The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-21
MUST HAVE HITIERS
Mi1lers Are Still Lamentably Weak
y. -. With the Stick. =.
THEY'RE ALSO BAD IN THE BOX
In Fielding and Base-Running They
Are Better, but Those Alone
-, Won't Win.

Same :old story, nothing new," sang
De Vaudeville in the "Rounders,'' and
the words may wellSbe applied to the work
week. Weak pitching and light batting are
not winning combination, as has been
said formerly, almost ad nauseam.
In the first series with Kansas City and
Milwaukee, the millers were beginning to
hit the ball; not as hard as a winning club
should hit it, but in a very respectable
degree, especially compared with their
performances before and since. In the
four games with Kansas City, just closed,
they apparently could not have hit the
earth after falling off the roof Of barn:
The loss Of those three games to the
cowboys cannot be blamed to hard luck.
True, Quillin and Curley were out Zof the
game but so far as fielding was con-
cerned,' 'Breyette and Grant filled their
places in the infield very acceptably.- SO
far as batting is concerned the substi-
tutes probably did as well as the regulars
could have done, for both Quillin and
Curley are admittedly weak sisters when
it comes to execution with the wagon
tongue. 2. r - ~ : y
1t may Re that there are no good play
ers to be had at this time. Good batters
are scarce, especially at this time of the
year, and if~better men cannot be OBJ
tanned, the manag agement cannot be blamed
for its failure to strengthen the team in
this respect. The same may be said with
regard to pitchers. Nevertheless it is
most exasperating to see game after game
lost simply because the home players can
mot swat the ball at time when swats
might be converted into runs.
Seven Hits a Game.
In the four games with Kansas City the
millers made twenty eight hits and thir-
teen runs, an average Of seven hits and
just about three runs a game. That in
itself is enough to explain the present
position of the team in the percentage
column. Three runs will not win the aver
age game and seven hits ordinarily. will
not produce more than three scores, Ger
tainly not with pitching staff of the cal
iber represented by the Minneapolis twir-
lers. The team won't win until better
hitters are secured, and there isn't much
use in discussing the question.
So far as fielding and base running are
concerned, the millers are doing well
enough The field work generally is fast
and snappy, If not always clean. The
men all work hard, and both infielders and
outfelders cover quite lot Of ground,
and take all the chances offered them.~The
fansfw will stand for errors If the men show
disposition to work, and UP to date
there has been little criticism of the
fielding of the team.
s Louisville is trying to make runaway
race Of it, having left Columbus away in
the rear. and established comfortable
lead over st. Paul and Indianapolis. Foxy
Tebeau certainly has his men playing ball
but it is a question whether they have
any license to beat out either the saints
or the boosters. st. Paul certainly, with
itsgreat staff of twirlers, looks to have
as good chance as. any TO land the
bunting. No club in the league can pro-
duee five men who average, up as well as
Stimme1. Cribbins. Chech. Cogan and Fer
guson, albeit the latter has, been getting
his bumps quite frequently of late. Every
one of the quintette is seasoned and re-
liable man, >able town somewhere near
two-thirds Of his games with fair support
at the bat and in the field.
Shay No Great Loss.
The saints do not appear to have lost
anything by the desertion Of Shay. Danny
had bad habit of sending the ball into
the bleachers at critical times, and when
his throwing arm was good he tried. boot
is still an experiment, but he gives prom
Use OF developing into frst-class In
fielder. He is certainly fast and is a
clever batter for a young5ter.
The only point in which st. Paul seems
to be inferior to Louisville and Indian
apolis is in management WITHOUT dis
paraging Kelly, he has yet to prove that
he is an organizer Of the same class as
Watkins and Tebeau Watkins has been
pretty uniformly successful, and Tebeau
has won two pennants and landed one
team In third place In the last three years
There is always q snap and ginger about