Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-11

what they want and no phenoms are to be
secured. The names of Krock, of Chicago;
Burdick, lately with Indianapolis; Kennedy,
OF Wheeling; Duke, of Minneapolis; Mich
OILS, OF Omaha, and Knell, of st. Joe have
been bid for, but as yet they nave secured
none of them.
There Is some doubt whether Dick Phelan,
Des Moines' second baseman, will be able to
play ball again this season. The injury he
received several weeks ago by his collision
with Tom Maggie at the home plate, was a
bad one. and stubborn about getting well.
Phelan feels his inforced lay-off keenly, as
he was playing the game of his life this sea-
son, and was bound to make a record.
Nc team in the country is more prolific in
nicknames than the Omahas. Nearly every
"bleachers'' BY some endearing cognomen.
There Is "Grover'' Cleveland, big Fat
Jakey'' Struss, Snapper Nava' Cooney,
Tit" Willis, "Well Well' Crooks, "White
Wings' Walsh, dad" Clarke, kid"
Nichols, "Scrappy Jack" Messitt, "Old
Horse" Andrews and ''Jamesey'' C%anavan.
Kid Nicholas, says the Kansas City Times,
is the star pitcher of the Western associa-
ton, and is not only doing fine work but lots
OF it. Last Saturday he pitched two games
against Minneapolis, winning both. Minnie
apolis made only ten hits off of him in two
games. Although Nichols is young enough
to still be called kid" he is big boned and
strong, and eighteen consecutive innings do
not wear on him as much as on some OF the
old-timers. He has a contract with Omaha
that provides that he shall not be reserved,
and in all probability he will be pitching for
Kansas City next season. Nichols
has no such contract with Omaha,
and if he pitches for Kansas City next year,
Kansas City will pay the Omaha manage
ment q great big COB of money for him this
fall.
1t seems preposterous TO attribute unsuc-
cessful ball playing to poor, innocent, in
offensive uniforms, but it is rather singular
that no club that has adopted the black uni
form has had any luck until the somber gar
ments were discarded. The Cincinnatis were
pigmies in black, and lost game after game
with such horrifying regularity that it drove
half the fans down in Porkopolis crazy.
They threw their black Nadjys aside, and
have been trotting along with a full measure
of success ever since. Cleveland adopted
the u~ndertaker's colors Immediately after
their first successful eastern trip and climbed
right VI on the t%oboggan. They have dis
carded them within the past week and are
again being smiled upon by queer old Dame
Fortune. Will Omaha be compell;d to shoot
her raven togsl 1t looks that way.
Eastern base ball writer's are continually
harping upon the desirability Of Jersey City
and Newrrk as American association cities,
In case OF any vacancies In this body next
season. But the fact is, that neither one of
these cities has a ghost of a show OF ever being
taken in the American association, at least
While there are such thriving, wlde-awake,
go-anead towns as Minneapolis, Milwaukee,
Detroit aud Buffalo TO draw from. There
will be q vacancy or two In this organization
there seems to be but little doubt just now,
and in case there IS. the prediction is made
here that either Minneapolis or Milwaukee
will be the city which will have the first call.
Minneapolis has demonstrated this season
her capability Of holding up her end in any
base ball organization, and this is probably
her last year as a member Of a minor league.
AS u base ball town, Omaha isn't TO be men
toned in the same day.