Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-25
A VERY LIKELY BALL TEAM,
Manager Selee Talks Encouragingly
About the Local Club.
MORAL AND CAPABLE PLAYERS.
Schedule of the Games to Be Played
on the Home Grounds-The
Special Prize System-In-
teresting Sport News.
What Manager seIee Says.

The BEE man had a pleasant and instruct
I've chat with Manager Frank Selee last
evening. He expressed himself as highly
pleased to get here, and made a poor ettempt
To conceal his anxiety for the season TO open.
Selee is q thorough base ball man, an enthu-
.,siast, but always careful and guarded in his
speech, which Is utterly free from bombas
or braggadocio. When Selee talks he says
something, a quality lacking in a vast num-
per of alleged base ball authorities, and one
that cannot fail to ommen him to the
favorable opinion of all those with whom he
comes in contact.
IN .There is an element of uncertainty, u re-
marked tho gentleman, Fin the championship
race of the Western association for 1888 that
WAS lacking to a remarkable degree in the old
Western league struggle of the past season.
The Topekas carried everything be-
fore. them, and victories for them
became so commonplace that the base
ball patrons throughout the circuit
looked upon the race as a gift Tor the Kansas
team. In specializing on the result OF this
aseason's chase, most authorities place Omaha,
Des Moines and Kansas City as the most
likely bidders for the pennant. But, remem-
per, I do not say this. ! have more prohta-
BILE matters to attend to than settling the
championship before a ball has been pitched.
j must say, however, that on paper these
Teams look like a superior lot OF players, but
paper teams and actual work upon the dia-
smond are two entirely different things, as
many a manager has found out to his
sorrow.n
= But you certainly think we have as likely
p crowd together his year as any OF them,
sDon't II Well, / should say / did, 1
think they are the finest set of young fellows,
both in point of morality and capability, that
ever got together. and have had some
good ones, too. The beauty about our team
IS that they all know each other, and their
team work this season / think will be a mar
vel of perfection. Again, they are a steady,
respectable, temperate lot OF players, and as
you know, the players are the best advertise,
ment the game has. The popularity OF
our great national pastime lies with
them. This was exemplined most beauti-
fully last season in the model teams in the
cities Of Detroit and Oshkosh.
And you are learning to like Omahai"
'Alore and more every day / am here. The
people are genial, sociable and intelligent,
and, what pleases me most, great base bal
enthusiasts. 1t shall be my one aim TO cater
TO their enjoyment this summer, and i think
with the excellent team L have secured, thai
am in no real danger of disappointing them
But there is one thing we must do, however
and that is use our utmost endeavors II
popularizing the game with the ladies. Il
base ball isn't a ladies' game j do not know
what is. In Des Moines and Oshkosh the
ladies turn out in large numbers. They ar,
great admirers Of the sport and UNDERSTAND
il well. The state OF things should exis
here, and we are going to do GU
utmost to bring it about. The.
are to receive every attention anC
courtesy at the park, are to nave a separat'
department all fitted up with folding, cush
Toned chairs and other conyeniences, ex
riusively for themselves and their escorts
and / think that before the season is far ad
yanced we viii have the fair sex much inter
ested in this royal outdoor sport Of ours"
"What do you hear from your pitohersFh
~ .oh, they, of course, all claim 70 be in frs
class condition, never better IN their lives
the same old chestnut YOU know. We have
great quartette, though, in Loyett, Flynn