This Month In Baseball
May 1880
Edition 10:3
Fair Or Out Of Bounds?
Controversial Home Run Field In Question
Up until this spring, a home run in the game has been a feat although rare, that fans have come to love. Many of the home runs are of the inside the par variety where speed and daring lead to the exciting play. A new field design in Lake Front park of Chicago has changed that notion for the time being, and many think it is an unfair advantage that takes away from the essense of the game.
The right field fence in this park was put into play to accommodate more fans into the Chicago ballpark, or at least that is what the club officials say. The fence is only 285 feet away from home plate making a convenient poke good enough to count as a home run. Obviously the Chicago players have been taking full advantage of this and it just so happens that their best power hitter swings it from the left side. Ed Pinkham is the alltime leader in triples and has been known for his power. For the previous 9 seasons however the slugger has hit a total of 22 home runs. This season he has hit 10 in just 22 games. Most all of them have come at home over the short porch in left field.
The all-time league leader in home runs is the powerful Gat Stires of Troy. Stires has hit 36 home runs in his career but is sure to be eclipsed by Pinkham this season who already has 32. The single season mark has already fallen in the first 2 months of the season, Pinkam's 10 homers passed Fred Treacey's previous record of 8 set back in 1871. Pinkham has a real chance to hit over 30.
Of course the park and the circumstances have garnered alot of doubt to their legitimacy. Many feel the short fence has taken away from the very nature and sportsmanship of the game. There are even rumors that some teams in the league are preparing a petition to do away with the short fence as soon as possible citing an unfair advantage. The Chicago club for their part makes it known that they have broken no league rules and that the short fence and any advantage is shared just the same by their opposition as both teams use the same field. The league has not made a comment on the situation and it seems very unlikely that league officials would force the club to change their home park midway through the season.
A Sportsmans Dream
New St. Louis Park Has Everything And More
The grandest of openings took place this spring as a new and first of its kind sports park opened in St. Louis. In what is being called "Sportsmans Park" the venue is full of open spaces and a wide variety of tastes for just about anyone. The park holds horse races, archery competitions, foot races, and even the circus came to town in March. All this hoopla is surrounding what is suppose to be the main attraction, which is the local St. Louis Brown baseball club.
To everyone's excitement, the Browns have made the most of the attention this season and sit in first place after two months of play. Dreams now have risen of Monte Ward and Jack Farrell bringing a pennant to the midwest city that is growing in reputation everyday.
It is another testament of the impact the national game has had on cities throughout the nation, now helping bring a new era of architecture and leisure for the American fanatic.