Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-14
BASE BALL HOT
Great Times Expected When the
 Season Opens.

The Two Big Leagues Are Having a
 Warm Time Signing Players-Hart-
 ford Has Not Yet Raised the Money . and May Be Out of the Eastern
 League-New London and Tom
 Hernon Do Not Agree-Bridgepor
 Signing Her Players.
 The Bridgeport Post tells the follow ing story about the team for this sea- son: s-
 Time mellows all things. Here ie George Courtney applying for a posi- ton on the Bridgeport team. George of course announces that he is pre- pared ito play the game of his life"
 Garoni, who distinguished himself in the box two seasons ago, bobbed up this year with an application to play. Last season you could not touch him short of National league figures. But he did nothing for New York and is now on the market Had he been content to come here last year and play another season under Manager Jim, he might have been a great twirl- CT by this time, for he had terrific speed and some of the sharpest curves I ever saw.
 Manager O'Rourke has heard from Dougherty. the big pitcher. The lat ter wrote that he was somewhat sur prised, and yet at the same time pleased to know that, he was wanted in Bridgeport. He says he will be glad to come here again and he prom ises to confound all those who criti- cised his work last year. He says he ic hot hi he, last, when his arm was not ill good shape.
 Manager O'Rourke has corralled two more players and has other con- tracts in hand. The new men who will wear Bridgeport's uniforms this sea- son are Clark, a catcher. who was with Bristol part of last season. as already told in this column. and Howell. pitcher. brother of Howell of the champion Brooklyn team Of the Ma tional league. Howell is q 1eft-hand- ed twirler and he comes well recon- mended. He has been in the amateur and semi-professional ranks about New York and can show some very good games to his credit. some of them against clubs like, the Cuban Giants. He is good big fellow and as ambi- tious as an Alexander. His brother speaks very highly of him. even going GO far as to say that the youngster is better than he was when ne first made his bow in professional company. It will be recalled that the Brooklyn Howell is graduate of this league. He played with Merfden and was cas- fly one of the best twirIers in the league. His style is1ike that of George Prentiss of Waterbayy6 or to go still higher, somewhat similar to that of Charley Nichols of 8the Bostons-the working of the cofners with fast shoots. If the youngster is anything like as good as 'r:- ,t--- Hanons hrotbar Manager O'Rourke will have drawn a prize. The Brooklyn Howell has now been two seasons in the big league and his work has kept him in the top rank. It is reported that he will play With the Baltimore team of the Amer ican league this season.
 F. A. Jones, outfie1der for the Brook lyn National league. team for several seasons, has signed q three years con- tract with the American league at a guaranteed salary close to S3,OOO a year. He expects to be q member of the Chicago team. 'H
 The Holy Cross squad has been cut down from 40 to IT. The candi- dates nave been under the charge of Coach Brennan for the past several weeks and he will continue to coach the team throughout the season. The only men who are sure of their po- sltions are Captain Dyer, short stop. and Edward k. Joyce, third base. The candidates now are Noonan. 'O4: Duggan, '03; Skelly, 'O4; Coakley, 'O4 Noone, '04; Mitchell 'O1, Corr, 'O4 W. Mccarthy, '01; Connors, 'O2; Pow CTS, 'O3; Mccarthy, 'O3: Quigley, 'O2: | Dyer, '03; Baldwin, 'O3; Joyce, 'O1 /; Reid, '04; Quinn, 'o4.
 Bill Lange formerly star center fielder of the Chicago club, has re- ceived an offer of $5,OOO salary and $500 expense money from the manager of the Boston American league team Lange who has already refused liberal l inducements to captain and play first 1 base here, got telegram from BOS- ton yesterday, asking him to set a figure at which he would don a uni | form. Wishing to convince the man. ager that there was no hope of his ac- cepting any offer he wired back SS.OOO would be about the figure. To his surprise he received reply that his demand was excessive. but that he would be paid the amount stated above. Lange refused to entertain the | offer. He is nicely installed in Dusi- ness in San Francisco and he does not care to get back into the game.
 George Davis, manager and captain | of the New York Baseball club, re- [ ceived word from Cleveland yesterday that he had been named as correspond ent in q divorce suit that came up in the court of common pleas in that city 1 Tuesday morning. The plaintiff was Harrison Campbell. who declared that his wife, Flora, had run away with the | Giants leader. Davis is married and his wife was a constant attendant at the games played on the polo grounds l last season Davis has been member of the New York team during the past six years, coming from Cleveland to 1 play third base. He is now recognized as the best shortStOp in the country. 1 While he was playing with the Cleve- | land club he became acquainted with Mrs Campbell. who admired the popu- | lar player. Their friendship resulted in the elopement of which yesterdays | divorce was the culmination.