Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-15
BALL TALK OF MlDWINTER.
No Remarkable Developments Ex-
cept the Minister'S Protest.
TALMAGe ON THE PASTiME.
The Need or n Change Catcher For
the Local Team Urgcd-Points
About the Players
Other sports.
Local Base Ball Cossip.

| lncfc mas Dcen no remarkable develop.
| ments in the local base ball world during the
past week, unless the filing of protest by
| the associa tion of Presbyterian minister's
against Sunday games can be classcd under
this head. But there is no call for "a discus
| sion of this issue-thc ball season is u long
| way off, and the world may come to an end
before IT rolls around. However, il might
| prove interesting reading to know what T.
| Dewitt Talmagc, the great Brooklyn divine
thinks of outdoor sports. His sermon last
| Sunday was devoted TO this subject and
among other good things he said was the fol.
| lowing:
The human race want more muscle as well
| AS more brain. and fresh air, and the blue
| sky, and the hand on helm, or ball, or mallct,
| or racket does well whether il pulls, or turns,
or reaches, or strikes for success There is
no harm III the mere fact that it is u race.
| The whole human family, so far as it
amounts to anything, is engaged in an effort
| for precedence merchant in race with mer
| chant, mechanic i'll race with mo
| chanic, professional man in race
| with professional man; and if there were
| no ambition to excel life would come down to
| fiat monotone and all enterprise would die
| out, and the world halt on its swift march
| toward alienation and betternont. Fast
| horse, fast boat, fast runner are good things
| There is no virtue in driving slowly, or sail
| ing slowly, or walking slowly. The most of
| the things that God manages are character
| lied by speed. Rapid currents, swift light
| nings, and worlds turned hundreds Of miles
II second. And ! do not know where men
| got the idea that there is sanCtity III tardi-
| ness. "A canal boat is certainly no better
| than an express train. BY outdoor exercise
| the hollow chests of college students are
| being filed out, and SallOw checks are made
ruddy, and instead of young men beginning
| life bent over and ghastly and tmid, as sick
| people are apt to be, they come on the stage
of life with the stride of an athlete and the
cleaning eye of a victor.
| In carefully looking over the Omaha team
! for next season, it has occurred to the writer
| that, as a safeguard against all contingencies,
another catcher should be engaged. Wilson
says Manager Selee is a steady, reliable
| fellow, one who can go in behind the bat
| every day in the week, and one who is per-
| fectly willing to. So far as it goes, that is
well enough, and il has been COnClusiycly
proven by the work of Kid Bal dwin, of the
| Cincinnatis, last summer, and Bushong of
| the Browns, aud Bennett of the Detroits,
| that the stcadcr and more continuously u
| catcher is worked, the better service il
| gotten out of him. AS long as his hands arc
preserved, and he maintains Il hcalthful
| physical condition and is worked daily, the
| better he catches and performs generally.
| Still there is no guarantee that the best and
most indurated catcher in the profession won't
| be knocked out and crippled up in the
| very first championship game of the season.
| Should this happen to Wilson Omaha would
| be compelled to fall back on Cooncy, who is
Il light man and incapable of catching well
| much oftcner than every other day, or upon
som inexperienced man taken from some
| other position. Should both regular catchers
| be incapactated by sickness OF accident for
| any considerable period at the same time, Of
| course such misfortune would operate most
| dsastrously upon Omaha's chances for cut
| ting conspicuous figure in the championship
| race
| This condition of things was casually men
| tiOup1 70 MANAGER PhllDln by the HrE
man an evening two since, and while he
| agreed thoroughly with the argument ad-
| vanced, he said:
| but then we have Messitt. He will make
a catcher who can take rank with the best Of
them. Didn't he catch an. errorlees
| and ,Iantzen one day last summer, and didn't
| he fill the backstop's position for an entire
| season, and with great credit to himself and
| the club several years ago in one of the
| minor eastern leagues. oh yes, think
| Messitt is the very man for the position, and
! agree with you that he should be at once
notified that he will be expected to alternate
| rerularlv !. this position the coming sOa-'
| son. He must get his hand in, ve,. know,
| and all his preliminary n,""Gctlse should be
with the view Gt playing behind the bat"
If the eX-manager is correct upon tho
point Of hiessitt's ability to fill the position,
| then Omaha's team roster is complete, and
| not another man should be engaged, unless
| for the purposes of speculation.
| But De1Ore dropping une SuDJetl OF CatCN-
| crs and catching, the managements attention
| is called to the subjoned, received ut this
| office yesterday evening:
DAVID CRY, Neb, Jan; i2.-Hon. Base
Ball Editor of the BEB.-Dear Sir:
| F.. j. Bird has Just except position at David
| city he has magnificent record as ball player
boath at and behind the Bat he cought for US
and the neighbooring Towns over twenty five
| games with but two pass balls ollthough ne
| doant claim to be a catchure he says his faveor-
| ite positions is mt lst Base and out field there
| are very few boil players can beate that very
| bad excuse bad righting.
| Yours Respt.,
MATT THoRNE.
Can anything be done for Bird or Mr.
| Thorne.
The Sporting Life, of Philadelphia, has the
| following to say in its last issue: ''Frank
| Bandle, the noted Omaha eX-catcher, wants
| to umpire in some league. He has been so
| long identified with the national game in
| Omaha that his record is too well known to
| need republication. He is reliable, incor-
| ruptible, thoroughly competent, and Withal u
| gentlemen of whom any league might be
| proud. He would be an ornament and val
| liable addition to an organization, and his
| friends, who have undertaken to secure
his selection, will not cease their
efforts in his behalf until those
| efforts have been crowned with success"
| The probabilities are that the middle of May
! will see Bandle regularly installed as IL
| Western association umpire. His recon-
| mcndations and endorsements from both at
| home and abroad have been of the most pro
| nounced character and the appointing board
| have expressed the intention of giving him
| the very first vacancy.
Flynn, of the old Chicagos, and last man
signed by Manager Solee, is one of those
| rare exceptions where good pitcher is also
| a strong and reliable batter. He stood fourth
| in the formidable Chicago team in 'S8, and
last season his batting average was 35l.
There is no denying the fact the Omahas for
next year, on paper at least are the sluggers
| af the new Western association.
| soden, one of the celebrated Boston trium-
virs, and who wanted Lovett says he is one
| of the swiftest pitchers he ever saw, not even
excepting Whitney in his palmiest days.
| That is saying great deal for Lovett
Secretary Worley thinks next season will
| be one of the best ever experienced locally,
| especially as the Omahas chances for win
| ming the pennant are second 10 no other
| team in the association.
The Omaha club has completed its team
and Is now resting upon its oars. Prepara'
tons for opening the season will be the next
thing in order
Healy hasn't signed anywhere yet Tho
| Louisville people are talking Of signing MN.
The series of games between the Omahas
and Des Moines will be the most interesting
| games to be seen here next summer, owing 10
the rivalry between the two citics' Des