The Saint Paul globe., 1901-06-15

Kansas City at Denver
St. Joseph at Colorado Springs.
The bulky figure and smiling face of
Perry Werden will no longer be seen in
a st. Paul uniform this season, and the
second bag will be held down hy some
other player than Crooks Both these
veterans will hereafter wear Des Moines
uniforms. and on the other hand Left
Fielder I..ppert and First Baseman
O'Connen will cast their lot with the
Saints. This deal was made last night
and as a result there will he some i'm
portant changes in the lineup Of the
local team, changes which Manager
Ryan thinks will work for the good of
the team, and assist 1t to mount the
chute which it has lately been descend
ing at a rapid rate.
l Benceforth billiard will be on the first
bag, Curley on second and the speedy
Lippert will take the place left vacant
by billiard in center field. Higgins will
play short. and OConnon and Holly will
he utility men. Both OConnell and Lip
pert are good batsmen and will greatly
strengthen the team where it needed it
worst. Lippert has another accomplish
ment which should make him doubly
valuable to the locals, and that Is his
sSllity to sprint around the bases at
record speed. He is undoubtedly the
fastest runner in the league.
With the accession of the new men,
the boys are expected to take a brace,
and it is the confident expectation Of
Manager Ryan to land the team in
Second place before the present home
series is over.
In addition to making the trade men
toned above Des Moines last night re-
leased Twirler Knepper and Catcher
lGonwen.
REVIEW OF THE SEASON.
The Western League baseball season is
about one-third over, and has reached a
stage where an almost perfect line can
Fpe had on the various clubs Up to date
sfCrty games have been scheduled, and
IS. Paul has played thirty-eight, with
two postponed, to be played off later
The st. Paul team is leading the second
division by a good safe margin, is less
than a game behind Omaha and but two
or three games behind Minneapolis and
st. Joe. Leaving Kansas City out Of it,
the race is as pretty a one as could be
looked for between st. Paul, Minneapolis
st. Joe and Omaha. The Blues seem to
be in a class by themselves, but they
are still within hailiSg distance, and
1t IS more than possible that they may
yet be overhauled, and have to be con-
tent with a position further down the
percentage column. From present indi-
cations it will not be the Saints who
will pull the Cowboys down, for the
locals have been playing in bad form for
The last ten games No apology is due
the Saints, but it must be said in Justice
70 tnem tnaI some OF the games lost went
TO the bad by reason of the lack of a
proper rabbit foot rather than through
bad playing Every effort is being made
TO strengthen the home team, and it is
just possible that Sit Paul may yet prove
q factor in the race for the rag Col
orado Springs, Denver a<ai Des AIoines
are trailing, and, while it is posslple that
the first two may move UP in the per-
centage column, it looks now as though
the Hawl1eyes had cilch on last place
and have determined not to let go This
is said in spite Of the 1act that they
have beaten the Saints in three of the
last five games played.
Ryan has shown great improve
, ment with the stick as he
has come up from .261. Thomas, Brett
enstein and Curley are all over the 300
mark. but the first two, as pitchers. do
not break into the game often enough to
help a great deal, and Curley has taken
part in but one game. Breitenstein and
Thomas have both been falling down
steadily with the stick. Dinard, VINO
Was batting a 1856 clip three weeks ago.
SIS now down to .290. Werden, who was
always considered good for 200, has
cropped to .2S7 McGiu, Parker, Brain
Holmes Wilson and Cogan have each
lost from 20 to so points in the last ten
or twelve games. Holly shows great i'm
prOvement with the stick as he has come
up from .161 to pa. Hugg!ns Is q very
bad last in the batting order. There Is
some question as to whether it is good
Judgment to put Higgins III the game
and Holly on the bench when there is 50
little difference in their abilities as field
efs and such a great difference in their
Sticking in favor of Holly.
In the field the Saints With a few ex-
cepticns, are as good as any team in
the league. Werden is playing a great
{ first base and Crooks is covering second
, in satisfactory manner. Both Holly
| and Huggins could not be bettered in the
short field They are both kingpins.
Brain is covering third fairly well. He
is doing as well, probably as any one
else could in the position and he is a
good, hard worker and not afraid to take
q chance. It is this that has sent his
percentage down. The outfield has been
showing only fair form lately. Ryan
leads the bunch. Parker is still in last
place in fielding averages, but he has
shown marked Improvement Of late.
There is a great big chance, however
that he could be improved on, due to the
fact that he is such a weak batter con-
nected with the fact that his fielding is
only ordinary. Dillard is proving a great
disappointment lately. HI. IS almost at
the bottom of the fielding list now. It
is wondered that the management does