The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-21
BITS OF BASEBALL.
Magnates Showing Signs
of Life.
HUNKEY HINES COMING BACK.
He Will Play Right Field and Behind
the Bat for the Tall
Colonel.

Owing to the nice, warm weather Of the
past few days the California baseball mag
mates have begun to thaw out. Faint symp-
toms of returning animation are visible in
the neighborhood of the O'Farrell-street
headquarters, and the busy hum OF the fan
is heard across the way.
The three magnatos. Tom. Hank and
Mike, were astir yesterday. but little john
ME None, president, secretary, treasurer
and general adviser of this vast corporation,
Is still alternating. He is liable, however,
to break loose al any moment.
Deliberations are being held from day to
day regarding just what cities, towns or vii
lagos shall constitute the league.
That young Napoleon of baseball. young
Mr.. Vanderbeck of Los Angeles, has not
been present at the seanees, and it is given
out that his town is in disfaYOr with the
rest of the magnates.
1t is not SO much the fault of the town as
1t is Mr.. Vanderbeck's devious ways that
have made tho place unpopular. He is
most too contiguous IN his financial trans
actions. the others say, and for that reason
they wish TO pass him by.
San Francisco and Oakland are assured a
place in the circuit in proof of which the
long colonel is exhibiting large wads If
kilograms that he has received from East
ern players, and Hank has been seen talk
Ing to Rube Levy in front of the Oberon.
Sacramento and Stockton are both bidding
for place. with odds on the latter town,
Duke Finn up.
Either San Jose or Los Angeles will be
required to supply the missing link in the
circuit, but the magnates do not like either
town. Patronage fell off ia the Garden
City, and the league is little shy of a club
that has a Vanderbeek behind it. They
hope to settle the difficulty before long.
In the meantime Robinson is the only
man who has made any progress in the
way of signing talent, though the others
are busily engaged in thinking. Tip
O'Nel is billed to play second base for the
Colonies, but at present he is out Of town
raising crop OF whiskers for the season of
1898 He wished to be in retirement dur
ing the early struggles of the whiskers.
So Robinson granted Tip leave of ab-
seuee from the warehouse, but installed
Joe Cantillion. 1t is absolutely necessary
for the colonel TO have some one near to
whom he can talk baseball. His partner in
The warehouse knows nothing about the
game. so Joe was given a job firing the
boilers In the cellar, where Robinson holds
daily conversations with him ON the coal
pile
HuGkey Hines. that clever and popular
little player who did such excellent work
for Oakland In the agonIZihg seasons of
the young man who was won't 10 remark,
when the team struck rare-inning streak,
that he would have butter on his pie. Both
butter and pie were scarce for Huxley, but
he is willing to try 1t again.
When Hines went back TO Elgin, H.. last
summer he said he would never return to
California. Bat ii seems that his only
child cannot stand the rigOrs of an Eastern
climate. 1t has objected so strenuonsly to
living in Illinois that Hunkey at last re-
luetanty consented to return to California
on account OF his child's health. The child
is year old.
Mr.. Hines is to play right field and catch,
though the colonel has secured cracker
jack backst0p in the person OF Dixon, who
was with Minneapolis last season. Me-
Quade will take his old place in left field.
and Irwin Is TO be moved up to third base.
The much talked-of Mr.. Ely is again
spoken OF as the shortsiop for the colonePs
team.
Jack Horner, the twirler. is still in Oak
land, but The colonel has not yet decided
whe ther he will sign the young man with
the muStache or not. lie Is on the trail of
Clark Griffith Of Bloomington, H., who
twirled in the Northwest League last
season. Robinson also CLAIMS DeWald. SO
does Baltimore and Atlanta, Ga. Serious
legal conn., lications may yet envelope Mr..
DeWaid.
He is still in town waiting for other
claimants to appear. Robinson is nego-
tlatiug with talent in all directions and has
several phenomenal first basemen on his
list This does not include Tom Power.
who Is supposed TO be dead until some
Eastern club gets him. Then he is appre-
ciated and sent for at great expense for
kilograms and freight charges.
On February / Robinson will send such
men as he may have on hand 10 one Of the
hot springs for the bollng-out process. AS
this has been an unusually close winter on
ball-players the boiling out process should
not require much time.
Harris has secured Harry Burrell the
southpaw who made a winning record with
Milwaukee last year. lie is at present in
Joliet, where he passes his winters.
There is plenty of loose talent lying
around at home. but the msgnates do not
seem TO be in hurry to fill up their teams.
Bockers Hanley is still out of an engage
ment. He has the mushroom privilege out
at the Haight-street grounds during the
winter months. and can be seen there most
any day with gunny-sack and long
knife gathering in the deicacies.
Danny Sweeney has received offers from
StalliDgs at Augusta and from John j. Nc
Closkey of Texas Steer fame at Mont
gomery. Ala. Ii is probable. however. that
Diminutive Dan will stay IN California on
account OF family ties. Washington l..
Peoples, alias Kid, is negotiating with Finn
for a job in his team, but the deal has not
yet been closed.
hlu CpeeI, the llIIle DackStOp VINO was
such favorite here. is dealing crap game
at Butte, Mont, and is said to be doing
quite we'll. aud Treadway, the clown of the
Los Angeles teau. is still in town, bat
talks quite strongly OF going to Louisville
for the summer. His partner, Rasty
Wright, is guarding the slit in the top of
poker table at Los Angeles, and is said to
be doing first rate.
Sad news comes from Seattle regarding
Gentle Willie Hsssamer. Wishing to keep
in practice Willie went out one day and
tried to catch a streetcar, but missed IL
fell down and broke his hand. Nothing
definite regarding his condition has since
been received
Pete Sweeney has not yet been gathered
in. When asked where he intended 10 play
this summer he said. ION the diamond" at
which every body laughed cut loud.
q. w. Howe, the ex-owner of the Cleve-
land team. arrived in the city yesterday
morning from the southern part of the
State. Mr. Howe was identified with the
Cleveland team as owner for A period of
fourteen years and Is now glad that il is all
over. lie visited the headquarters yester-
day and made the acquaintance of our
local celebrities-Hank the Magnite, His
Taliness, the Duke OF Santa Clara and
Colonel L. Prunes Robinson.
Mr. Howe is out of baseball for good, and
wishes IL understood that he is not visiting
the coast in search Of talent for himself or
any one else. In fact, he is thinking seri-
ously OF taking q trip TO Japan. where they
do not have baseball.
The Kings Daughters,