The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-09
STAY IN SEVENTH
Millers Not Likely to Get Any
Higher in the Race.
ST. PAUL TEAM STRENGTHENED
American League Racing Grows In
terestinS-New Stars Developed
in the National.

1t begins to look pretty certain that the
millers will finish the season just about
in the same position they now occupy
The team did slightly better in the four
series with the eastern clubs than was
expected taking in all six out OF four
teen games. The singular feature OF
these series, and one which illustrates
the glorious uncertainty OF baseball, was
the fact that Minneapolis, after taking
two out OF five from Indianapolis, and
then three straight from Louisville, the
leaders, or~tive out OF eight from the two
first clubs in the league, gracefully
dropped five out of six to Columbus and
Toledo. " -
But the millers played pretty close to
their normal form all through the last
two weeks. Newlin had one bad day
against Toledo, and the team fell down
wretchedly in the field on the same .oc-
casion. All pitchers have their bad days,
however, and when the opposing team Is
hitting the ball hard and low, the felders
must expect to make more or less errors.
In general the pitchers did fair work
as good as they could be expected to do
and the fielding and batting Of the team
was about the average. that is to say,
the fielding was just fair and the batting
very bad.
The millers are now their eastern
Trip, anu Will 40 Wen IL they ldNc
than five out OF the twelve games. One
game each from Indianapolis, Louisville
and Columbus, and two from Toledo is
just about what may be expected, in the
present condition Of the team. The loss
Of Katoll and Phyle was weakened the
Wilmotians woefully. The big twirler,
even with such light hitting bunch as
the millers behind him. was good for
three out Of every four games he pitched,
while Phyle's timely nine inning hits
have pulled many contest out Of the
fire. Cooley, the new third baseman,
plays a fairly speedy game, and will prob
ably hit about .250 if he keeps up his
present gait. He Is not a Phyle, how
ever, and probably never will be-.
The best the management has been able
to do to replace Katoll up to date is
young Martin, recruit from the North
ern league. The youngster is said TO have
the goods to deliver, but it is a safe bet
that he will find Katoll's footgear several
sizes TOO large for him.
Lee Quilln as an offset to the loss Of
katoll and Phyle, has picked up Won
derfully in his hitting. The rest Of the
team is playing at about the same old
gait.
Mike Kelly has at last succeeded in
filling up the hole in the left center of his
inield. young man by the name of
Marcan, secured from Winnipeg, appears
to have made good, and the saints are
looking better than they have ~fers some
weeks. Geier is back in the game, and
the other cripples have convalesced sufh-
GENTLY so that the pitchers do not have
to work more than four or five days a
week each. -.,.t
Slette, another Northern Lacquer, has
shown up we'll On the slab for the saints,
and if he keeps up his winning gait it
will do much to strengthen the weak spot
in the pitching staff which developed when
Phil Geier and, Alderman Cogan got into
an involuntary butting contest on the
field recently. Daugherty, a third
Northern League man, is doing pretty
we'll in the Outfield, and altogether the
saints look good enough to push Louis
vile and Indianapolis hard, although with
a handicap of some seventy points be-
hind the Indians and nearly 100 behind
the colonels it is. hardly likely that Kel-
ly's men will pull up to second or first
place. Indeed, with Kansas City playing
in it's present form, the saints may have
to hustle to keep above fourth. Milwaukee
looks stronger since Speer got back into
the game and Jiggs Donahue was Sc.
cured from st. Louis.
Pretty Race in American
The American League race is becom.
Ing one Of the prettiest fights seen il
any league for a good many years. Will
only about three games needed to pu
Philadelphia up from fourth to first place
and with only little over $50 points be
tween Chicago and Baltimore it look
like anybody's race. The whitesox hav
not been playing in their best form latel.
and it is limited that some of the mel
have not paid strict attention to the pre-
cepts of John G. Woolley. Still the team
has managed to keep Just a few point
above st. Louis, although 1t did drop t.
second for day or two. The whiteso
are strong fnishers, and although ST
: Louis, Boston and Philadelphia are al
playing fast ball, most fans still pin thei
s >G:!l to Comiskey's men, with st. Loui
second choice.
The patchwork Baltimore team is play
ing as well as could be expected, and al
though in last place, is making goo
record. Washington and Cleveland ar
fighting hard for the leadership in tn
second. Cleveland is at disadvantag
because three of her men cannot play i
Philadelphia on account of court injunc
tions.
VIII They Win 100 Games?
(. Some speculation is heard as to whethe
the Pittsburg team will succeed in reach
ing the century mark%in victories. .!Afte
e Thursdays game the teams percentae
was 1856, and if this can be- maintaine
the team would have to play$&only /;
games to get 100 wins. That allows a IA
margin for postponed games. The pirate
are few contests behind in their schet
ule now, but will probably make some
these UP by double headers later on. Dul
ing the last few weeks, however, tt
pirates have not won .750 per cent of the
games, and it is quite possible that the
will drop below this mark before the er
of the season. On the whole it lool
about an even bet.
Outside of this ground for speculate
furnished by the champions, the real il
terest in the National League race cente
rs in the struggle for second place betwee
Chicago, Brooklyn and Boston. The S.
leeites got up to the fore Thursday, a
though they did not win their game. Bo
& ton is little behind these two. Chicai
& Is playing better ball now that some
4 the cripples have recovered, and the col
II test will be a pretty one from now on
Cincinnati seems to have gotten the be
ter end Of the Baltimore deal up to dat
At least the reds play has improved
| per cent since Kelly and Seymour join
the team, while New York is losing wi
about the same regularity as it did b
fore McGraw joined the team. The re
have now climbed into fourth place, al
If Brush really lets go of the club, al
capable men get hold of it, @Cincinna
may have a winning team again; som
thing it has not had in a long while.
Real Stars Developed.
@ Two or three real stars seem to ha
/ been Gcyeioped this year in the Nation