The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-01
THE ASSOCIATION.
w. I. Harris Writes of It's
Chances for the Season.
THE BROOKLYN TEAMS MAKEUP.

It Contains Few Stars, bst tho "Kids"
May sorpyfse the Prophets-Its JournaI-
list HIaa2ger-GeneraI Gossip of the Pres
ent Baseball Situation.
The prospects Of the American association
in November were blue to blueuess. No one
hesitated TO predict that it was dead. There
didn't seem TO be one chance in ten for it to
weather the storm. / was quite as gloomy as
other writer's This is the way l put it.:
And the American association. What Of iti
It is dead beyond resurrection" Of course it
was figure Of speech; it didn't imply that
the Association was extinct. referred to its
prestige and its Importance. Well, I over
drew the picture It's not so bad as that.
Indeed, although the Brotherhood stripped it
Of its great star players and four Of its best
clubs resigned, ii has survived the cruel blasts
and lives with large sized ray Of promise
lighting its way. Its prestige is gone, it has
been shorn Of its rich fleece, but the lamb is
healthy and the fleece may grow again. New
blood in clubs and players has put the Asso-
citation on its feet again, and there is more
than hope for it in the future.
The circuit now consists Of Brooklyn, Roch-
ester, Syracuse, Toledo, Columbus, Athletics,
ST. Louis, and Louisville The first four are
the new clubs, and they are as lusty infants
as ever crowed in their mothers arms. Not
only that, but the men back of the new teams
have the money to pay for the fiddler, for
this season at least, and if they receive proper
encouragement may be depended on for an
other year.
In Brooklyn the new hustler-in-chief is
James c. Kennedy, better known among the
boys as jim" Everybody knows "Jim,"
and nobody ever knew more genial or a
squarer man as men go nowadays. Mr.. Ken
nedy was one of the founders Of The Sporting
Times and has for years been the baseball ed
itor Of The New York Times
His popularity among magnates, players
and newspaper men is second to none. He is
shrewd and while never appearing to be in
hurry generally ''gets there with both feet"
The only tine Jim was ever known to openly
hurry was when he ran foot races as an anna
teur many years ago and when he plays on
The New York Reporters baseball team. He
was a sprinter once, and even now on occa-
sion can hustle his 200 pounds about the
bases in good style Kennedy is not a man
who shouts his intentions from the house top.
If he was there might not be an American
]
club was organized almost before ANYBODY
knew anything about it. Ex-Alderman Pat
rick Farley and some of his friends have SUD-
piled Kennedy with most of the sinews Of
war Jim himself has embarked MS all in
the venture. His friends say that they are in
it to stay, and really there appears to be
chance for profit at Ridgewood if Sunday
games are allowed, despite the opposition of
I
young manager is gain TO the Association
worth having, and his team will make good
showing.
Some Of the new Brooklyn players are ex-
periments, but they are full Of promise For
catchers Manager Kennedy mas Jimmy Toy,
Charlie ReipSlager and Frank Bowes. The
first two are men Of reputation. The latter
is a local amateur whose record last season
stamped him rs "a conner" The pitching
brigade seems to be unlimited in quantity.
It viii be commanded by the veteran Jack
Lynch, the hero of many a hard fought
battle and still in the ring. The other men
signed are James /. Powers, Charles McCul-
loch and Steve Toole. Then there is quite an
array of ambitious ''kids' whom Lynch and
Kennedy have promised to try and under the
eve Of the veteran some pitchers may be de-
are experiments. Both have t,ne good work,
indeed wonderful work, in their respective
localities.
The rest Of Kennedy's team is Al, except
in one position, and that is doubtful. 1t was
expected to have Charlie Sweeney to play
third, but Won der Abe claims him and may
be able 10 hold him. In case of accident Man
ager Kennedy has signed youngster named
10,
ed from Syracuse. At first base will be found
Billy O'Brien. He Is the big man who
played the position for the Washington
leaguers in 1857 and 1885, and who covered
it last year for Rochester He is hard hit
ter and can literally kill low bal" as
Mickey WEIGH can testify. Old reliable
''NIove up Joe Gerhardt viii cover second
base. When boy 1 remember Joe He and
l were born in Washington. Joe used TO play
on what was known as the "Pig PEN lot, be-
low the Capitol About the first time ever
saw him he was batting up" for the gang.
l tried to stop a liner from Joe's bat and
nearly LOST a thumb in tue transaction That
was about 1870. Joe has been playing ball
ever since
I consider him in It with any fielder that
treads the green today. Once he divided the
honors, il the days when John Burdock was
king. Don't think that he is a graybesrd,
for Joe is Yet young enough to call Deacon"
White Papa ana is good for ten more
years Of active service.
The captain and short sop Of the Brooklyn
Americans is Frank Fennelly. For years he
was the pride of Cincinnati. Last season he
played with the Athletics He is a first class
fielder, good batter ana veteran whose ex-
perience and temperament VIII make him a
first class captain. The outiielders are hard
hitters and have made regulations as nervy
players. They are Ed Daley, of last seasons
Columbus team, formerly Of the Washing
tons and Philles; Henry Simon and Ell
Peltz, both of the Syracuse Stars. These
three men ought TO shew up well together.
General criticism Of TINS team would be