The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-28
The Great National Game

their pockets. Amos Rusie, coming
from the backwoods. flashed across the
baseball armament as meteor athwart
the sky, and Is now a successful lum-
herman. Mike Sullivan. another great
player of his day, graduated from base
pail into politics, and when he played
( his final inning OF life 1t was as
member of the staff OF the Governor
OF Massachusetts,. The Duke OF Well
lngton summed up the beneficial re-
suits of such sports as baseball when
he laconically remarked that the bat
tie of Waterloo had been won on tile
cricket fields OF England. Not only do
good bail players make successful SOL
dlsrs, but they are successful in what
ever career they may afterwards elect
a baseball season is n pretty
profitable thing TO the men who
finance the big leagues. Last year the
treasurer OF the American League
showed a balance OF about s265. 900 az a
result OF the seasons work of the
eight clubs The clubs can be owned
only by men OF wealth. Last year.
Cincinnati. sold his one-third interest
in the Cincinnatia Club to Thomas L.
Logan. The price paid is said TO have
been in the ncighborhood OF ST5.00Q.
the National League. 1t sold its
franchise to Brooklyn. The price was
$40 600. Brooklyn defnulted In the pay
ment. and last year Baltimore secured
u
sents principal and interest
In the olden days OF baseball II was
customary for the home team 10 FUR
nish the balls The result was that
TO their own needs. II they were
strong al the bat they would have a
very hard lively ball. and would per-
haps bake 1t well just before the game
long suit was fielding. they would give
the ball liberal pounding with a
mallet, so as TO give 1T the proper
degree of softness. This jockeying"
with the ball tended to bring the game
into dgrepute. and was eliminated by
the action OF the National League.
Since the final Standardization rules
were passed in 1877. there has been no
ing of the men of 1908 can be COM
pared to those of the early days
1t Is interesting TO note in this con-
nection that in the choosing of the
covering the entire career of the Ma
tional League from 1871 to 1907, In
elusive, only two players are taken for
their work since 1900. They are King
catcher and third baseman, respective-
~, both of whose 1906 records gave
them the positions. The other mem
beers of this composite team are A. G..
1875; Pop" Arson, nrst-base. on his
1881 record: Ross Barnes, second base,
on his 1873 season: Hugh Jennings,
shortstop, on his 1895 record Joe
centrefeid 1899, and William KecIer.
rishtfeld, 1896. Baltimore. Chicago and
Boston each furnish three members
of the team. I<eeler Is the only man
on the team whose playing in two po-
sitions entities him 10 the place. His
work at centrefeld in 1890 entitled him
to fill that place on the all-America
team, but as his record in the right
field was even higher, he was given
that place, and centre was assigned
to Duffy.
While all the major league teams are
starting out to chase tho pennant 1t
pionship has gone in the past. In the
National League, victory has had a
tendency to perch on one banner three
years in succession. Beginning with
times in succession. Then it Went TO
Baltimore three times, then to Boston
twice, then to BROOKLYN twice. then
to Pittsbufs three times, and since. then
twice each, With the chances favoring
the Cubs again this year In the Amer
lean League, Chicago has won the
pennant three times, Boston twice, the
Athletics twice. and Detroit once. Bos-
ton and Chicago have each been pen
nant winners twice in succession.
On the whole, the 1908 season prom
Uses to be a record breaker. Last year
eclipsed all former years In the mat
ter of attendance. There were num-
Der Of records broken during the eea-
son, and there are others which are
likely to be smashed this year. Mean
while the game continues to grow In
favor, and to stand at the top of the
sports of all the nations OF tho earth
as the most healthful, the cleanest
and the best maintaining of them all.
o-morrow-Metals Rarer than Gold.
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