The times., 1899-03-27
BASEBALL GOSSIP.


Some time ago in this column the writer
took occasion to call the attention of the
pubic TO the amountoaof fake work done
by a certain class OF sporting editors Ac
cofdlns TO these writefslthe affairs of the
National League were In bad shape; the
circuit would be cut to ten clubs; the
circuit would be cut to eight clubs; the re-
iusal TO expel st. Louis, meant the over
throw OF John T. Brush: new leaders had
taken hold of the Affairs of the League,
ana prosperity was assured, and much
more idiotic twaddle polluted the columns
OF once-reliable papers.
The position taken by The Times has
been sustained by the events of the past
week, and the predictions made by this
paper nave been verified to the letter. The
Times stated that the National League and
American Association of Professional Base
ball Clubs would consist of twelve clubs
the coming season. The Times predicted,
when John t. Brush was overthrow" at
the February meeting of the League, that
the magnates would finally be compelled
to adopt the Cincinnati magnate's plan.
me Times predicted that the Cleveland
club would be transferred to st. Louis.
The Times announced that a twelve-club
schedule had been prepared by President
Young, and would be adopted, and followed
this up by printing the schedule IN full
few days later
Now for a resume. Twelve clubs, viz:
Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New
York, Brooklyn, Boston, st. Louis, Louis
vile, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, and
Chicago, will constitute the National
League for the season of 1899. At last
weeks meeting of the League in New York
city, the plan of John T. Brush, namely,
expulsion of the st. Louis club, was car
ried out. The Cleveland club will play in
st. Louis. The schedule was officially made
public last Saturday. and, barring few
minor changes is identically the same as
that printed in The Times of March 3, and
at that time called a fake by the coterie
OF fake sporting editors. The schedule for
the Washington club did not contain a
single change, either in the games at home
or abroad
The Times, in its sporting columns, is
not the organ of any club. magnate, or
manager. 1t is simply purveyor of relia-
Bile news for the sporting element among
its readers. 1t does not espouse the cause
OF any one man unless il is deemed for the
best interests of the game and its patrons.
Throughout the coming season the policy
of the past will be continued. A fact will
be published as a fact, and rumor as a
rumor. The national game has suffered
more at the hands of foolish friends than
in any other way. The men whose very
livelihood depends upon the existence OF
the National League or some similar or
ganization have been the foremost in the
attempt to bring about its disruption and
throw the national game into disrepute.
AS predicted by The Times, the League
has been forced to resort to the plan out
lined by John 7. Brush and expel the ST.
Louis Club from membership in the Ma
tional League and American Association o.
Professional Baseball Clubs. Sporting
News" at last gets a line on the true sit
uation and in last weeks issue says:
John T. Brush has had to stand for an
awful lot OF hammering from the press OF
the country for his hit in the League
schedule meeting farce. VI / don't see but
what the old sports logic about the st.
Louis Clubs case is coming true. Brush is
perhaps a hard man at.driving a business
bargain, but the magnates are cold busi-
ness men themselves. The Mound City
case demanded some kind of summary ac-
ton, so that the schedule could be made
out one way or another when it was due.
'.Vondy" and some Of the st. Louis Club
directors were bound TO get the worst of it,
no matter how the case was fixed up.
That's the chance they took when they
went into baseball. Brush looked at it
that way. and If a turn in the wheel of for
tune upset his interests We would look to
him to be as game as any good loser should
be. For the all-round good OF the game
something should have been done at the
meeting, and Brush should have been
backed up. The New York Club is in a
position today where rigid action is neces-
sary, and the only way the Metropolis of
America will ever fit in baseball will be
through quiet game of freeze-out by the
magnates. with Andy Freedman on the
short end"
Clark Griffith, the famous Chicago
twirler. and Hank O'Day. of last years
umpire staff, had discussion some time
ago regarding the new balk rules
They are fooled" said Griffith. IF
they imagine that rule is going to help
out the weak clubs. The people who
framed that rule put up the widest argu-
ment l ever heard. They passed that balk
rule claiming that 1t would help the weak
er clubs and make all base running equal
AS a matter of fact, it makes the two
or three good baserunners on the other
teams better. II gives the stronger clubs
all the advantage"
Just then ODay said something, and
.Grif'' responded: And you people will
have more trouble than ever unless they
change the wording of that rule. I've
got that balk rule beat to DEATH for un-
der 1t ! can take any sort of motion |
want, providing ! throw the ball at the
same time and step toward the plate or
base. A fellow can make deliberate balk
and swing his arm clear around under
those rules, providing he steps toward