The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-18

Prevailing.
To the many patrons of the national
game in st. Paul one thing is certain
st. Paul will be the arena of many
well played game of baseball during the
coming season. The gloom cast over the
city by the announcement that st. Paul
was not likely to be represented in the
professional ranks this year will be to
a large extent dispelled when the lusty
college teams of the state meet in the
mourning city to do battle for their
alma mater. The suspicious that have
been entertained for some time past that
st. Paul must be content with purely
amateur baseball may or may not prove
to be unfounded. Be this as 1t may
there is manifest activity among the va
ricus colleges of the state and the alb
sence of the professionals from the field
has given an impetus to the promotion
of purely amateur sport.
Amateur baseball" said a gentleman
interested in the league, "canS hardly be
expected to take the place of professional
baseball, and there are those who main
tain that the national game never rises
to the level of its dignity unless played
by professionals. Yet all will admit
that however true the stigmas that are
sometimes laid at the door of thrifty
magnates, the games of the college anna.
teurs are always devoid of Objectionable
features and are won entirely on their
merits. Moreover, many maintain that
the national game in all its integrity Is
e., fad bro
fessionalism is a bug bear to not
few, and certainly the history of profess
sional baseball is not without incidents
which fail to add luster to the national
pastime Professionalism in college
athletics is an intolerable anomaly, at
least such should be the case. 1t is the
aim of the college to send out on the
field athletes who have been bred within
the college walls. There can be no coll
lege loyalty, no feeling of well merited
honor where the laurel has been won by
professional aid
This is the central idea Of the Mime
sofa intercollegiate league. Representa-
tives from the various colleges of the
state have already met and formulated
plans for the season of 1900. The revival
in college, baseball, owing to the chaotic
condition of professional baseball in this
city, is evidenced by the fact that all the
leading institutions were represented at
the recent meeting. In this league are
included the state university, Carleton,
st. Thomas, Manchester, Hamline, st.
Olaf and Shattuck. For the past few
years Manchester and st. Olaf have held
aloof from the college league, pleading q
scarcity of material This year, how
ever, they aver that they are in the hunt
for the flag from the start. St. Olaf
has always presented a formidable team
and the only reason that can be assigned
for their refusal to enter the league In
the past Is owing to lack of confidence
rather than any lack of material. Carrie
ton and Shattuck were in the league last
year, yet st. Olaf demonstrated its SUI
periority over both these teams.
1.-THE local colleges are unusually strong
this year. The university, st. Thomas
and Hamline loom up with brilliant
galaxy of baseball artists. The ST.
Thomas team of last year remains this
year almost intact. The weak spots In
the team of SO have been eliminated ana
there is no dearth Of candidates With
the material now at hand, Capt. Conway
has no scruples In saying that the Saints
are bound to land the college pennant.
Capt Conway is not disposed, however,
to look upon the other colleges as easy
picking and has already inaugurated
campaign of vigorous and systematic
training. Baseball has always been tbs
strong point in athletics at st. Thomas.
and while the Saints have not always
carried off championship honors, they
have not infrequently played the role
of the proverbial dog in the manger.''
The sad reverses of the football team
last fall have stirred the college spirit
to its depths, and If enthusiasm and en-
ergetic effort count for much St. Thomas
will not this year besmifch her escus>
cheon.
THE most formidable opponents of st.
Thomas have always been the kstalwart
Hamlineites. Hamline, too, has made an
enviable record in baseball, and is over
joyed this year in the possession of the
strongest team in the history Of the in
stitution. Schall and Drill, catchers of
last years team, are back this year. Add
to these the strong pitching staff, Rich
ardson, Drill and Bandelin, the latter
late of the Minneapolis league team, and
you have fort well nigh impregnable.
Hamline lost but one game last year, and
that to the crack st. Thomas team. The
players are already at work In the gym
nasium. The bulk of last years team Is
at hand, and many new candidates are
daily appearing.
1.-THE state university, with its $500 stu
dents to pick from, is obviously cut of
the class of the aforesaid colleges. Yet,
it is a well known fact that the university
has never yet carried off the college
league pennant Whether it is owing to
a lack of enthusiasm at the university Or
to the superior training of the boarding
school boys is not apparent. The fact
remains however, that the crimson and
gold has many time and oft been trail
ed in the dust of the college campus. But
this year the university promises to send
out a winning team. Manager c. B. Mil
Ter, of the Athletic association, has forty
candidates in training. Capt. Don Cam
eron has the men in hand. The famous
pitching gun" so long used by the boys
in preliminary practice is discard d. A
suitable cage has been erected in the ar
mory, and Dr. Cooke Is spending his spare
moments coaching the boys. Capt Cam
eron states that there are four vacancies
in last years team to be filed. This, he
hopes, will be an easy matter, owing to
the large number Of competent men at
hand.
'"The State intercollegiate league, So
auspiciously inaugurated, BODIES well for
the game in ST. Paul during the coming
season. If the amateurs hold undisputed
sway over the baseball situation in this
city the coming season (and the prevail
ing opinion is to this effect, then ANA
teur baseball Is entering upon career
fraught with many and varied poss bill
ties for the future. Will the experiment
be successful? If so, who can foretell
what effect 1t will have on the baseball
situation in this city in time to come?
The season will open April %, and it is
safe to predict that from the start the
course of the college league will be
watched with unflagging interest
HxnDEN