Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-13
ATHLETICS At UNIVERSITY
Eebraskjs Base Ball Team Well Tried Out
Against Omaha.
MESsGs SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS
Indiv iuaI work Gratifying to the
CoAihers and Team Play MadeB Bet
ter by Reason of the
Hard Experience.

Tn FIRST real opportunity which the stu
dent OF the University Of Nebraska have
had to take an inventory Of the capacities
and possibilities Of their base ball squad
cane during the last week in the shape OF
thrie games with the Omaha leaguers on
University field and the result was on the
while very satisfying to the collegiate
FAM. Despite the digagreeable weather
Which married two Of the games, those
two, taken in connection with the last one,
pAyed under more favorable circum-
shnces, we're sufficient to demonstrate that
tie varsity team this year is to be some
ting better than usual. and that is saying
something worth while.
To the players. too. and especially to
Captain Bell, the contests with the pro-
'essionals proved a most valuable standard
BY which to gauge their own abilities.
The boys feel that they have derived much
benent from their encounter with the paid,
crack players and hereafter many little
clever playing tricks and ~eccentricities
which Pa" Rourke's men use will be seen
cropping out In the Nebraskans' play, for
there is no one so quick to see a good stunt
and to initiate II as a college athlete. They
all have their eyes open for details Of form
and Of system az well and nothing that Is
going on around them gets away, even
though 1t may be successful against them.
Despite the fact that the league team
easily took all three games, the spectators
were nevertheless not without real diver
sion, for there was much good ball playing
mixed In. The frst game was the most
unfortunate for the 'varaity, as the men
had stage fright for fair n fumbled and
errored around in divers ways, as II they
had never done It right In their lives. The
second day they had recovered from thiA
feature, but on that occasion the weather
man interv4net to spoil tho sport by send
ing a drizzling rain along. The third game
was the real thing. 1t was an ideal day,
the field was dry and snappy ball resulted,
All In all, the collegians showed up 80
well that Bill Rourke opened up and pro-
nounced them "a mighty good college
team" when he returned to Omaha,
Much of the interest to tho university
students lay not so much In Watching the
game as in noting the work Of the varsity
players. Bobby Gaines, the best all
around athsiete in the school, was In fine
fettle during his occupancy Of the box. He
throws a tantslizing ball, which batters
don't hit far when they do ind It, and at
SAAlAChA AhOllCnNo AN COmGb hlSuk WIN Etbl-
full strike-outs. Bobby's head IL always
with him. too, even when they are land
ing on him hard. and he Ia a good stioker
being one Of the reliable hittsrs Of the
team.
Leatherby, the new freshman twirier,
who made so good playing around northern
Nebraska last summer has phenomenal
speed. with evidences Of uncertain control
here and there. He struck out Ave omahs
men in two innings he pitched. however.
Captain Bell has had the good sense &c
play out in the far garden. not changing
himself to the inneld Just because he is
captain, and he Is as usual a big circus
net. He Is hitting hard and fairly safe
and his base running Is above reproach
The boys like his handling OF the team
immensely.
"Sticks'' DePutron In center field 10 agar
the one real "phenom" OF the team. Hi
star catches OF apparently impossible fiiei
will be a tradition after he leaves Bchoo
and won him his very FIRST year the sobri'
quet Of the "circus catcher" The bes'
thing about Sticks" however, is that h,
always does 1t. His grandstand work Il
Just as reliable as It is nashy. This Il
largely because he Is a very fast runnel
and quick starter, being the best sprlnteI
on the team, and also to his unerriuI
judgment.
Hood is again at third base and has
regular "Dolan'' shoot to first. 1t is some
thing fierce. He is a good batter as we'll
Townsend is playing the inneld at seoont
base a good deal this year. while still keep
ing up his pitching. Here is the most val
liable man on the team, for he Is q whirl
wind inhelder, a pitcher as good as an,
in the squad, an outhelder OF such rang
and capacity and reliability that they hat
to let him play anywhere else, and witha
q steady hitter. H
DUSTY Rhodes. last years captain an,
the best hrst base player, according I
professionals who have played against him
that ever donned an amateurs suit in Ne
braska. IS doing his usual stunt at short
stop. Rhodes is not certain as yet. but !.
showing his old grace, which has neve
been duplicated at the varsity. Their
are no angles to his game; he receives tn
ball with q sweep and throws 1t In gran
style.
IKE" Raymond is again on first has