Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-27
GOOD BASE BALL PRACTICE
At Colby, Though saew Be Piled Nigh On the
Diamond.

interest in base ball At Colby, for the sea-
son of 1894, has commenced in good earn
est. The team has been in daily practice
for more than two weeks.
Practice when there il two feet of snow
on the ground and the thermometer below
zero: Yes, every day, solid, steady, hard
work. Where? In the gym" Go up
there any afternoon and you will see how
Captain Hoxie is getting up the muscle of
his men so that they viii be ready to do
good work in an actual game as soon as the
diamond is clear of snow.
In the basement is place where the
grated windows and bare earth allow a ball
to be batted or pitched with all the force
that can be used upon it on the open cam
pus. and here the pitchers pace off q dis
tance equal to that from the box to the
home plate and shoot away at a visionary
Bates or Bowdoin batsman. All, Sykes
you struck way over that one ,and Hoffman,
you couldn't have hit the next one with q
six foot bat.
While the battery is working here the
other men are working up stairs on the par
sllel bars, the chest weights, the dumb
bells, or are engaged in a five or ten min
ute run, Indian file, around the large room.
Batting is practiced by all, and the boys
can even now handle red hot liners and dit
fcult pickups in nice shape.
The Colby team of '94 promises now to
ne far superior to the one of last year,
although one or two nice players were lost
on the class day of 80. Lombard, who
covered center field and who also did good
<ho tha
lively shortstop, graduated last year, and
Hall, the captain and first baseman of '93
cam, will not complete his conrse. With
81, however, came some good stock and
low let us see how the boys will show ny
shen they come out on the diamond Ma,
I'd with their sweaters white and clean, to
cross bats with the M. S. C.'s. For pitch
rs there are Whitman "a. who needs n,
or recommendation as twirler,
for he did excellent work everywhere last
year in the box, but it may be truthful!
aid that he was never in better condition
than this year. He has put in lots of work
md has excellent control of the
ball, as well as great speed, and will puzzle
lis opponents more than ever. There /
,lso Whitman 81, of Bangor, where he ha'
in the past playe ed good ball and who ha'
good curves and speed. There is Osgood
'94, whose delivery will be hard to hit ano
sho depends more on his great speed and
accurate throwing than on his slight curves
One or two other men may be brought into
the box if needed.
Coffin will play behind the bat again thi'
year as last, and isan excellent backstop
There are several candidates for the
position of first baseman, Osborn '97, who
is good fielder and batter, Thompson 90
, good batter and bAse-runner, and Put
aam 81, who is showing up well all round.
No college nine in the State has got .
better man on second than Captain Hoxie
Of Colby. In fielding he freezes on to
everything which comes his way, and re-
turns the ball with accurate throws. He il,
besides, a good batter and foxy runner.
In all probability Charlie Purinton, who
played right field last year, will come to the
nfeld to cover third base the coming sea-
.on. He is good fielder and chap who
clear headed enough to come up to the
plate, look the pitcher in the eye and hit
he ball when the bases ara full and two
men out.
The first game will probably find Nichols,
the third baseman of '93, at short. He is a
good sll-around player and without doubt
will do excellent work in his new position
In the outfield there are dozen or more
good men to choose from. Latlip '94 will
without doubt remain in his last years posi-
ion as left fielder as the team cannot well
10 without his fine batting and base run
ming. Then there is Bassett 97, a safe
hitter, Purrinton SO, an excellent baseman,
rotman '94. Holmes, Titcomb and Sturte-
rant all of '97 and in everyone there is
BALL player as their playing in the games of
asst fall and their practice at the game has
clearly proven.
While the above may be given as the
probable makeup of the Colby '94 team,
here may be some changes from it. From
he score of players who are now going
trough the daily drill there may be some
Who will show excellence over those men,
ioned in the different positions. Cap
aoxie seems well pleased with the material
which he has to select from
md it would not be surprising
{, before the season opened, some star
,layer was seen by him. At any rate the
cam has, in Mr.. Hoxie, an excellent field
'aptaiu, one who thoroughly understands
he game and knows full well what every
nan can do if he tries, and who can inspire
zach player to do his best.
Well (clickl, here's luck 10 Colby for
"a, with hope that the bunting may once
more wave from the pole at the south end
# the bleaching boards.