Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-02

poets to report looking ana feelinG Ike
a colt. With q little surplus averdu-
pois removed, Lyons Will be q Of the
most valuable men in the League.
The first bag will be held down by
Tom Turner. who wasssecured the lat
ter part Of the season. Turner is in
the city, and has been working
through the winter. He is in fine
shape. He will prove a tower Of
strength to the club, at a point where
It was ~lamentably weak last season.
At present the management has
four ~out-ielders under contract. Bill
Taylor is expected to develop into one
of the fastest men in the League. He
showed great speed during the latter
part of last season, and Billy's hitting
abilities are too well known to require
comment. He has settled down to bus
mess. and is ambitious to work his
way back into the major league.
Another outfielder signed is Miller, Of
last years Kansas City team, a fast young
player and a fine hitter. In 81 games he
had an average Of .3ls. The club has
agreed to sell Miller back to Kansas City
next fall.
Fred. Belts. late of Reading in the
Eastern League, has also been signed. He
has hit in the $50 class in the last six
years. He is a reliable man, a sure fielder,
and fast on the bases.
One of the best deals made by the club,
perhaps, was in securing outfelder Congal-
ton, of Milwaukee. He is a young and ex-
ceedingly promising player, whose first
professional work was with Hamilton, in
the Canadian League in 1898. In 81 games
he hit $50, and led all the outfelders with
a percentage of .924. In the following year
he hit .35 in 65 games, and was drafted
by Milwaukee, of the Western League,
where he hit .312 in 40 games. He is a left
hander, very fast, and players in CORE
~spondence with Lyle refer to him as a
wonder
The pitching staff has not yet been COM
pleted. The club has received notice that
Louisville has withdrawn its draft upon
Poole. who comes back to Wheeling. With
a good team behind him, he should be al
most invinc.ble. Wells will be here again,
and should prove a winner this season, as
he is not apt TO be discouraged by miser-
able support. He is a first class hitter and
a fast man. and this year will devote all
his energies to pitching.
One OF the new pitchers is Bates, of last
seasons Cleveland club, an extremely
promising man. He was the chief factor
in winning the pennant for Dayton in 1898,
and pitched some excellent games last sea-
son. He should be more valuable this sea-
son than ever before.
A left handler from Buffalo named MUIR
ray, tipped as a 'crack-a-jack," has also
been signed. He is an experiment-one of
the very few on this years team.
Another young pitcher, a ~strapp.ng big
college boy, with speed to peddle, is w.
3. Bowman. of the State University at
Morgantown. Bowman and Murray will be
given a satisfactory trial.
The management has about concluded a
deal for two first-class twirlers from the
National League, who will jump in at the
drop of the hat and pitch winning bali.
With Poole, Wells. Bates and these two
men. Wheeling will lave a better twirling
outfit thar ever before in the history of the
game.
The club has just accepted terms of two
more players. an outielder named Dot
Ebert, from the CITY League of Chicago.
Fred. Clark. of Pittsburg, told Lyle that
this man was the best player he knew of
outside of the big league. Several Western
League clubs were after him. but he pre-
1erred the Interstate for his first year.
Another big left handed tw:rler from the
l. l. League, John Skopec. has accepted
terms. Out Of the last eight games he
pitched for Joliet last fall, no club secured
more than four hits.