Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1887 — SPHERE AND WILLOW. [ARTICLE]

SPHERE AND WILLOW.

Professional Base-Ball Teauns at Work—The League Pennant Race. Chicago Still Playing at Wonderful Speed—lts Present Eastern Trip. [CHICAGO COKBESPONDENCE. ] For the past two weeks the fight for the League pennant has been narrowing down to the three present leaders in the race, Detroit, Chicago and Boston, and the prospects for last season’s great struggle between Detroit and tbe White Stockings being fought over again are improving with almost each day that passes. No one seems more strongly convinced than President Spalding that such will be the result, and when asked Saturday how he thought it would all end, he said: “Nothing that I know of now can stop us. We shall win the pennant in a gallop if our men continne to play the ball they are playing now, and even though we should meet with misfortune of any kind, such as the disabling of our players, postponed games through unfavorable weather, or any of the other ills a ball club is heir to, we shall, I think, beat Boston and New York out at the finish, and take a good second place, We usually have a pretty fair share of luck, however, and by the 15th day of August I expect to sea Anson’s men in the lead. I predicted before the team returned to Chicago on June 9 that, before it left on its next Eastern trip, we should be in second place. You see that the prediction has been verified. As for Detroit, the team is playing a strong and winning game just at present. It may continne to do so. As you see by tbe result of last week’s games, however, the team is not too strong to be beaten by New York. There is an element of grit and nerve in the New York team that one cannot help admiring, jand if they should steadily improve from now until the end of the season, it would not surprise me in the least. On the contrary, I rather anticipate that such will be the case.” “Is there any prospect that the Association or League will consolidate this fall; that Indianapolis will drop out; or, that in the event of the failure of the two big organizations to become one, that the St. Louis Browns will be admitted to the League circuit?” “Well, it is as yet a little early to discuss such matters, and yet I am free to confess that I have thought of all of them. In the first place, the matter of consolidation is in exactly the same state it has been in for Bix months past save that the demonstrated superiority of the Bt. Louis and Baltimore clubs has made it pretty clearly apparent, that they are out of their class in the association. At no time sinoe the matter of consolidation has been considered or proposed has the time for it been so propitious. I can not say on the whole, though, that lam as anxious for it as many newspaper correspondents have represented me to be. Tbe League is without question the greatest athletic and amusement organization of its kind in the world to-day. Look where you will and find any organization if yon can, with aggregate salary lists of $300,000 a year, and expenses of fully three-quarters of a million. Point out any enterprise that can draw 158,000 people to its performances in a single day, and I will grant that it is a greater organization than the National League of American Ball Clubs. There is no comparison that I can see between the Le ague and the Association. “Wouldthe League make auyconcessions to Yon der Ahe, such as the privilege of playing Sunday games, or of selling liquor upon his own grounds, in the event of his being admitted?” “No, sir; not a concession of any kind. If Mr. Von der Ahe wants to enter the League circuit next year, he may be able, in tbe event of the unanimous agreement of the League Presidents, to do so, but if he comes in he must do so under exactly the same rules that govern ns all, and no others.” THE GOOD EFFECT OF TOTAL ABSTINENCE. In speaking further upon the good effect of total abstinence as practiced by the White Stockings this season President Spalding said: “I am no prohibition crank, bnt I am a believer in temperate, careful living on the part of men whose business Is to entertain the public as athletes. I felt that it was my duty and that it would be to our interest to have a squad of players who would challenge admiration because of their good habits on and off the field. But there is another side to the question, and lam not ashamed to discuss it. There is a man iu our team upon whom this new order of living has worked a wonderful change. A home that was not as happy as it should hare been because of overindulgence has been completely reorganized, and on what 1 believe to be an enduring basis. A more overjoyed little lady than this player’s wife is not to be found in this -city. They are saving money, and were never before so contented. If the result of the temperance plan had been only to reform this player I should have been quite satisfied. But it has had other splendid results. We have young men in the clubmere boys, some of them—who take as much pride in their temperance record as they do in their ball-playing record. That is saying a good deal, but it is only the truth, and I know what I am talking about. When I asked the boys not to drink anything until the close of the season, and they promised me that they wouldn’t, I said we should adopt any plan we thought best to discover whether they were keeping their pledges to ns. It gives me a good deal of satisfaction to say that no man nas violated his pledge. There is a rivalry among them not only to keep liquor away, but to so conduct themselves that there' shall not be the slightest grounds on which to rest a suspicion.” Tbe White Stockings are now upon their second Eastern trip, which they opened last week by defeating the Philadelphia team three straight games. They play Washington, New York, Boston, and Detroit three games each before returning borne for a game im Chicago, dh July 28, with Boston. Oon Creoan.