Show iHt SPOEC 1 1 G LETTER itl1 l L The + M National Game and East era Players PRESIDENT SPALDIXGSPLAKS t ar jUVoml hVn In the cimp of the Chi n J cage 5 > ioenablt > nnil Moral of the Diamond n s t CUICAOO July 26183S I From our Special Correspondent This past week closed theXocial West ern series of the season for the White Stockings and yesterday they departed for Boston where on Wednesdsy I Thursday and Friday next they cross sticks with the Reds winding up the week with the Giants on Saturday in the first of a series of three games on the Polo grounds in New York There has been but little if any change in the positions of the clubs during the past fortnight Detroit still holds the first place but with a smaller lead that of two gamesthan she has boasted forman for-man series past She is still playing astron a-stron and steady game and there is as yet no evidence of the break in the teams work upon the diamond which it has been predicted would take place Chicago follows in second place and New STork still holds third place over the Philadelphias fourth Boston follows fol-lows in fifth place St Louis in sixth Kansas City in seventh and the Washington Wash-ington aggregation brings us the tail end of the string For two weeks to come the White Stockings together with the other Western clubs will tour through the Eastern circuit of League cities returning to Chicago for a weeks play upon thehome ground commencing commenc-ing August 10th with St Louis and Kansas City clubs Following this week in question we go to Detroit for another I an-other series with the Wolverines upon I their own grounds August 20 21 and 23 So far as your correspondent can now see the interest that will attach to these tames bids lair to be as great as that which marked the two last series between be-tween these ninesprovided of course that Detroit continues her present speed and that toe race should be as close then as it is now Indeed I think that the interest will be even greater If that possible Never did a base ball team and its delegation of admiring supporters leave a League city in amore a-more depressed state of mind than the Detroiti their accom anving delegation suffered At the close of the last Detroit Chicago series in this city It was no disastrous trip Tor the visitors in point of the number of defeats sustained and proved all the more crushing a blow I because the nigh hopes of the team andthe absolute confidence of its accompanying ac-companying delegation in their ability to win The feeling was not wholly one of depression however it was very strongly tinged with a deep seated determination de-termination to have revenge and I pre dict that if the Wolverines are in any kind of condition when our boys go I there riext month that Detroiters will be afforded thetreat of witnessing one of the Eostsavagely contested series of games upon record Our boys record in their last series against Detroit was as brilliant as it was simply because they played ball more brit antlyand with greater skill than I had supposed them capableof notwithstanding that I hold them as a team second < to none in the country Now whether will play the same ball or not in the next series I question seriously Tney can play creditable ball and still fall short of the exhibition they gave Chicagoans in those games and it is my opinion that with the Detroit team in good trim it will require nothing short of brilliant playing to defeat them daring any stage of the race If as I say the present close character of the race is maintained maintain-ed from cow on until August 20th lovers of the game may safely anticipate antici-pate even a reater demonstration over the coming series than that which marled the two past ones August is even under ordinary circumstances a month of excursions and recreative trips for all who can spare the time and money to take advantage of it and I believe that lha delsraUnn t h t jni down to Detroit from Chicago on August 19th mil exceed that of last month in numbers two to one The principal theme for comment in base ball circka here during the past week has been the little bombshell mrprlse bordering almost upon consternation con-sternation that burst within ibe ranks of the Chicago slab last Thursday I refer td the actof President Snalding in calling themes into theclubiooseiusl before the first game of the series with the Kansas City team andfining several of them for breaking their pledge to ab1 cteinfrom intoxicating liquors during I the season So clccerlv had the whnlA affair been managed by the dabs presi dent that it took the men their friends and the public competely bv surprise The whole history of the affair briefly told Is just this > > o dub in the League hada better reputationand 110 club hasot today forthat tsatter thacias the Chicago club for sobriety and atten tion to business A firm believer in the inabflityof car man to bear the physical and mental strain of a season of professional ball playing or to acquit himself creditably upon the diamond when his daily habits were marked to even the slightest ex tent bT dissipation and the we of alcohol President Spalding at the commencement ot last season and the beginning of this Inserted a clause Into contrasts signed by his players In which they bound themselves abstain from Intoxicants during the champion Chip season Last rear there was not even an intimation in any quarter of in fidelity upon the part of the men to the provisions of this agreement and never before did the Chicago dab play so bril liant and masterly a game of ball as they did during the season of 1SS3 This year however although so far as is known to the contrary the bon started out in good tnm and firm in theurdetermmation let liquor alone report have reached the cubs manage mentthat they were not adhering to their pledge as firmly as was expected of them The reports were annoying to tbopfHcers and directors of tbe club ii1 that they reflected to a great extent upon the efficiency of the club manage ment and upon the good character and reputation of the team ilr Spalding was at first inclined to navf slit attention toktbe rorts but finally becoming alarmed a tbeirjre qmjncyjlana bejngj urged byjseversl of a clubrlheechief tbe directors of the clubjhe chief quieth and unknown even 10 Cat > taui sev s Anson took prompt measure to determine deter-mine the truth or faUUy of the reports inquestion By arrangement situ detfCiivc agency in tbu city thenctions and babrs of every man in the team both atliom0 and abroad were vratcbtd and c rtfully noted through op nod of six weeks and at the end of that lime a written report was made to President Spalding The course adopted by the I chief upon receiving the report of the I detectives was in exact accordance with the line of policy he has always followed follow-ed in the management of the clubs affairs Armed withdocnmentarr evidence evi-dence ho proceeded directly from his officeJo tbe grounds and found the men in their club room dr saing pr the came As the chief entered he closed the door behind sum and stthalt i expression ex-pression of countenance which tl1e men scarcely understood but which they nevertheless did cot like called them together Boys be said < for the first time within two years or perhaps longer it has become my unpleasant duty to call you to account for certain derelictions of duty at which I am deeply surprisedand which certainly do you no credit as ballplayers You are retained by tbe management of tbe Chicago ball club as you Wen know at liberal salaries and under certain conditions con-ditions as cnllined in the contract you signed yet it has come to my knowledge that in one respect and tnat a yery 1 grave one you are not living to your I I agreement with me and the club The chief paused and looked about him but not a word came from any man present Each was doubtless taken too much bv surprise to do more then lsten In a half dazed manner and silently wonder what was coming next For some weeks past conti ued the chief reports re-ports have reached me to tbe effect that certain of you had forgotten your pledge and were indulging in intoxicating intoxicat-ing liquors I need not tell you how annovinc these reports have been to me nrid how much they have brought discredit upon the club and the club management You will remember that spoke to several of you about such reports re-ports some weeks ago andyon said they were untrue And characterized as fairy tales started by enemies of the club who were jealous of your success lz accepted this explanation for the time being but it did not stop the report of intemperance which continued to reach me daily I finally determined to act In the matter myself and six weeks ago I secured the services of a detective agency to shadow and report I upon the conduct of the team b that home and abroad Now boys I propose pro-pose td read jou the reportbf your actions as It has been submitted to me actions by the men who have been with you watching soa night and day Here the chief unrolled the document ho held in his hand and read it aloud cage after page It was a poser from beginning begin-ning tQ end and if It could be printed would afford l one of ihe choicest bits of sensational base ball literature ever put upon paper The detectives had seemingly seem-ingly done their work well and daring the reading of the paper the boys could only glance nervously at each other and color deeply when read Every action pf each member of the team for a period six weeks or more was closely close-ly noted The time at which they had retired each night the billiards or cards they had played with each other at their hotels The Instance in which tbey had slipped away to accept a nightcap night-cap with a friend before going to bed in fact no act which related In anyway any-way to their habits or their moral guaue bad escaped the watchful eyes of tbe detectives The report was faulty in some respects as for instance when it spoke of Tommy Burns having been seen smoking a cigar after dinner at St Louis when it is well known that Tom never uses the weed But in the main it was pretty correct as the boys could only admit and when the chief had finished reading it he turned quietly quiet-ly to the men as they stood grouped before be-fore him and said This paper has shown you jut what grounds there have been for the reports that have from time to time been reachingme and I leave It to any or all of you as to whether or not you have treated the club management squarely This Is the first time I hive bad to call this team as it is now organized to account upon such grounds and I warn you to let it be the last Kelly McCormick Mint Gore Williamson Flynn and Ryan I shall fine b5 each for drinking liquor in violation of ypnr agreements and I shall state here now that I will double the fine at every future action of the kind upon yourpart Now boys I eep your mouths closed about this atfsir and go ahead and win the champion snip with which remark President Spalding passed out of the room and left thq boys staring stupidly at one another an-other When toe lads finally did succeed suc-ceed in finding thetf tongue it may be easily imagined that they did some tall talking Somehow the story leaked out and got into the morning papers here the following day badly garbled and greatly exaggerated it is true and all the more sensational because of that fact 1 saw President Spalding the day following and talk over the occurrence with him from which conversation I gleaned the above facts UTbe horn have not been getting drunk mind you he said and so far as I have been able to observe personally hate never at iny tIme this jseison unfitted themselTCa for work through indulg ences or excesses of any kind They have however4io far frgotten or light regarded their pledge as to CC8ion aily ihdalge in n glass of beer or tt toddy and these indulgences when seenhavoreachedine and thexomCCl3 of the club in an exaggerated form Notwithstanding these disclosures which simply amount to a little care lessnes or forgetfnlness on thepart of the playcrsIn accepting an occasional glass of beerfrom enthusiastic admirers I really bllevc the moralsand habits 01 the players in the Chicago club and the League generally will compare very favorable with the same number of young men taken at random from our city banks dry goods and wholesale stores Do not think for one moment that the Chicago lathe only one of the League that has been Indulging Others have b en aoins the same thing ng and if the officers of the clubs in qne hon want proof of my assertion I have got it right here for them with which remark the president of the ChIcago club took a thick packet of papers from his pocket and struck it shady against the palm of his left hand This dir covery has set me to thinking a cer tain direction he continued and I I think that I shall propose a plan at the next League meeting which will effecu ally shut off any drinking tendencies League players may posjets I And thatR1nl isi Ii 1 questioned why simply the agreement ot the clubs ot the Jintional League to jointly I arrange with some detective agency to I I shadow rw thronghoutfthe League season I every player Qi ibeyKational League tfndSsupmit n weekly SPresident YqnpBLtiWashington embracing a statement ofpach players habits and of his actions from day to day We shall iastbe tola nosunence proviion nrr La 1 important section of our club contract con-tract with players and if it shall te reported to President Youlg tl t ugh oUr agents that a man has been drink suit liquor of an v kind t that he has beenj seen intoilcatedor that he has been in anv way guilty of ungentlemanly or unprofrciional l conduct the President of the League shall have the power to impose a fine not to exceed an amount to be determined by the League and that report shall be cent out by the president and secretary of all such fines imposed and the character of the offense of-fense just as notices of contracts and releases are nowforwarded each week to tbtrdifferent duo nresidents We em ploy men at good salaries to play ball during six months in the year and it is only fair to the League and to the public pub-lic as well as necessary to the good name and popularity of the National gime that they conduct themselves athletes and gentlemen These are my views and I shan certainly take steps to have th m adopted at the next busi ne meeting of the League I nfed scarcely add that Mr Spald ingo ideas of a players duty toward his club and to Ute public will doubtless meet the views of every lover of the game of base ball and that in adopting them for tbe government of its players in future years the League will certainly certain-ly I take a step In the right direction CoJl CEEGA3 |