Evening journal., 1900-03-31
BALL SEASON
NOW At HAND
National League Has Reduced Its
Circuit by Dropping Four
Prominent Teams.
THE NEW ATLANTIC LEAGUE.

BACKS, BUT is NOW REORGAN-
lied WITH NEW BACKING.
WILMINGTON NOW IN IT.
The ninth championship season OF
the twelve-club National Baseball
League is about to begin. after two
years of partial failure In 1898 the
war with Spain distracted attention
from the game. there being only D.
3l3,375, as a total patronage in the
twelve league cities. In 1899 a better
campaign was predicted. National is
sues, however again decreased public
interest, and the attendance was an
increase of 100000 over that Of thel
previous season. The enterprise was
not d thorough financial failure withal. |
although the regular money makers
did not clear as large a profit as usual.
None of the clubs suffered heavily, and
Philadelphia came out with fairl
margin.
At the close OF last season brooklyn
came ont the winning club. This was
a source of wonder to the whole cOun-
try, as II was the first time since the
league organization that the laurels
had been wrested from Boston or Bal
timore. Boston, however, came in for
second place, with Baltimore fourth
Philadelphia finished a close third.
During the season there were 49l
games played between the Eastern and
Western teams, OF which the East won
2S5. In batting Edward J. Delahanty.
OF the Philadelphia team. made by far
the best record. He played in l45I
games, was 573 times at bat, made 1873
runs, with total of 335 bases. He
had many opponents who contested
hotly for the championship, and some
had the advantage OF batting left
handed thus giving them a smaller
distance to run. Out OF his large num-
bers of hits, Delahanty made nine
home runs.
Buck Freeman, Of the Washington
team, also comes in for his share of
hard-hitting. having made. during the
season OF 1899, just twenty-five home
runs.
In pitching, reckoned by the per-
centage Of victories achieved. Hughes,
of Brooklyn, was the premier pitcher
Of the league, with .S23; Orth, of Phila-
delphia, is second, with 500; Hahn. OF
Cincinnati, is third, with 1865, and
Donahue, of Philadelphia, fourth, with
1853. All other league pitchers won
less than 20 per cent of their games
| Last year there were played ninety
/ shut-out games. Philadelphia headed
the list, having applied the white
wash. brush" fifteen times. Boston
came second, with Baltimore. Pitts
burg and Brooklyn even up.
There has been much discord in the
league, and it was with much diff
Guilty that the magnates were induced
to become reconciled to one another.
Harmony, however, has at last been
restored. and a more thorough Organi-
zation has been effected for the coming
i season.
The meeting OF the league this
Spring. consumed three days and with
the adjustment of past differences four
clubs. Baltimore, Washington. Cleve-
land and Louisville have agreed. for a
consideration, to lie idle for the bal
ance of the ten-year term, ending in
the Fall of 1901.
The playing rules of the game were
but slightly changed. only two altera-
tions being made. The home base will
i present a slightly different appearance.
having two wings extending from the
4 rubber which will enable the pitcher
10 get better Zine" on the objective
point. The balk rule has also been
changed. Hereafter a balk called on
the pitcher will entitle a base runner
to move up one bag. However, a bats
man cannot go TO first base.
There will be but one umpire in a
/, game this season, the old custom OF
/ using two, one for each team, having
been dropped by the league.
During the Winter an attempt was
made 10 form the American Associa-
tiOn, which was to oppose the National
? League. The organization, however
fell through, and the old association is
still in the ascendant
THE ATLANTIC LEAGUE.
After an existence of three years, tn,
Atlantic League, comprising Allen,
town, Lancaster, Newark, Richmond
Reading and Wilkesbarre was com,
PEELED to disband on the 9Th of last Au
? gust, without completing its schedule
The season OF 1898 was bad. but 1S9.
, was worse, and il was impossible L
!, keep up the unequal struggle longer
Early in the season Scranton ant
Paterson we're dropped, and other al
teratiOns in the league formation
n made. These. however, proved of n,
q avail, and the season ended witt
2 Richmond first; Allentown, second
q and Lancaster. third.
During the Winter. a reorganization
!. was effected and with new backin,
4 the league will begin anew, havinl
+: first decided TO place a team in thi
- city, which was formerly on its list
/; This is the team from which Jerr.
NOps. the now famous BaltimOr
pitcher, sprang.