Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1887 — BASE-BALL. [ARTICLE]

BASE-BALL.

The Northwestern League Championship—The New Western League. A Talk with Captain Anson—Gossip of Clubs and Players from Different Cities. [CHICAGO CORRESPONDENCE.] The patt week has been a busy one for •the management of the Chicago Ball Club. The task of tignirg such of the players of the past season as it was thought desirable to retain for another year and of securing new men by which to strengthen the team for coming struggles has not been an easy -one. President Spalding has had his hands full twelve hours out of the twentyfour, and when asked by your reporter last evening what men had been engaged thus far, he said: “Of course you know that the work of signing our men has not yet been completed, and may not be for some months to come. Up to date I have Anson, Burns, Van Haltren, Ryan, Daring, Sullivan, Baldwin, Pettit, Tebeau and .Sprague of the old team. The following new players have been signed: Brynan, of Duluth; Fielder Duffy, of the Lowell club, said to be the best general player in the New England League; Pitcher W. H. Clark, of Des Moines; Catcher Charles F. Hoover, generally considered the best catcher and general player in the Western League, making fourteen men that have been signed to date. In addition to the above we expect to sigh Pfeffer, Clarkson, Williamson, Sunday, Flint and Daly. We are also negotiating for two or three crack pitchers.” Last week delegates to the annual meeting of the Northwestern League assembled at the Tremont House. Manager Hart, of the Milwaukee team, was present to protest the game between the Milwaukee and Minneapolis teams in which Con Murphy had played against Milwaukee. Hart • cluimed that Murphy was under contract with the Oshkosh Club, and therefore had no light to play in a • championship game with the Minneapolis club, and that the game in question should, therefore, either be declared off or awarded to Milwaukee. The meeting, however, declined to recognize the protest, and Oshkosh, therefore, remains the champion, Northwestern League club of the present season. Had the claim been allowed, Oshkosh would have been relegated to second place, and Milwaukee would have taken the championship as well as first claim i upon the handsome SSOO cup offered by A. G. Spalding & Bros, to the team winning the championship three seasons. Following the meeting of the Northwestern League, a meeting of delegates for the formation of the much-talked-of new Western League was held and the ■ organization of the same was completed. The new association will consist of clubs from Chicago, St. Louis, Des Moines, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Omaha, Kansas • City, and Milwaukee. The promoters of the new association are Samuel G. Morton, •of Chicago; T*J. Loftus, of St. Louis; E. G. Briggs, of Omaha; E. E. Menges, of Kansas City; James A. Hart, of Milwaukee; A. M. Thompson, of St. Paul; R. O. Foster, of Minneapolis; and C. M. Sherman, of Des Moines. Your correspondent met Capt. Anson the ■ other day and had a chat with him concerning the new players the club had signed and which are still to be signed for next year. “Does the accession of all this young blood mean the release of any of the older players?” asked your correspondent. “Not necessarily. We shall probably hold on to all of the old men we have got now, and sign anywhere from six to ten youngsters, retaining the best of them through the season.” “Will Clarkson and Pfeffer be with us next season?” “Such is my belief: yes.” “Are you on good terms personally with .both?” “Perfectly.” “How about that fine against Fritz?” “I have never reported any fine against ‘ Pfeffer to the club. But even if I had that - would not affect his contract for next year?” “Williamson, Burns and ‘Old Silver’ will be with us just the same next season?” “You can bet every dollar you have got that they will.” “And Darling, Daly, Van Haltren, and Sullivan?” “Every one of ’em.” “How about Mark Baldwin. Will you release him to Pittsburg?” “No, .sir. We will release him to nowhere. We will keep him right where he is. I’ll bet that you’ll say I was right when I declared some time ago that none •of them can beat Baldwin when Baldwin settles down to the work he is capable of -doing. Baldwin will be one of the best of the League pitchers yet, mark my words.” “How about Sprague?” “A good little man; but I am afraid he is mot heavy enough for work in the League.” “Will you keep him?” “I hardly think so.” “Were there any men you wanted this year but slipped up on?” “Yes. One League club captured three • of the men I had set my heart upon.” “Which was that?” “The club is New York. The men are Foster, Crane, and Slattery. I wanted ■ every one of those fellows, but we just did not happen to get around into their section ■ of territory at tue right time.” “What do you think of Foster?” “He is a ball-player, through and through, but I understand he is a bit unreliable in his habits.” “Has Indianapolis any just claim upon his services?” “Not a claim. New Y r ork has got Foster and will keep h : m. Indianapolis dare not press a claim, and will not.” “What do you think of the DetroitBrowns series?” “It turned out just as I expected. I must admit, however, that I did not expect to see the Browns laid out so flat.” Tommy Burns, the clever little third baseman of the Whites, came in at that and was asked what his plans were for the winter. “I am going to California,” was the reply. “Who else will go?" “Ned Williamson, Jimmy Ryan, Martin •Sullivan, and Pfeffer. ■ Maskrey, of Mil-

waukee; Carroll, of Pittsburgh; Mullane, of Cincinnati, and one or two others will make up the balance of the team. Tom Daly is’ down to Hot Springs just at present, and may join ns later on. We leave Saturday.” “By the way, Tom,” I asked, “what do you think of the world’s championship series?” “Just what I thought of it before it commenced. St. Louis cannot play with Detroit.” “What is their shortcoming?” "They can’t hit Detroit s pitchers, in the first place, and they can’t run bases on Bennett in the second.” NOTES AND COMMENT. Walter Spalding, the New York end of A. G. Spalding <fc Bros., returned from England last week, after a month's sojourn there on business. He secured the agency of the Lillywhite Cricket House while there’. Weidman has been signed by the New Y’ork Club as one of their pitchers for 1888. He will be a good man in the box with the New York field to back him. His percentage of victories while in the League was .564. Anson’s market value as manager, captain, first baseman, and batsman of a team has been run up to $25,000. Nimick, of Pittsburg, bid $15,000 for his release las't week, but Spalding said that Pittsburg would have to begin the bidding at $25,000. The fact is Chicago and Anson are inseparable. It is almost an assured thing that White, of Louisville, will play short stop tor the St. Louis Browns in 1888. Gleason will be one of the St. Louis nine in the Western League. Werriek, of Louisville, too, is mentioned as likely to take Latham’s place in the St. Louis team, and Latham to play in Louisville in 1888. Manager Mutrie has greatly strengthened the New York team for next season by the engagement of Crane and Slattery of the Toronto Club, Cleveland and Foster of the St. Pauls, and Hatfield of the Portlands, all young, prom sing players. Crane is the noted long-distance thrower, and distinguished himself last season in pitcher’s position. The Philadelphia Club led the National League in shutting out their opponents, they beating in this manner: Indianapolis three times, Boston twice, and New York and Pittsburgh once each. New York was second in this respect, and Chicago third. Every National League club was blanked in at least two games.