Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-06
ROURKE'S MEN ALL RIGHT
Verdict Of the Crowd at First Exhibition
Game Of the Season.
PLAYERS SHOW SPEED AND GOOD FORM
shOrtstop Joe DoIRn and Little Peter
Burg at Third Make Good with
the Fans at the be-
ginning.

An exhibition Of slow, awkward, stiff
jointed base ball playing, to be expected
after a winters fRttening ease, was not
what confronted the fans who went out
TO Vinton street park yesterday afternoon
to greet the new Rourke family at it's first
housewarming. Instead there was a good,
clean game OF ball, with only two errors,
and after nine innings OF play the Omaha
leaguers had defeated the Originals by a
score Of 2 to 1.
How these players, some Of whom had
actually not been in a suit before since last
September, managed to get out and show
the game they did is still a puzzle to the
spectators, but they did II, and everyone
was satisfied. The Originals played bounc-
Ing good ball, as the tally indicates. and
the event was altogether a satisfying one.
This afternoon the same teams will play
again. and the game will be called at 8
o'clock sharp.
Aside from its features ,ac a contest.
the game yesterday was Intended especially
as a vehicle for the opening exhibition Of
PA" Rourke's men, and in this Il was
very successful. Twelve men altogether
we're waltzed through their PAGES before
an adniring congress, and the general opiu-
lon formulated on this one workout seemed
to be fattering to Rourke.
DoIan and Burg in II.
Only half a dozen OF the members OF
the last years team are back, and especial
interest was felt in the new players. Two
Of these made an especial hit. They were
shortstop Joe Dolan and little Peter Burg.
who played third base, because Hickey did
not arrive in town till too late to mix in
the game.
Dolan only had two chances at ground
work during the game, but his speed on
those occasions was SO fascinating that the
fans were spellbound. Joe has an arm mo-
ton in his throw 10 first base that simply
cannot be followed with the eye and you
never really know where the ball is until
1t smacks into Calls glove. On the bag and
fly work. too, Joe proved eminently salts
factory, but he failed to make one hit.
Burg caught the crowd before the game
had started by his size and his shape. Pete
is Just a pocket edition OF Phil King, the
famous Princeton foot ball player and later
coach. He carries around with him as
neat and well-muscled a little body as was
ever seen, but he is about FIVE feet high
and broad, though anything but fat, for his
legs are big knots, not bags Of flesh. That
shape fixed Burg, his activity on third
helped 1t along and his three-bagger in
the fourth cinched It. 1t was the only real
exciting hit of the day, and the way Pete
made it good for three sacks added to the
enthusiasm. Cheers we're his lot every
time he came to bat.
Pitchers Closely watched.
The pitchers we're closely watched.
Owens threw for five innings. Risley for
two and Graham for the rest. None OF
them put on much steam, but Risley has
some fun with his peculiar style Of de-
livery that made him popular. Gonding
caught seven innings, when he gave way to
Reed, a new one, who looked a good actor.
As for the game itself, the main trouble
was that the Omaha sleaguorB did not hit
all that was expected, but, Of course, none
Of them has his stick eyes yet. Pitcher
Scully threw a good game for the Originals
and his support was very good also. Stone,
one Of the league team men, was loaned to
the Originals and made a hit and their only
run.
Hickey will be in the game today at
third. Several pitchers will be tried out
and two or three of the catchers. The
players are all highly pleased with the
grounds, which look vastly different from
their appearance at the close OF last sea-
aon.