take a lively interest in the affair. Handsome gold and silver medals are being specially provided for first and second prizes in each event. ... It is expected that this will have the effect of introducing healthful amateur athletics into the city. Such an excellent movement (the writer concludes with the inevitable bit of obvious editorial comment) cannot but receive the hearty support of all our citizens.
Meanwhile, baseball had won its way to the top position among outdoor sports (Portland was now in a Northwest League), and baseball writing had become interesting. Modern form was beginning to appear in all departments of the newspaper (except, perhaps, the advertising). The modern action type of headline was beginning to appear; this one (February 14, 1891), for instance:
GIVEN A NEW IMPETUS
Interest in Baseball Increasing—
National Compact
The Price of Players Reduced
Secretary Van Dubeck Discusses the
Prospects of the Portland Club
for the Ensuing Season.
This heading carried a half-column interview on baseball in the East with Secretary G. A. Van Dubeck of the Portland League Base ball Club. The secretary described the efforts to build up the club. Then the writer commented on Portland's weak team of the year before. . . . "have to get a better team this year than they did last if they don't want to kill the interest in baseball in this city entirely . . ." Direct quotations attributed to some person definitely named were appearing more numerously. Two days before, the Oregonian had carried interviews with Portland sport-followers on the defeat of Joe Choynski by Joe Goddard in Australia, with the name of each person preceding his statement.
The following baseball story, which appeared in the Oregonian May 1, 1891, is working up toward modern technique, though it still fails to tell the story near enough to the top:
SEATTLE, April 30.—Kid Camp won fresh laurels in today's game by shutting out Portland without a hit or run for eight innings. Although a little wild, he had the Port lands completely at his mercy. Their only hit of the game was Metz's liner over Shea's head in the ninth inning. What made Camp's feat more wonderful was the fact that the grounds were very muddy and the ball was hard to handle.
