Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-04-17
rcopYR1eur. isai.l

condition and there will be fine playing
at nearly every game. The exhibition
games of April arc rapidly getting the
men into excellent shape.
Already, more than two weeks before
the games are called. there is the keen
est public interest in the championship.
Here is what some of the principal base
ball men in the league say about it and
their own mbitions-beginning with
John l. Rogers, treasurer of the Phila-
delphia league club and member of the
national board of professional baseball
clubs:
TALKS.
We expect either to win the pennant
or come very close to it, because we
will continue the policy that has always
characterized our club to get the best
possible team work, rs whole, out of
our men, rather than individual spurts
of "star" playing.
Some years ago we followed the plan
of engaging tea or twelve extra young
players every spring, keeping them for
one or two months of the season in the
hope of getting one first-class player
out of the experiments. II was by
that method that we discovered men
like the late Charles J. Ferguson, James
G. Fogarty and others Of equal or ap-
proximate excellence. Our team has,
under the guidance of Mr.. Wright, our
managex. been harmonious aggrega-
talon, and with rare exceptions as gen.
tlemanly set Of players as appears on
the diamond" In practice they are
taught to study each others manner
isms and peculiarities, and the proof of
tested last season when left without q
manager by the great afiiction
that occurred to Mr.. Wright
in the month of May. They,
under the direction of Mr.. Allen, our
shortstop, who became manager pro
tenn, behaved and conducted them
selves, both as players and gentlemen.
as well as if under the personal direc-
ton of Manager Wright Despite these
drawbacks we certainly would have
won the pennant, (the lead for which
we held for four weeks in the month Of
June) If Mr.. Myers, our second base
man, had not been stricken down with
malarial fever for five weeks, and Mr..
Clements, our great catcher and captain,
had not been laid up for ten days with
injuries at critical period. As it was
we finished good third. Our nine last
year gave as beautiful an exhibition Of
the game as any in the country and
demonstrated that 1t possessed the
best shortstop (Allen) and the
best base runner (Hamilton) In
the business. This year, in addition
to these gentlemen, we have Sc
cured Mr.. William Shindle as third
baseman, as good as exists; he Is also o
fine batsman and base runner. Dele
hanty has come back to his old club and
will appear on first base, adding greatly
to the batting and base-running strength
of the team. Mr.. Myers will preserve
the same stone wall at second as here
tofore. Thompson and Hamilton will
guard right and left fields, and Mayer,
a natural born outfelder, who
last year was obliged to play at
third base and who did 1t well,
will astonish our patrons by some ex-
cellent fielding and throwing. He Is
also a timely batter. Clements will do
the most of the catching. assisted by
young Gray whs showed up so well
last year as substitute. We viii very
likely need another catcher in case Of
accident and have already our lines out
to secure one. In the pitching depart
ment we think we are very strong.
Gleason can hold his own anywhere and
Thornton, (whom we secured from the
Milwaukee club in exchange for
vickery and Schriver). is a
pitcher whom we will be sur
prised to find lower than in
the first set. Esper, left-handed twirler,
bids fair to do his share. and young
Schultz is as yet only an experiment,
but most promising one. With the
addition of another battery we would
feel very confident of winning the PEN
nant As we are very likely to get
them we put in our claims for that
coveted symbol OF victory. In batting
and fielding we thsnk we are very
strong. our only doubt being In the
pitchers box. which doubt we think will
be dissipated before the champion sea-
son gets fairly inaugurated.
]. I. ROGERS.