The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-13
COMMY COULDN'T FIX IT
SAINTS WILL HAVE TO PRACTICE
BY THEMSELVES
An Effort to Arrange u Few Exhibit
ton Games With the Windy City
Colts Proves UnsuccessfuI-Man-
~ ngcr COmisl4ey Returns From Chi
cagO-Tallks of the Outlook.

Manager Comiskey returned yester-
day from an unsuccessful trip to Chi
cago for the purpose of arranging a
series OF exhibition games between his
pail players and the Windy City colts.
If the exAnsonians could have been
persuaded to take a flying trip to St.
Paul to put the finishing touches to
their preliminary practice instead Of
quartering in Waycross, Ca, local en-
thusiasts might have had the pleasure
of witnessing a Western league team
trounce an aggregation Of National
league players.
Manager Comiskey does not qualify
the above statement in the least He
says the st. Paul team is already
known as such a strong lot of players
that the Chicago management declined
to take chances on starting the season
with the hoodoo of a Western league
defeat hanging over their club.
The local club will get into shape for
the seasons work, this year, on the
home grounds. This is the reason Man
ager Comiskey wanted a series Of
games with the Chicago players. Such
an arrangement would have furnished
appreciated entertainment for local
fans and at the same time have put the
Saints on their mettle at the opening
of the season.
Out at Lexington park the grounds
are already in condition under foot.
Naturally when the frost leaves the
ground the field will be muddy for
short time. but with no snow to occupy
days in melting and the ground frozen
to a slighter depth than in years, Man
ager Comiskey says he expects the
preliminary work to be in full swing
the first week in April
In view Of the failure to get a series
of games with the Chicago club, the
question may be asked how the Saints
will properly round to, but Manager
COmiskey has this matter settled to
nicely. He has eighteen or twenty
players under contract, all Of whom
will report for work April 1. In the
lighter part of the preliminary prac
tice the men will caper about Licking
ton park to set rules, pitching, batting,
running bases and generally limbering
themselves uD, and when they have
gotten into shape to stand nine innings,
two teams will be chosen and pitted
against each other.
In this way it is figured by Man
ager Comiskey that his men can get
more advantageous practice work than
would ever be possible on a Southern
trip, where other clubs are doing the
same thing, and the grounds are con-
stantly occupied, leaving each club
but an hour or two each day for actual
work
= Under the present arrangement the
local players can train more systemat-
ically and more thoroughly They. will
have the grounds entirely to them
selves, and can work to their hearts
content.
With regard to the Denzer contro-
versary, Manager Comiskey says he
has no further concern. He says Den
ger belongs to the Saints, and that, if
the young pitcher does not see fit to
accept the terms offered him, he can
simply stay on the farm the coming
season.
Denzers claim that, if he does not
sign with ST. Paul and plays no ball
with any club this year, that he will
be free to accept an outside offer next
year, Manager Comiskey says is erro-
neous, and impossible.
According to the National league
agreement, Manager Comiskey says
that all he has to do is to put in a
notice of retention each year, and, if
Denzer still maintains his refusal to
come to terms, the young pitcher will
be out of ball playing the rest of his
natural life.
If he sees fit not to insist on this
hold, and "COmmy" does not say he
will be obstinate in the matter DenZer
may send a stamped envelope to other
National or Western league managers
with whom he may desire to commu-
nicate.
Manager Comiskey signed no more
players while in Chicago, because he
says he does not need any more. He
reiterates the claim that the local team
is this year the fastest aggregation in
the league, and declares that the end
of the season will see his pennant
prophesy fulfilled.