Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-22
BASE BALL MEN WAXING UP
Days for the Fans Are Coming Nearer and
Players Get Busy.
WESTERN LEAGUE OUTLOOK ENCOURAGING
Managers Talk About Their Teams
and Enthusiasts Begin to barn
incense Before Their
Fnvortte Players.
Get a good lead.

ball enthusiasts are on the top tension OF
expectancy, waiting for what will undoubt-
eddy prove the greatest year in the his
tory OF the national game. Right here at
Omaha the interest never was keener; none
the less 30 because we have a little local
mystery OF our own, one that is bothering
Papa Bill as much as any of us. Bill
knows who's going to catch, but neither he
nor any Of the other wise boys can tell
who's going to pitch. It's a cinch that
Omaha will have some good pitchers II
money can buy them. and that Is about as
far as any one can go in the matter Just
now. other managers in the Western
league are giving out their teams, and up
to date none Of them look very fierce. Den
yer shows up with about the same gang
as last summer, barring Parke, the Umpire
Eater. Tommy Delehanty is to be boss
Of the bear pit this season, and IL he sticks
TO his showing of last year. Omaha will
have Just about the same sort Of record
with Denver. No trouble to beat the
Grizzlies in Omaha, but impossible 10 touch
them at Denver. Here's Offering a big
red apple against a d%oughnut that Pop
Eyler doesn't win every game he pitches
against Omaha this year. st. Joe is to be
handled by young Mr.. Robe, the false alarm
who cavorted around third base for the
Josies last year. That is going to be a
bad place for umpires. too. for, il memory
serves correctly, Mr.. Robes chief claim to
distinction arises from his capacity as a
Kicker" At Des Molnes they are work.
ing overtime, burning incense before young
hr. Leary, the shortstop. They admit
that Joe Dolan has some claim to
the premier honors, but still hope to see
Charley land hrst. Frank S%hugart, who
uvtn star4 ,,,dor Tho hapnar 90 ngr mn WI
son, over at Pee-o-ree, is allowed third
place by these prohibition fanatics, and the
rest are nowhere Hugh Duffy, Bill Ever
lit and Charley Nichols are following very
much the lead OF Bill Rourke, and are SIM
ply sawing wood and waiting for the season
to open before winning the p%ennant. With
these veteran managers at the head, Mt
least four OF the Western league teams will
(be equipped to put up hrst-olass ball. Just
What Bill Wilson will do as a manager
cant even be guessed at. II he succeeds
in keeping his collection Of booze fighters
sober enough to play he will have done a
great work, and one that will entitle him
to high standing in the list Of base ball I'M
pressarios.
One Of the cheering announcements Of
the week was that Joe Cantillon had de-
cided to talk no more. Fever since Joe
went through Omaha laet fall at the head
Of his transforming aggregation he has
been as busy as a cranberry merchant, tell
ing what he intended to do. He began by
signing all the stars of the California
league, and not one Of them has reported
at Milwaukee. Then he signed a lot OF
eastern stars and none of them have
showed up to draw pay checks with the
Havenor name at the bottomA So IL looks
as II Joe would have To start the racesin
the Hickey league with q rather ordinary
bunch OF ball players, and none too strong
in the support OF the Milwaukee, public. II
really looks as II Duffy is to have the bet
ter OF the argument in the Cream City next
season, Just as he did last. One big point
in his favor is that A. w. Freese has been
removed from the position of base ball ed
itor Of the Sentinel and this will insure the
Western league at least an even break In
the news columns Of the leading milwaukee,
paper This will help a great deal, for last
season the Western had to stand for a iot
Of unreasonable battering in the columns
Of the Sentinel. '
In big league circles the gossip has beer
mainly over the probability of Barney
Dreyfuss and his syndicate buying out the
freedman Brush combination In New York
Something like this may be necessary, fol
Brush doesn't seem to be at all inclined Il
live up to the letter OF the Cincinnati peace
I agreement, not to speak of its spirit. Bar
Johnson has secured his grounds In New
: York City and has a big force of mon a
work getting the field ready to play ball
When done he will have the finest base bal
plant in the world. The Freedmanites hav'
thrown every possible obstacle into hi
way, and these are not a few, for Freed
~ vi Ls -
says he isn't worried now that he has tn
lease signed up and is willing to take hi
( chances on having streets opened through
Z his park next summer.
Another little ripple is shown by the be
havior OF George Davis and Ed Delehanty
Davis insists that he is going to play wltl
Muggsy McGraw's outfit and Delehanty say
he will play with GriHith's team or not a
all. And both OF them insist that they will
collect the big salaries they were offered
play or no play. Harry Pulliam and Bal
johnson have told this pair that they viii
play where they were assigned by the peac
CONFERENCE.-THE is, Davis with Comiske
and Delehanty with Tom Loftus-or they'l
do no playing and will draw no pay. TIL
situation is going to lead to another de
eision on base ball players contracts an.
the probabilities are that II will be Il
favor OF the magnates and against tn
rubber legs.
President Hickey gave out his stan O
umpires for the season last week. Tn
chief point In favor Of them seems to b
that no one knows them. Denver give
them enthusiastic endorsement, but jus
wait till the Denver team loses a game o
the home grounds.
The failure OF the Hickey-Sexton erran
10 the Pacific coast has been discounte
and no one seem stO care to talk about 4
II is admitted out there that one side G
the other will go broke on railroad fare
early in the season, and everybody appear
willing to wait and see.
Another one, and a humdinger, accordin
to al Of the talk OF those who think the
know, Is this new slab contortionist PAP
Bill has picked for a trial rip with N
boys. AS a real vender OF Gu Ses with a