Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-01
ATHLETICS At UNIVERSITY
Base Ball HsI the Center Of the Stage Jus,
Now at Lincoln.
EDDIE GORDON WILL COACH THE TEAM


Athletes and athletics in general have
been taking something Of a rest al the Uni
versity Of Nebraska during the week Just
pas. II has been q period OF uncertainty
In basket ball. a moment Of inactivity along
lines OF the track and a time Of shifting
systems In the base ball cage. a new coach
having taken charge Of the candidates for
different positions on the diamond.
Candidates for battery positions will
meet In the cage at / O'Clock on Thursday.
A r. Gordon, coach" The above notice.
plastered upon the locker room door during
She early part Of the week, told the base
ball circles Of the school that Eddie Gordon
had been secured az a coach for the team
and that he would begin his work in real
earnest Immediately. With this announce
ment comes greater confidence in the out
look for the schedule this year. for It will
be remembered that Eddie Gordon was at
one time the star twirler for the varsity
and that later, when he went into profess
Eional circles. he was still a tosser to at
tract attention. He will coach the team,
and more especially the pitchers. for three
or four weeks at least, and may be induced
TO stay longer with Nebraska.
In accordance with the notice OF Coach
Gordon, about fifteen men put in an appear
snce at the gymnasium Thursday after
noon, and we're set at once to working out
Each man who is trying for the throwing
position Is given about twenty minutes
every day Of individual instruction from
the coach. He takes them enc at a time.
clips their crude movements, puts them
next to the most approved fashion OF hold
ing the horsehide for the delivery Of va
rious curves. and then watches them try
70 do 81 with his expert eye. Just after the
huDch had mutt u-urb4nr nvf 4rr Xhr A.
time under bis supervision. he said to a
representative Of The Bee:
The men are showing up pretty wen, and
are now doing regular workout exercise
in the cage daily. The team this year will
bot be as good as Il was last. from the
fact that but three old men are back for
the game. We are fortunate, however. n
having to start such good men for the bat
terry as Townsend and Bender, who, being
old men, will steady the team wonderfully.
This year a pitcher viii play the bench
when he is not in the box. That shifting
positions is bad, but had to be done last
year because Townsend and Bobby Gaines
were so much better at the sacks than any
one else who showed up, that we simply
had TO use them. We will get out OF doors
just as soon as the weather permits"
So far the men showing up best as pros
pective pitchers are Morris. Ling, Tonga
naeckery Hurbesky and Gore, while those
who are making good behind the willow are
Bender, Whitcomb and Wilson. Townsend,
OF course, can't be beat as a twirler. and
will always be on hand. For the inheld,
which has been something Of a perplexity.
Hood, Miekle. Wright, Stsn. Ramsey and
a pair Of Johnsons are looking good. Mickie
is a foot ball man and Wright a tennis
champion OF three states, and the Job at
first base lies between them. johnson and
Stien viii try for second, Hood and John
son OF Fremont for shortstop, and Guy Hood
alone for third. He has 1t SO firmly cinehed
that ell others have vanished. Then there
rs some chance that Jimmie Bell, last
years captain. may return TO the game.
II shall be in II / can" he said yesterday.
Another man whom It is planned to put at
the tossing stunt In Alva Airline Of Hast
tngs. who is said TO be q corking good
twirler and to secure whom an effort is
being made.
The schedule for the season is pretty
nearly complete and win no doubt be
definitely determined within a week. /,
is now planned TO taxi an eastern triI
which will include Iowa. Illinois, Indiana
and returning, Kansas and Missouri, and
for which the team will leave on May 2
A larger number of home games have beer
planned this year than last, and they take
in Kansas for a pair OF games, April IL and
is; Washington college, May /; Colorado
May IS; Highland Park, May 20: Knox
May p; South Dakota, May rs and 26, and
probably Bellevue and Creighton. Over
twenty games viii be put on the list and
the sport will run high-Last year this
college crowd beat nineteen out Of twenty.
two games played. and with prospects al
good as they now seem. they viii very
nearly equal that record again.
In track work the men began Thursday
afternoon Of this week to train for individ.
ual events, and will meet in the gym
at 4 O'Clock daily from now on for that
purpose. A number OF meets are beinS
planned and IL is thought that with ths
individual coaching OF DIT. ClRpp the Ne.
braska team will beat a number Of the
out-of-door records. as IL did within. worl
outside will begin as soon as the weather
win permit. Graves, the fellow who hAt
never done track work in his life and tool
three first places on Charter day, is suf'
fering somewhat from a bruised shin, bui
is nevertheless training for events.
Captain John Tobin has now a squad O.
abount thirty men under his direction. anC
they are all enthusiastic. Some Of thos,
who are showing up especially well az,
BIZ Johnson the colored boy; Benedict
who tied johnson for the indoor pole vaul
record; Tobin and Martin, with tn,
weights; Leonard. a jumper; Corr, a hurd
Ter; State. the long distance runner. ans
Hewitt. An effort is being made to hrinJ
out I'd Manning. who made some Of tn,
best high school records west Of the Mis-.
sissippi last season.
"
Basket ball nearly lost its life in the uni