows and slings of outrageous attempts
al ridicule. has made up his mind to ac-
cept service in some minor league organ
ization. Having been convinced that no
club in the big League is desirouS of Sc
curing his labors. he has in a spirit of
unseifshness concluded TO contribute his
best efforts to the rising generation of
baseball artists. He Will prove a strong
man for any minor league club fortunate
enough TO secure his name TO contract
Catcher Donohue. of the Chicago Club.
has not evolved any new scheme recently
for strengthening the club; falling TO have
his idea adopted for requiring the catcher
10 play close up behind the bat-which he
claims was original with him-he has gone
out of the business of inventing any new
schemes to revolutionize the present svs-
TEN, and is willing TO let the sport con-
time in the same old way
Scrappy" Joyce has been spoken of as
probable manager for the team that will
be put in Cleveland, in case the present
club goes to st. Louis This is a good sug-
gesticn, and with a team made up from
the best elements of the St Louis CIrh