The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-13
can keep the team in the second division
for any length of time.

OF the eight American league clubs, only
three, Washington, Chicago and Detroit,
can be considered out Of the pennant race.
These three are too light for the company.
Boston is playing a wonderful game, and
by New York writer's is held to be the best
all-round team in the league.
The latest American league averages
show that Detroit leads in club batting.
and st. Louis in fielding. Cleveland,
which on paper should be the best hitting
team, is fifth in this department
Some people will say that men go to
baseball games for recreation. True
enough; but that is platitude, shallow
generality. There are all sorts Of recrea-
lions. But what one Of them holds a
mass Of people in business hours, day
after day, for a season, and season after
season? Men go wild over golf, and not
a long time ago Boston manufacturer
failed because he could not keep at his
desk. But every one knows that the golf
spirit Is on the wane, and that an attack
Of the fever has its iimits-with some a
month, with others a year-and there is
q very large class of immunes Taking
baseball in its own class, that of the out
of-door-sports, it is no exaggeration to
say that 1T is the one game which holds
it's clientele of enthusiasts year after
year with so little fluctuation that the
cause is mystery. For some years there
has been a waning Of interest, lit seemed,
in the country, and many thought the
great American game was about to be
supplanted and go to join bicycling, GRO
quet and all such, since the days Of the
| turkey shoot and the bacn-raising; but
this season there is greater enthusiasm
all over the country than was ever known
before, and so far the attendance at
games in all leagues, major and minor,
has been unprecedented. A generation
has come and is going since the great
Ward was known from ocean to ocean
and still the game lives, the great Ameri-
can game.
of travel CHANGED to bring four National
League teams together in the same ho-
| tel. The subject of any players popu-
larity and the cause was up. There were
four of the most popular men in the game
in the crowd, certainly four men who
ought to know. One thought the man who
made sensational catches in the field and
startling stops in the inf1eld won popu-
larity; another thought it was reliability
and steadiness and base-running; third
felt sure a mans carriage, quickness and
cleanness in movement and play did the
trick, while a fourth thought it was put
outs and assists that were the best
! plea ers of the crowd. $;
'You are all wrong said another, who
crowd likes the crack Of the bat and the
long hit."-Collier's Weekly.
Captain Fox, Of the Indians, still has
the claim to being the fastest man in the
league In getting down to first. Fox. USED
to be 1o0-yard dash man at Holy Cross
Harry Arndt is doing most Of the heav!
batting for Columbus and has developed
into the teams best run-getter.
It looks as tho another Illinois universit!
player might break into fast company
| Several league clubs are said to be aftel
Shortstop Steinwedel ~.
Chicago critics claim that Isbell viii
never make a third baseman If he live
to be 100. In Chicago they say he's lazy
In Detroit they say he has no class. s.
In Boston Abettichio, the italian playe
in the National league, has had his nam
contracted to ''Batty" by the fans. ~
Hans Wagner is hitting the ball a.
hard as he ever did in, his life. 49, ~,
Selee says he never saw a more beau
tiful ball park than that in Cincinnati