The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-25

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC
Ia his efforts to plug up the Eoi'S III
the St. Louis National League team, Patsy
Donovan Is working just now with the sin
gle idea of signing good men t" fill tn" IN
field positions. If he can rope In = good
pitcher or two and another catcher he VIII
do so. but at present the demand for a ne"
infe!d is strong enough to overshadow the
other needs. BY he end of another month
every manager Is expected 10 have COM
plet"d his team and Donovan knows the
The rsdouotablc =. J. departed from Gin
ciuua:i last Thursday after q iiadl ''hITI-
cncc with Frank deHass Robson. lie
| could not proceed until the National League
sqUabhie WAS settled. but ha now has tuii
authority to dig deep in the funds OF me
club to sign men of National League car
ibcr.
Patsy osicnsibly departed for his home in
Lawrence. Mas. and that i where n =
bound Tor. hut it Is probable that he may
.pend q week or so en- Iourc. There are NJ
least two players now in the East "ho WI
receive calls from him and Offers as Wen;
GGr * a former American League third
basemIn. who resides near Philadelphia
and who is supposed to ne free to sign any
whore. II money can land him he VIII ne
Another player Of whom Donovan is in
quest is reported TO have been signed by
an American League club. He is Il young
short stop. Who has never played leAgn,e
ball. uut who mad" such = record IN COL
lege that several of the big l'aST" oilpS
extended good offers. Donovan viii see
both thee men. He has it from a reliable
source that the short stop would be willing
to come 10 st. Louis. If he can secure ms
pIaycr-hunt will be complied with. me
men are certainly strong enough Ia. trot
with faster company than the Cardinals
but whether they can make good Is = QueS-
ton that must IL Left to Father Time.
POSITIONS HARD TO FILL.
There is a list of several e~ligibles for these
intield positions. but the most of the men
have only mediocre standings in baseball.
Dave Brain, who has been mentioned ds a
candidate. is the player who Jumped the 81
Paul team last spring for Buffalo. lie
L.@aeTe. An"tker is :RUsty" Hall. whose
brief experience as 4 Cardinal a few seasons
ago did not bring him any $1,000 offers.
Hall may be the goods now, but ne must DE
delivered nv the proper parties and as vet
no Western League manager mas thrown
him any bcuquets-at least. none that nave
been noticed.
The men whom Donovan seeks are both
hitters. The third-base candidate is a clever
base runner and batted close to go IN the
American League. There Is no DOUBT that
he can play third base as good as six. at
least. Of the eight National League. third
sackers of last year. The shortstop is SAID
in action is a regular catapult. With John
ny Farrell on second and Arthur Nichols
holding down the initial cushion. Donovan
would be much better fortified in the inner
works than he was last year. and even with
that misiit 1862 bunch. the Cardinals held up
splcndidly for two months
National League advocates prate much OF
the preponderance of young blood in the old
league and claim that the reason that that
league is better equipped in playing strength
than the American. II is true that some OF
the Young men in the National bear the
stamp of stars. but the difference between
these experienced players is so great that
il admits of no comparison. There Is some
thing in baseball besides hitting the ball
and throwing to bases. Ask Pat Donovan
and he will tell you that Jesse Burkett
Is one of the most valuable outfielders in
the courtrv-not but what there are many
better judges of a fly ball and many more
with better throwing arms Rurkett Is an
inside man. He was of great assistance
to Donovan in keeping the 1901 mutiny from
an open outbreak.
BURKETT NOT \ "KNOCKER.'
LAS long as I have known him" says
Pat. Il never heard Burkett knock a young
player. | have seen him working out be.
side the youngsters and giving advice that
was perhaps unsolicited. bat he never came
II me and said that So-ard-So was rotten
and not fit for the company he was in.
That may he "A revelation for some OF
those who believe the tales told of Burkett
for The purpose of goading him into an out
break which would result in no good TO
him or his club.
Were Burkett 10 offer himself to Dono.
van there is no doubt that Pat would find
use for him in the outiield nearly, every
day. even if he mad to turn right field over
To Barclay or Snlopl. anu ot'upH, nv i
Burkett has passed through the several
stages. or epochs. in every ball players HE.
A Young player breaks into the big
league with fear and trembling. II ne
makes good his confidence returns. ana
then his head swells. About that time the
old stacers can't tell him ANYTHING. S1ch i
PLAYER was Davy Jones. This inflated pc
Rod is followed by a relaxation. curing
which the young player inaeineS tndt ne
doesn't need any morning practice. Burkett
Killed this spirit in some of the young
Cardinals during the season of 1901.
Some of them got pretty chestN. SAYS
Pat Donovan. land instead OF taking them
to task. | got Rurkett to do it. Here is jne
come out 10 the park on a hot summer
morning and find half the men iollinG
around with their uniforms in tn" lockers.
That * generally the way with the young
and is assured OF a job. As soon as the sun
begins to be uupleasantly hot IN the morn
irgs he tells himself that he doesn't need
the practice. and decides to loaf in tne
shade of the clubhouse while the other
men work.
.Burkett often went without morning
practice. but never when he felt that he
was getting a little stale. Sometimes lie
would show Up. not intending 10 put on
his uniform. I would tip him she wink and
H. would begin 20 get into his baseball toss.
During The dressing process he would al
dress the loafirg contingent in this man.
nsr:
Too good to get out and work. EN-? Wei. ii
] was some of You fellows Ia go without
slasp and practice. for You need II. You're
in the big league row and you're drawing
good money. and for that reason | guess
you're too good to work except when d
crowd is IN the stands
HAD THE DESIRED EFFECT.
He'd keep on in that strain continu. 4