The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-15
BANN0N BEST GOALTEND
TIM MURNANE SAYS HE WILL DO
BEST WORK IN WESTERN.
Eastern Polo Critic Picks Marion and
Anderson as h Championship
Possibilities.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
BOSTON, Mass, Nov. H.-Timothy Muir
| name, sporting editor of the Boston Globe
and ex-president OF the American Roller
Polo League, and universally regarded as
the worlds greatest critic on roller polo,
says that Bannon, who was awarded to
Indianapolis to-day, is the greatest goal
tender. Regarding the Western Polo League
race, Murnane says:
Now that our crack New England polo
players have emigrated to the West, it may
be interesting to know what we in the East
think OF the makeup of the teams. In
looking over the personnel Of the teams, /
notice players who have worked together
for years. separated. and this means much
In polo, as the players learn to feed the
ball to goai-makers, and. therefore. it will
be after the new year before the real
tren 1 OF the teams viii be shown for
rush that will finish stropg. but. instead,
the team we'll handled, where the players
keep In shape for the toughest game played
by mortal man. Well-managed teams are
usually the winners at this game, even
against stronger teams poorly managed.
Not being familiar with the managers Of
important factors out of the reckoning.
Anderson has two great rushers In
Wodtke and Mercer. Both are grand floor
workers and Wodtke is the finest all-round
shot for the goal yet developed. He can
hit accurately and hercely from any posi-
ton, both front and ~back-handed, and
goal tenders asicns hump lsn1pns w " ni0' is wt the 9 greatest est
natural polo player the game has seen, but
when blocked he loses his temper, which
Wodtke is a glutton for work, and with
proper influence will keep Anderson we'll
to the front. Mercer. Miller and Gardener
Mullen in the cage the playing OF the An
derson team should be scientific and hard
to beat IL proper team work is developed.
"Muncie has In Hart and Higgins two
games lively. Hart is not an artist, but a
hard worker, while Higgins Is a few chips
makes the team quite strong, as he is a fine
general, game to the core, and will de-
velop team work. Holderness is one of the
very strongest Tssa everyday Cyd y,1 haif.backs in the
BONE CANNOT STAND DRIVING.
Richmond has picked up a lot OF clever
players. George Cunningham Is cool,
clever, and being a good skater, finishes
strong. while Bone, actually divides honors
with Wodtke as being the finest in the bus
mess. Bone Is a wonderfully fast man, but
cannot stand the driving that wodtke can.
Bone Is game, and the aggressive Doherty
at half-back should do fine execution. I
know little Of Mansfield and Jessup, but
feel confident the team will put up a con-
sistent game.
Marion has a team that must be looked
after, as Jean is the most aggressive man
playing the game, as well as the strongest,
while rusher Lewis Is a tireless worker.
Warner Is a clever, level-headed rusher.
Cameron is strong at half-back and Bur-
CESS a fearless goal tender. There is no
question but that Marion has a polo team
for all to fear, and if properly handled,
Will be close TO the top at the end of the
season. AS floor workers this is not a great
team, but rather comes under the head of
"slugsers," forcing the weaker players to
"Eiwood has a fine old player in John
Roberts, who is now considered the papa
of the game. Spencer. too. is a fine shot
for the cage, and both he and Roberts are
good skaters, easy to handle and will play
polo all the time. Fitzgerald was con-
telngent hustler. willing to enter into team
work. Lyons and White are new men to
for frst place, now that the league 2 nnA has
much stronger teams than last season.
BANNON GREATEST GOAL TENDER.
Indianapolis has a couple of phenomenal
floor workers and game polo players in
Pierce and McGilvary. These two men will
make the goal tenders dizzy If they ever
get the ball In front of the cage. Neither
IL a good shot for the cage, but they resort
to tricks In hopping the ball by a goaltend.
Both are fast skaters and viii bother the
other teams from making. goals. Cogg-
shall and Way are clever, heady workers,
and Bannon can be relied on to do the
best goal tending of any man In the league.
The referees, however, must take a measur-
ing rule along to see that Bannon and one
or two more do not wear shin pads wider
than the rule allows. The indianapolis
team will keep the scores down. They
are not great goal getterS. but are fast
and tricky, and will bother their opponents.
1T looks TO me as If Marion and Ander-
son would have TO fight 1t out to a finish
for first honors; ichmo and Indianapo-
lis for third place, and Muncie and Elwood
for fifth.
with the Kinks a uniform 100 feet long
by fifty feet wide, 1t gives visiting teams
a better chance to win away from home.
and In the makeup of these Western
League teams is a lot of the gamest ath-
letes under the SUM-. Most of them were
tried in the Eastern fire, where no fake
polo player can long remain. These men
are up to the tricks of the trade, and will
to keep them strictly to the rules. Every
man gone from here TO the Western
League. especially, Pierce, Wodtke. McGil-
vary. Warner. Bone. George Cunningham,
Roberts, Fitzgerald and Bannon have rec
ords long and open for playing polo on the
level which is the biggest feather in the
cap OF the athlete playing professionally
Good referees are nearly as essential as
good players. for the success or the game.
weak I'm this department, but will no doubt
make a big Improvement this winter. The
tendency has been to injure the sport by
wearing cumbersome attachments TO the
feet, almost ignoring skating: also by goal
tenders building out their shin pads until
IL became impossible to see an opening in
the cage. The Western League can do
much for the game by holding the players
TO the rules strictly and backing up the Of
icers at every turn.
Polo on roller skates Is TO the winter
months what baseball is to the summer.
and no game played by man or boy re-
quires as much pluck and staying powers
as does polo. Here In the East we must be
content with the work OF raw material for
a while. but the West IL 10 be heartily con-
graduated upon securing the greatest
bunch OF polo players the game has pro-
duced, and better still, paying the boys
good salaries for their skilful and plucky
! work"