The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-20
GOSSIP OF PLAYERS
IN THE POLO WORLD
Fort Wayne Holds First Place in
Central League with a Bril-
liant Record.
WILSON AFTER PLAYERS
Race in the Western League Is
Close and Exciting-Referees
Wanted.
WILSON AFTER PLAYERS

The Fort Wayne team of the Central
League holds the first position in the race
by right of might. and its record of winning
ninteen of the first twenty-one games played
will very likely stand for some time in the
minor organization. James Caravan, the
well-knowr baseball player. captains the
Fort Wayne aggregation. He is the best;
center in the Central. League and holds the
record in that league for goals Gagged by
players in that position. The Fort wayne
team is resting safely on the top rung OF
the championship ladder by playing clean,
swift and consistent polo and IT fully de-
serves the Communications of the fans In
Fort Wayne and other cities of the Central
League. t-.,-
Manager Frank Wilson, of the Logansport
team of the Central League. is trying to
find players to strengthen his club. This
is an excellent move the part of Man
ager Wilson, as the enthusiasts in Logans-
port have shown that they will not support
losing team and Logansport has lost ff-
teen out OF nineteen games played and the
attendance has been decreasing at each
contest. Wilson has released Jack Purcell
and Paddy" O'Hara. Their places will be
filled by the best men that money can secure
and the LoganspOrt team should then take
an upward journey.
Inc pOSluOn OF referee In the western
and Central leagues does not seem to be
sinecure by any manner of means. Fred
Klodebanz handed in his resignation to
Secretary David Durbin some days ago and
Mr.. Durbin Immediately wired East to try
and secure the service of an Eastern
referee. Tom Connely wanted an exorbitant
salary and for this reason he was not
signed. John j. Whalen of Brockton,
Mass, was also wired, but he could not
come and the chances of getting good
man seem to be exceedingly slim. Klode-
banz promised to stay until man could
Frank Redding, of Muncie. the extra
referee, handed in his resignation, giving no
reason for such action. Secretary Durbin
again telegraphed East and he will keep
the wires busy until he secures one two
referees. AL Mock. of Elwood, in all proba-
bility will sign a Western League contract
Mock has been refereeing in the Central
League, but owing to the long and
tinued knocking of the secretary of the
league and the captain of his team Mock
of the two referees in the minor organza-
ton and should have been retained by Presi-
dent Foor Tommy Kigara was appointed
to fill the place left vacant by the resigna-
ton of Mock. John Moran is the best referee
in either of the two league and will be
refereeing polo when some of the so-called
polo referees are digging trenches for
living.
The supporters of polo in Richmond are
gradually weakening in their support of the
Quaker aggregation. The fighting five
lost two ,heart-breaking contests the past
week. The Indianapolis team gave the
Quakers the small end of the score in Rich
mond on Wednesday and they were blanked
by the speedy Marion aggregation on the
following night The Richmond team can
play polo when it's half back and center
can block the opposing rushers but when
the line of men of an opposing team get
past the first two men of the Richmond
defepse they will. In a majority of cases,
drive home for a tally, as Jessup depends
almost entirely on Mansfield rs and Doherty to
starts swinging his club with a reckless
abandon for the safety of the players on
either his own team or the opposing five.
XXX
Indianapolis, Marion and Anderson have
shown in the past week that the sporting
writer's of the circuit were not very far
wrong when they picked the three teams
named as the probable candidates for the
championship. Anderson has had excep-
tionally poor luck since the early part of
the season. First the injury to Wodtke dis
heartened the players and they lost num-
Der of games before they recovered from
the shock Then Mullen was seriously hurt
and other members of the team were out of
the game. Wodtke was injured again and
the Flying Dutchman'' out of the game
for period of two weeks. Manager Norton
signed Bert Mallory to guard the Anderson
cage, and now that Wodtke has recovered
the quintet is playing fast polo and is grad
ually adding games in the won column.
None of the Indianapolis players has been
out of the game on account of illness or in
jury. The local team has been lucky in this
respect but very unlucky in others. In sew
eral cases where one tally would have tied
the score Pierce and McGilvray have made
line drives for the cage which strike the
netting and roll tantalzingly out on the
floor. Indianapolis has been more unlucky
in this way than any team in the Western
League. Marion has had no i'll luck worth
mentioning so far this year. Burgess is the
only man who has been out of the game
and his place at goal was very acceptably
filled by Joe Fox.
The fight for the first place in the West
ern League is very close and interesting.
Exclusive of last nights games. Richmond
led the way by a margin of % points. Ell.
wood and Marion were tied for second place
and Indianapolis n close fourth, Mum
Gle and Anderson bringing UP the rear Fort
Wayne leads the Central League by mar
gin of over 200 points. Fort Wayne in the
first position and Lafayette in the last place
are separated by almost 200 points. while the
first and last teams in the Western League
had put 300 points between them.
Predictions made at the start of the pres
ent polo season by fans and sporting