Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-29
BASE BALL FANS ARE EAGER
Waiting for the Snow t, Melt 20 the Game
Gan Be Called.
PRESTON SIGNED ltpLAY LEFT FIELD
Old Players viii Give oId-Time ES-
hibition of Fancy Fielding and
High Grade Team work
Next summer.

VINO , tnatg
Why, that's Preston-Preston Of Dem
Yer. Is be any good? Well, I don't know;
he batted 1853 last year and helded $50.
These ngures are not up to Stones, but
we'll be glad to see Pres out in the
left garden, Just the same. He will stop
what was beginning to look like a pretty
big hole In the outneld. and will add TO
the team another hard worker. He knows
the game thoroughly, and with Genins and
Carter giyes us an outield that lookn
mighty good. It's a cinch that with that
trio at work a ny ball will have to 20 a
long ways TO escape. And. while we are
on that topic, the whole crowd looks
mighty good to the fans; familiar faces,
you know. men we are acquainted with
and can rely upon In any emergency.
Last season the Omaha team overturned
some precedents, one OF which was that
IL took hitting to win games. 1t was the
weakest hitting team in the league. and
only for the hardest Of hard luck would
have won the pennant. Fielding and team
work took the place Of smuggling. and that
same fielding and team work will be a
feature this season. with enough OF hitting
mixed In to add spice to the contest.
Captain Stewart got in Wednesday and is
ready to begin real work as soon as the
snow goes on the grounds. others OF the
team are already here or will be in by to-
morrow. so that the opening practice TIT
with Fred Bradford's Originals scheduled
for next Saturday will be the gingery ex-
hibition II has been in the last four years.
Brad's bunch certainly likes to get Papa
Bits crowd in the early springtime, and
show them what a real hard practice game
is like. Following the game next Saturday
Papa Bill has games scheduled for every day
until April 20, and he says that the boys
need four days rest before opening the
season. The beauty OF the schedule is
that all but the two with the university at
Lincoln are on the home grounds. The
schedule as completed Is: Originals. April
4 and s: Creighton university, 6; Chicago
National league. Z. s and 8; Council Bluffs,
10; Des Moines. II and IL; Nebraska. Ia
and IA; Creighton university, 10; Bellevue
college, IS; Fort Crook, II, and st. Joseph,
10 and 10.
A meeting has been called for Denver on
April / to consider and adopt the play
inr schedule. This notice was served on
President Rourke by telegraph yesterday
afternoon.
A copy OF the American Leagues ofhcial
Guido for 1908. published by the A. j.
Reach company Of Philadelphia, has inst
come to hand, this guide being, as usual,
tho h2rbinger OF the base ball season. This
guide is in all respects first class and
quite equal to the American league guide
Il 1902, the first official handbook issued
by the American league as a major or
senization. In all respects is the 1908
guide a credit to the American league and
to the publishers--the A. ]. Reach COM
pany.
This book gives a complete review of
the American leagues second eventful
season as a major league. The National
league race Of 1903 is also fully treated
"a the records and averages of no less than
llteen minor leagues, embracing the entire
base ball field, are given. These leagues
are the Eastern league. the American as
ISOLATION, the Western league, the New
England league. the Southern league, the
Now York league, the Connecticut league,
the Pacific Northwest league, the l. /. 1.
league. the California league. the North
ern league, the Texas league, the Cotton
states League, the Missouri Valley league
and the Northern New York league.
In addition to the above there Is a great
deal. of general Information contalped In
special articles. namely the chronology OF
500. the necrology Of 1902. the prospectus
fer 1908 and the roster for 1908, which gives
the makeup Of all leagues now in the Held,
The work Of the National association and
of the Joint playing rules convention is
also detailed. The guide, also contains
the new uniform playing rules code for
1903. and the 1903 championship schedules
OF the American league and the National
league. This portion Of the book also
Eives portraits OF Presidents Pullian'
Dreyfuss, Hart and Powers, and players
Clarke and Beaumont and group pictures
OF the champion Pittsburg and Corsieana
teams, the latter OF whom broke the worlds
record with twenty-seven consecutive vic
tories.