Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-23
BEST IN WESTERN LEAGUE
0msha's Team Looks Mighty Good in
Comparison to Others.
RIVALS BOW TO ROURKE's PITCHERS
TwirIing taR Strongest on Circuit
and Supported by FieIders Who
Are Equal ~ Not Superior
TO Contemporaries.
Play balll

Play balli
All over the country base ball enthusiasts
are oiling their voices and rsnovating their
lungs and Jimmy Whitfield Is over at
Peoree collecting subscriptions to the stock
OF the ball club for that town, Bill Rourke
Is plugging UP the knotholes in the fence,
Tom Burns is searching the Platte canyon
for a pine tree to make a fagpole tall
enough to float the pennant that Bill
Everitt Is sure to win, and w. J. Lockhart
has gotten his little Iowa-Dakota league
all framed up. A meeting Of the National
league will be held this week and everything
else seems to be in readiness for Pat Pow
ers to give the word. In spite Of the
wrangling and pickering Of the magnates
during the winter every sign points to a
season OF prosperity. People want base
ball In the summer time and will have It,
no matter who furnishes 1t. This is one
OF the unfortunate conditions Of the game,
for it often leads the magnates to forget
that they have any responsibility toward
their patrons. They are apt to mistake the
popularity OF the game for a personal at
tribute and proceed accordingly. which
course occasionally results In disaster. 1t Is
a cheerful thought that here In Omaha we
have gotten away from this condition. Bill
Rourke has drawn a definite conclusion
from his long experience, and that is that
the way TO make the game succeed is to
give the patrons the best ball he can pro-
vide. His choice of leagues may not be all
that some OF his friends would have liked,
but 1t was made as a result Of calm delibt
GRAFTON. and time will determine the cor
~rectness Of his action. No matter in which
league he entered. his present team could
be little improved upon. co.
Last year Omaha had admittedly the fast
est fielding team in the Western league.
This year 1t will be not only the fastest
fielding team in the league, but will have
q superior stan of pitchers and some rea-
sonably good hitters. Alloway, Gordon and
Graham are admitted to be as good as the
league affords in the twiriing department.
while Dudley Risley is touted as the boy
who will put them all in the shade. Frank
Owens and George Brown come with good
recommendations. Out In Denver they
admit that Omaha has the league beaten
on pitching stan. When 1t comes to catch
ers 1t is hard to see how anybody can beat
Johnny Gonding. His work last season was
neater and cleaner than that Of any other
catcher in the league. He had hard luck
at the bat, always meeting the bail fair In
The face and nearly always driving straight
At some indelder. Gondlng may get over
this, and If he does he'll keep the out
helders as busy this year as he did the
lnnelders last. Jack Thomas Is a GOMEZ
In the backstop profession, and has an ex-
cellent record for a young man. Artis
Hayes will be given a chance to show what
he can do. and II found fast enough will
be kept. This ought to fix Omaha pretty
we'll for pitchers and catchers. Packard
hhipEa h. haa ponrEa faded In tho oaf0hfno
department. parading Parke Wilson and
Mcconnell. Macs all right. but Parke will
have to loosen up his arm more than he
has done in years If he holds such runners
rs Joe Dolan. Bobby Carter, Frank Genins
Tom Fleming or Ed Hickey.
Around the bases como Dave Calhoun, re-
liable as the sunrise; Ace Stewart, withou
. gray hair in his head Ed Hickey, as gooC
as ever watch ed third in Omaha, and JoI
Dolan, the pride Of the First ward. who'll
show the boys what he did In Louisvill,
when he set the National league on FIRE
Don't think Joe's a dead one Just becaus,
he is playing at home. He is as full o
ginger as ever. and you will see all Of stul
Toman's quick stops and straight throws
coupled with hard hitting and fast baserun
ming, from the Omaha shortstop. Ed Hicke,
is not only a safer fielder than Tommy Nc
Andrews, but he Is a better batter. Thi
Is enough. What Stewart and Calhoun CA
DO the people already know. In the out
held Omaha is particularly strong. In com
pairing his team to omaha's. Packard gave
naughty toss OF his head and said h5 ha
Rourke dashed to the mast. Well, let's see
Suppose you had your choice betwee
Frank Genins and Walter Preston. while
would you take2 Genins? OF course 20
would. Tom Hickey says he is the tastes
Dutnelder in a minor league today. Here I
omaha we know he is. Now. between 10
Honeyman and Tom Fleming. which woul