hich is
more vainglorious than absolutely truthful.

The Giants are to be commended for playing clean, sportsmanlike Base
Ball. There were less than a half dozen instances in which they came
into conflict with the umpires. The president of the National League
complimented Manager McGraw in public upon the excellent conduct of his
team upon the field and the players deserved the approbation of the
league's chief executive.

* * * * *

The general work of the Pittsburgh team throughout the year was good. It
must have been good to have enabled the players to finish second in the
championship contest, but the team, speaking in the broadest sense,
seemed to be just good enough not to win the championship. As one man
dryly but graphically put it: "Pittsburgh makes me think of a wedding
cake without the frosting."

Fred. Clarke, manager of the team, adhered resolutely to his
determination not to play. It was not for the reason that the impulse to
play did not seize upon him more than once, but he had formed a
conviction, or, at least, he seemed to have formed one, that it would be
better for the organization if the younger blood were permitted to make
the fight. It was the opinion of more than one that Clarke incorrectly
estimated his own ball playing ability, in other words, that he was a
better ball player than he credited himself with being.

As batters the Pittsburghs were successful. As fielders they were
superior to the team that won the championship. As run-getters they were
not the equal of the Giants. In brief, fewer opportunities were accepted
to make runs by a much larger percentage than was the case with the New
York club, which can easily be verified by a careful study of the scores
of the two teams as they opposed one another, and as they played against
the other clubs of the league.

It took more driving power to get the Pittsburgh players around the
bases than it did those of New York. In tight games, where the advantage
of a single run meant victory, the greater speed of the New York players
could actually be measured by yards in the difference of results.
Naturally it was not always easy for the Pittsburgh enthusiasts to see
why a team, which assuredly fielded better than the champions and batted
almost equally as well, could not gain an advantage over its rivals, but
the inability of Pittsburgh Base Ball patrons to comprehend the lack of
success on the part of their team