The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-09
CUTTING LOTS OF ICE
MANAGER COMISKEY, THOUGH NOT
TALKING MUCH, is HARD
AT WORK
PLAYERS ARE IN TRAINING

Five of Them Are Already on the
Field and Seem to BE In the Rest
of the Other Teams Viewed at
Close Range - Lexington Park
Being Pat In shape.
Manager Comiskey, of the st. Paul
Base Ball club, is one of the busiest men
in the city these days, as he is engaged
with a crew of axmen and teamsters in
assisting Mother Nature to dispose of a
skating rink which occupied his diamond
during the winter, and which still con-
tinues TO occupy it about eleven inches
on the level. He says, however, that by
the last of the week, with good weather,
the grounds will be in good shape and
everything will be in fine form by the
times the team comes home for Its open
ing game next month.
Burke Shugart, Isbell and Denzer are
on the field, and they are all in good
physical condition. Isbell has spent a
busy and prosperous winter shipping po-
tatoes from Chisago county to the dis
tricts South. The prosaic occupation OF
keeping warm stove in freight car Is
not as picturesque as stopping hlgh
drive amid the plaudits of a multitude,
but 1t has evidently agreed with the big
one. and he will be all right after he has
trained off four or five pounds.
Burke has been doing the pedestrian
act on the dry sidewalks with not little
persistence, and playing little handbali
to work his joints into shape.
Denzer has not worked out much, but
Roger has been taking care of himself
for a number of years and he has plenty
of time TO warm up for the opening
game.
Shugart only got here a few days ago,
and has not had much time to go into
rigorous training, but he looks i'll fine
trim and able to play as good ball as
ever.
Preston. who has been working in the
cordage works this winter, Is as hard as
the traditional nail
PENNANT POSSIBILITIES.
at is as difficult to pick the winner
of the Western league pennant this year
as it is to forecast the condition of the
weather on April 8, the day we are eX-
pecting to play our first game here, said
Manager Mack, of the Brewers, when he
was asked to express his opinion of the
strength of the several teams in the
league Nearly all the teams have been
strengthened since last fall to such an
extent" he continued, that it is impoS-
sbie TO tell d month in advance of the
playing season which ones will be in the
first division. In fact, all of the clubs
have secured so many good men that
they are evenly balanced, and l expect
the race for the pennant will be so close
next summer that we will all be punched
for first place
where do l think the Mlwaukees Will
stand in the struggle? Why, right among
the leaders, of course, but | do not say
we will win the pennant, because that
would be only guess. | do say, how
ever, that we have got four of the best
pitchers in the league. Speer has no SUI
perior in the circuit behind the bat our
infield has been strengthened by getting
Gray for third base and Mailman is fully
as good as DAILY at second. The 9th 1T
members of the team are the same as last
year. and l know no reason why their
work will not show even improve
ment over that of 1898. In batting the
Milwaukee are much stronger than last
season, and l feel confident that we will
be up among the leaders all season.
"Comiskey has improved his st. Paul
team very much Indianapolis will be as
good if not better, than last season, as its
pitchers are strong. Kansas City has
more heavy hitters than it had in 1898
ana AldIhlUS Has IepdITGu the DT6dcnsS
made by the National league clubs in
his team last fall by getting Camel for
first base, HoffmaSter for third and Hast
ings for the box. Wilmot has picked up
some cracking good men for the Mime
apolis team, and really looks strong in
every department, and the Detroit team
of this year will be a big improvement
over last season. Everybody speaks well
of Slater, Van Derback's first baseman
know that E,aOan iS
baseman and a fine ball player Elber-
field is a grand shortstop. He has Dill
lard for third, and with DUNCAN, Sharrott
and Barrett for the outfield the Detroits
look fast. l have not heard whether
Lotus has secured Crooks or Bierbauer
for second base, but both of them are
good men and capable of filing the po-
for short and l think he is all right as
fielder and a batsman. Everybody
knows that LOTUS always has a strong
team, and this season will be no eXcep-
ton.
Franklin thinks his Buffalo team is
good enough, and he has lot of fast
men, though no one can tell what lot OF
new players will do when they are thrown
together for the first time, but Buffalo is
liable to be the dark horse after ALL Nasf
is g. great ball player and understands the
game thoroughly, and under his manage
ment the Buffalos are sure to make 6
good showing"
PROGRAMME OF THE BISONS.
The Bisons will play four games In
Rochester. beginning on Saturday, April
Is. In the mornings they will practice al
Riverside park. If the weather Is no,
favorable for outdoor work the manager
will engage a hall The same plan will
be followed in Syracuse, where the Bisons
will play on April 10, 20 and q. No game
is arranged as yet for Saturday, April e
The following Sunday, April 20, the 81
sons will play in Fort Wayne, Ind. They
will play there on Monday also, in al
probability On April 25 they will rur
over the state line into Ohio and cross
bats with the Findlay Giants, team
composed of negro players and managed
by Bud Fowler, who was once a well.
known second baseman, playing with the
Toledo and other clubs. If the Findlay
club wants game for April 26 1t can have
1t. From Findlay the Bisons will go tc
Indianapolis, where they will open the
championship season on April a. Ac.
cording to the arrangements made by Mr.
Nash the Buffalo team will arrive in In.
dianapolis the night before the day of the
ODeninR and tha DlaUarS will +l,,,e I,o,Xo ,