The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-20
SPORTING NEWS.
Some Facts Concerning Strength
of League Clubs
st. Louis Team Is Probably
Strong Est at Bat.
LEFT HAND QUINTET.
HanIOn's Team Easily Best in
Pitching Talent.
Chicago is Also Blessed With
Fast TWirlers.
LEFT HAND QUINTET.

Hot Springs, Ark, March 20.-Impres-
sions are droll things, and the faculties
of judgment are, at best, tricky, knav-
ish compliments of human intelligence,
or John McGraw is a much better player
than he, best advertised Of baseball
players, is held by his warmest admir-
ers.
Manager Tebeau has the entire St
Louis team of 1900 beneath his wing
bar the sauey, perky bantam of Balti-
more. Robinson, to be sure, is lacking,
but Robinson can be very easily dis
pensed with. Indeed, he win never be
missed. McGraw alone is missing.
McGraw is hardly the fielder Lave
Cross is, maybe not as good. But he IS
such a mortal terror at the bat, such
warrior in the game, such pusher OF
his fellows. Hitting. as Cross does,
strictly for base hits, he is not more
than a 1926 man. Batting as McGraw
does, he is a 400 sticker. His eye, just
as good as Burkett's for balls and
strikes, his ability to bat off and foul
away good balls, makes him worth any
two ordinary 300 hitters at the bat. ON
the base he is fiend.
With NcGraw leading off, Donovan
following him, Heidrick next, then Bur
kett, Donlin and Keister, Tebeau will
have a fearful quintet Of fast 1eft-hand-
ers who can hit to beat the band. Nc
get to first base. He gets there Oftener
than any of them. He can steal; how
well Jack O'COnnor or Criger can tell
you. Donovan eXcelS in the rare art of
hitting with a runner; that is, placing
the bah according to the movements of
the shortstop and second basemen- If
he finds the seeod baseman is going to
take the throw to catch the runner, he
will try to hit to the right field, and
the baseman, having gone to take the
throw, leaves that side of the diamond
open. Vice versa for the short fielder
Donovan can run the bags himself, so
when his hit puts McGraw on third, as
it usually will, he will have small trOu-
BILE going to second or working the dou-
Bile steal with McGraw, the latter going
home
Heidrick is quite as good as the best
of them running the sacks, so, with
Donovan on second, Emmett on first and
Burkett at the bat. there should be
something doing. Donlin can hit them
hard and far, and he should come up
with the bases full. Then Wallace will
be hitting better than he did last year
by many points. He will be there with
the ash. Keister can hit $50.
Fort first base Tebeau has really four
men, Cross, Mccain, Donlin and Dill
lard. There is nothing to it but Donlin
If he can play the bag, for he can Outhit
the others, is left-handed and faster
than any of them. Mccain is a sea-
soned first baseman, but has not hit
well lately. billiard is a most promising
young man and may make them all get
out Of his way. Cross seems to lead
the bunch for the position, for he can
play the infield better than Donlin and
can hit better than Mccain and pre-
sumably better than Billiard though the
latter is a crack kid and may show SUI
perior speed.
Speaking of batting, that part of the
game seems to be more aSsertiVe than
ever. McGrew's batting power makes
him almost desirable to St. Louis. It
looks as if work with bat and brain, US
ing the latter in combination with feet
on the sacks. is the winning combina-
ton. Fielding and pitching come after.
With McGraw on third and Donlin on
first, Tebeau's team will outbat any in
the league. Pittsburg and Philadelphia
have been alluded to as sluggers, but
on average basis, st. Louis leads them
ALL as the following tables Will show: