Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-21

| crowd got its money back.
| When the National League was or
ganized the next year Washington.
| was left out. The league had fixed
| gate charge of 80 cents, and its Of
| fCials could not be convinced that the
| National Capital was anything but a
/ o5-cent town. Doubtless there was
trace of contempt for the panpuShinG.
| hite-collared city among the braWnN.
! riotous industrial communities which
/ we're beginning to enjoy orgies of big
wages. The overalled mill worker
would not protest very rapidly at
/ haf-dollar tax on his pay envelope,
/ but il might prove a rather important
| item IN the economies of the Govern
/ nent clerk. however superior his posi-
| ton might be when the element OF
| steady work was considered.
| The league was made up OF sams
representing Providence. Boston. Buff
| falo. New York Chicago. Cleveland,
PHILADELPHIA and Detroit Washington
felt the snub Interest in the national
game here admittedly was at low
ebb. but the fault. it was believed,
| Law in the Incompetence and mis-
mana gement of those who had sought
| to launch professional ball teams
rather than in any incurable apathy
on the part Of the public. The news
papers for the most part ignored base
! ball There was not enough puoilc
concern to justify more than an men
or so of space in the crowded columns
Of the single page devoted to current
events.
But the editors recalled now and
then the feverish excitement which
had attended the historic Western tour
| Of the Nationals more than decade
before when an aggregation or Gov
| eminent clerks. just out of uniform,
had beaten everything the virile young
cities of Ohio. Illinois and Missouri
could offer 1t had been an suspicious
start, but the craft somehow had
slipped into a backwater.
During these yellow years team
known as the Nationals continued its
organiZat ton. Washington never has
been without such a team since the
Civil War. But it was far from the
same high-class aggregation that had
! made the Western tour and had
rather nondescript status between
amatcurism and professionalism.
IN 1883 base ball in the National
L Capital began to look up. The
American Association had been organ
lied as rival to the National League
and was challenging it's monopoly of
professional base ball. A team was
entered to represent Washington.
Other aggregatiOns in this league were
the Metropolitans of New York, the
Athletics of Philadelphia. Columbus,
Louisville, st. Louis, Cincinnati, Balti.
more, Brooklyn, Toledo. Allegheny and
Indianapolis. The association never
was established on very firm basis.
| I'D
was plenty of opportunity for ques-
tionable practices. 1t pretended to be
animated by intense rivalry of the
National League, but this pretense
was open to suspicion since the own
ers Of the Metropolitans also were
owners of the New York league club.
The Association teams, however.
proved too fast company for Washing
ton. This city had not yet found Its
base ball legs. The local nine started
in the cellar and stayed there. 1t
was unable to attract any great fol-
lowing and gate receipts were dis
couraging. Sometimes it proved quite
difficult to pay the $75 guarantee for
visiting teams, which was demanded
wisely instead of half the proceeds. No
| better progress was made the next
Summer and in the middle of August
the team was disbanded and the play
7 ers sold. 1t had been a financial wreck
for weeks and so hopelessly at the
bottom of the league standing that
mere handfuls of people turned out to
see the games.
The place was filled by the Virginias
OF Richmond who bought most of
the Washington players. Cincinnati,
however, outbid them for the real star
Of the team, Fennelly, the short stop.
He brought $500 and was guaranteed
$500 a month for the rest of the sea-
son, a sum which caused other league
owners to shrug their shoulders and
determine that this practice of run
ming wild in base ball salaries must
stop. Most Of the other players
brought $500 to the Washington own
ers and We're guaranteed $500 a month
for the rest Of the Summer.
Washington launched another pro-
fessional team in the Summer of 1881
which enjoyed somewhat better sue
cess. This was in the Union League,
described at the time as "a purely
commercial proposition" 1t included
teams representing st. Louis. Balti-
more, Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago,
Pittsburgh and Kansas City, as we'll
as the Nationals Of Washington. This
association, presumably did not have
sound financial backing and never
was able to attract much public senti-
ment. The American Association and
the National League joined hands to
fight it. They forced their players to
sign tight contracts and threatened
to blackball from professional base
ball any who Jumped" to the new
league.
The Unions fought in vain against
this combination. The league was
broken up in 1885 and the Nationals.
like unwanted stepchildren of base
ball had to find themselves new
home. Their record in the Union
Association had been good. In 1884
they advanced from the cellar to sixth
place during the Summer. The per-
sonnet of the Nationals at this time
was: Moore, If: Baker, 1b; Powell. CT;
Fulmer, C; Mccormick, 3b; Halpin, IS;
Wise, IF; Gagus and Daily. p; Evers,
SD. In 1885 they faced the season
with an even stronger team when
the league went on the rocks. They
were soon placed, however, with the
new professional base ball lineup
which followed the dissolution of the
Unions. The American Association
dropped the Virginias and the Eastern
League was organized, consisting of
Richmond, Washington. Trenton. Lam
caster. Pa; Norfolk. Newark, Jersey
City and Wilmington. This arrange
ment proved satisfactory both to the
American Association and the Nation
al League. 1t did not intrude on their
territories, as the Union League had
done. and it was an excellent school
for developing professional ball play
| ers.
This season is notable because 1t
brought to Washington its first pen
nant. The Nationals and the Virginias
had the race all to themselves, since
| they far outclassed the other hastily
orga niZed teams. The Washington
nine nosed out the Richmond players
early in September and came home
/ fIcni, l.l-t tnii ANifh VIC