The San Francisco call., 1898-08-13
'T-'-T T z z THE COLONEL
 IS NOW >RAUER'S ADVISER
IS NOW
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 < %~S 4 + 4 4 A o1 ,estion that is bothering the patrons of Rec reation Park to no little extent is: What As Colonel T. p. Robinson's position in the P. acific Coast League?
 Two N 'eeks ago l could not have at- tempted to answer the perpleXing ques- ton, for the reason that l, like great . many of the knowing ones," was of 4he opinion that the colonel was nothing else than an ornament. and was connected with the league only in that capacity.
 This rather novel opinion have enter tained ever since the consolidation, but before this combining of forces. in which the prude managers and credulous play CTS were so beautifully betrayed, l had occasion to entertain very exalted idea of this man Robinson.
 This coincidence may strike some of the past lovers of the game as being rather singular; yet the ingenuousness of my re- mark, for the present, must stand un- 'Controverted.
 During the struggle betweeen Central Park and Recreation, 1 accidentally met the colonel, and, being in the company of a few representatives of the Central organization, it was but natural that they should expatiate on the respective merits and drawing abilities of their clubs.
 The colonel whom l afterward learned had Q great reputation for eXpatiating through his "sm bonnet" had his op- ponentS VanQuiSlhed from the very start when 1t came to argument It was not the Yeracity of his statements, which were . delivered with amazing aIAcrty and eit1- seriousness, that gave him such lead, : but iI was the careless manner with which he handled that much respected noun known as money. He was authority for the statement that he had $l 100000 backing, and that he was prepared to eX pend that amount in freezing out the Gen. . tral Park league.
 they made no attempt to lessen the e1t1- cacy of the most extraordinary aVoWal still showed some signs of doubt which the colonel saw fit to rent . asunder. To do this, however, the man had to act with deXterity and prudence, yet, as you will readily perceive, he was not lacking in either.
 :. "Just to show you how I stand (and he was able to maintain his equilibrium, as the beverages were slow in taking effect, as were the other ingredients) said he to gar yard. IA S''' ON '-''' t''' M ' -I-' At the moment of this offer I was not aware of the fact that 1 could earn my bread through the generosity of The Call, and, therefore, accepted the Colonel"s flC- titious offer with eXultation and some precipitancy.
 Picture to yourself my shattered sensa- tions when he added, That is if you can secure your release from Baltimore" As this was impossible, my dealings with the colonel ended then and there; yet, that milliOn-dOllar harangue which he seemed to delight in divulging had a most soothing effect, and left the impression that he, despite his beautifully proporfoned semi-dreams, was uncontestably the premier and Ma poleon of delusiVe ball magnates.
 This, of course, was before the con- SoidatiOn, and 1t would be an impossible .. instance of injustice to cenSure me for entertaining such an exalted oplnlon or him.
 Now, however, since the two opposing factions have combined, as previously
 
 prevails, the colonel has been deprived Of his rights, and this fact has caused the .QuCstion, What is the cOlOneIS position in the league now?" to be advanced. When the question was first put to me, I was really afraid to conjecture, as ] was . still wondering how it was that he went through that million so rapidly.
 I could not, however, blind myself to the reality that he. on Saturdays and Sundays at Recreation Park, looked more like piece of Oriental bric-a-brac, inn ported with the intention of being used as a piece of decorative art, for MT: Rauer is man Of exquisite taste, and does much for the lovers of the game. was alone in this, for the majority . claimed that he was employed to chase . the balls that went over the fence, and also to incidentally look pleasant when :. his proprietor, Mir. Rauer, was in evil : dence. All these opinions were, however, unproductive, as they were but casual Coniectures, and it was my lot to discover rhe.real capacity of the colonel as regards the Pacific Coast League.
 .. This occurred but a short time ago. Through MT. Bunker, one of the manag- CTS of the San FranciscQs, Mir. Rauer made me an offer to play ball, as a pitch CT, in the San Francisco Club. l was of fered $50O for twenty-four games, and would not accept. Six hundred dollars was the next and would not think or 1t. To S650 l said no, and to S7OO l would not listen. Then l was prevailed upon to make a proposition, which l did. Eight hun dred dollars and a pitchers share of the receipts was my price, and never change. . ] also inserted with my offer that the $500 1ar rN1rE in al Q=h l that the ingenuity of Mir. Rauer would be useless. They would not come any higher was also told that no money would be put up. The latter remark put an end to all proceedings, for with me it Is "a bird in the hand Is worth two in the bush ; for ] had little experience with Mir. Hanlon of the famous Baltimores, in which 1 was loser to the extent of $32 and which by the way is the baseball manner of re- paying faithful service done tolerably well. To place me in false light with fit to circulate the report that they had offered me a thousand dollars and l re- fused. If the money was not put, up just to know that it was there where they left 1t, certainly would refuse, but no such offer was made me, and these gen tlemen had no right to say so.
 So far so good. But where does the colonel come in? We'll the colonel was the man who advised Rauer how to make the offers, and the colonel is the one who said Don't put up cent" with the thought, .. we E4lknL SSl IL dil DdCh 1He COlOnel Is, therefore, MT. Rauer's baseball ad-' wiser, and it is cruelty unjust to allude to him as an ornament, ball chaser or bus director. He is adviser to Rauer, and Rauer is a great man. Why, he controls Recreation Park and the baseball depart ment of The Call, so am told. To-day the Santa Cruz and San loses will compete. It is whispered around that the emergency board will be pres eut, but the colonel dare not verify the rumor. The lineup is as follows:
 San Jose. Position Santa Cruz 1berg. Pitcher ....E. Daubenbis Ca tcher..,..C Daubenbis Hanlon. First Fitzgerald Egan.. Second base..Arrellanes Mccarthy. Third base. .Devereaux Brockhof. Shortstop.. Williams Haney, field. Streib McGucken. Center field Mcintyre Right .NcCrath