Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-15
BASE BALL BIRDS SINGING
Coming Of Spring Time Opens the Voice Of
tie Omaha Crank
FOR HOME ROASTeRs TO HOWL
VI They Don't Get In Their work Now
They May Never, for the
Playing season VIII
Soon BE ON IS.

Get ready.
Winters backbone has teen broken and !
knocked out Of sight; the groundhog
Arophecy has expired b. statute CT limita-
tLons and the robins and jaybirds and even
the STRENGTHENING force point to the ar
rival OF spring. Papa Bill has sent trans
portation TO his hired men and II won't
be many more Sundays now until the rest
less fans can roOst on the sunny bleachers
and enjoy themselves as only a thirty-third
degree crank can. We're to have good bail
again this summer, aud that's no Josh. All
that old gang Of sure-enough ball players
Will be with us once more, and one or two
new ones, so the promise for the sort OF
ball we enjoyed last summer Is excellent.
Now, you home knockers get busy. Swing
your hammers on Hickey and Stewart and
Genins and Dolan and Carter and Gonding
just as you did last year, and roast the
management. This is your season: but 10
will only be a few weeks until the thon-
sands OF loyal supporters will be too busy
cheering the sharp fielding and hair raising
base running Of these boys to pay any at
tention to the yawp Of the home rooster.
Old Dave Calhoun will be missed off first
base, but the bag will be filled by a young,
ster who can field the position, can run a
base a few and has been known to make a
hit every once in a while. He finished the
season with Omaha and was batting away
up near 400 at the close. Even the great
Stone was below him. This is johnny
Wright. He'll make Dayy's absence very
apparent. Stewart on second will be Just
as young as he was last year, and after
Ace gave up the idea Of fielding hot ground
ers with his feet he was a wonder. More
than that, he's the best field general on the
circuit and can turn more tricks during the
course OF a game, and make them 90, than
any man in the Western league. What Ed
ollie Hickey doesn't know about the game
couldn't I'LL many dictionaries. and he has
put In the winter taking care of the in
Juries he received last season. so that he
expects to report in condition to play the
game. Joe Dolan has been in good shape
all winter, having only to heal two or three
broken fingers and a few minor things like
that. We all know the sort OF work he
does at short. Frank Genins hasn't forgot
ten any of his infinite knowledge Of base
ball during the winter, and still says he
Tould rather play in Omaha than anywhere
dlse in America. so we have reason to look
for the best this acknowledged prince Of
outhelders can do. And Mick" Carter
hasn't done a thing since last fall but
make moonshine whisky and dream OF steal
ing bases down on his Tarheel farm. Did
you ever see Nick" steal a base? Well,
he's one man who can keep everybody on
the other side guessing. He was the best
base runner in the league last season, and
it's not likely they have dug up as good one
for this year. II they have, Carter will let
out another notch and show the boys what
he can do when he's rowded. It's no use
talking Of Johnny Gonding. He's all tho
money when 1t comes to catching. Ever
see 'em steal bases on Johnny? No? Just
go out some afternoon and watch 'em. It's
worth the price of admission just to see the
ambitious try the experiment. They are
all hoping to catch, Johnny some afternoon
when his arm isn't working.
Much Joy. Papa Bill shared a pitcher.
He has snapped his extra first baseman,
Whistler, for Bruner. the southpaw who
made such a tear in the Southern league
last season. This gives us at least one man
to start the season on. Then there is still
the chance that Podge Allowsy will be
traded for another good pitcher. These,
with the big string OF youngsters on the
list. will be enough to start with, and the
"old man" still has his hooks out for some
good material. He has had a lot Of trou-
BILE, but believes the sky Is turning blue
again. Help that has been promised him
by big league managers is sure to result In
q good pitcher or two, and then there's al
ways the prospect of Brown or owen re-
turning for the season. Don't you worry;
we'll have good base ball all next summer.
with Sexton and Hickey on the coast
l trying to straighten out the tangle that
exists there, little is doing in Omaha says
: Papa Bill. 1--WE are waiting for their re-
turn and then the schedule for the coming
season will be made out and the members
of the team will begin TO roll In the last
of this month and the first few days in
April. / have sent them all transportation
so that they can be here by April 1, when
they are supposed to report. They won't
all get here by then, but a few days later
will find the men here and hard at work
preparing for the struggle OF the summer
/ have nineteen men signed so far and may
sign another pitcher before many more
days go by. He is a good man and / have
made him an offer that l think he will
accept,
"The season opens April % and Omaha
will probably play the FIRST league games
away from home. Before that there will be
a grist Of practice league games with teams
here in Omaha. l have scheduled games
with the Originals for April 4 and s;
Creighton university, 6; Chicago National
league, T. 8 and 8; lies Moines, IL and 70.
University of Nebraska. IS and II; Creigh-
ton university, Is, and Fort Crook. II. All
OF the games will be played at home, with
the exception Of the two with the Uni
versity Of Nebraska, which will be played
in Lincoln. There are only two open dates
in this schedule and I will hll them IL Il is
CTDOET