The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-13


not in such favor this year as last over
the state Of Kansas and in the contigu-
Gus states Almost every small city
had its professional or seni-profession-
al aggregation in 1903. This year not
half as many are supporting teams.
There is no particular reason for this
ly, that there are not enough good play
ers to be found. The National and
American leagues, the American AsSo-
citation, the Southern League, the East
ern Pacific, and the Western Leagues
are taking all that are of any account
1t seems as If the day of the brush as
ISOLATION is past. Some years ago there
were a host of small circuits over the
country playing good ball, but when
the managers of the big ones became
acquainted with their calibre, whole
sale drafting commenced. AS a rule it
is true, that the minor league teams
have really two or three good players
of high quality who make the club. In
the high grade class of baseball teams
they all must be good. Every minute
Of the season the big managers are on
the lookout for fast youngsters and the
only place in which they can find them
is in the smaller leagues. Several years
ago the Texas league was playing ex-
traOrdinartly fast ball. but the demands
of the National and American have
pulled that association down SO far
that it is not playing as good ball as
the Missouri Valley. The Western As
ISOLATION died out completely. The
Southern League has been robbed I'M
mercifuIIy. The Western League has
dribbled down to a six club circuit and
was pushed clear out of Kansas City,
maintaining a hold in Denver and
Omaha only because those towns are
located too far out of the way geo.
graphically for the big leagues to en-
brace. The Southwestern Kansas
league, once the peer of the brushmen.
is on the rocks of financial shipwreck
and its disbanding is looked for almost
at any time. The Pacific coast league
4- ,f.17 ~r-r-arr
der this Kidding fire and does so be-
cause it is too far removed from the
attacks Of the big leagues. But even
this year the national agreement COM
mittee went out there, patched up a
truce over the famous outlaw contro-
versy and is so fixed as to again
bring back any men it desires. All
this shows why IL is so hard to get fast
men in a small league like the Mis-
souri, Valley. Probably 25 per cent of
the men who are on ShiVeleys circuit
this year were tried out in the West |
ern League or American Association
some time within the last three years
since the league was started. There is |
room all the time for fast men at the
urally be the place from which they
come.
Men who are in a position to speak |
about things of which they know some |
thing declare that Dick Cooley will be /
in Topeka next year to manage the To-
peka team if Sunday baseball is played. |
Dick stated to some of his Topeka |
friends last winter that he would rath- /
er have a, franchise in Topeka with 1
Sunday baseball than his job in the Ma /
tional league at Boston. And he meant /
it, too. If Sunday games are put on /
here the Western league will be in the /
town next summer. That was decided
upon at the Des Moines meeting of the /
Western league this spring. The |
Cooley story comes from good source. |
Before Manager AIberts left for Fort |
Scott Saturday night he said: I'm GO
ing to fire a number Of the men now /
playing with US and get some others. /
knows now that baseball pays in To- |
peka even without Sunday games, and /
it is safe to go ahead and sign up men 1
and risk expenditures of money to get
them
Manager Alberts is dfckering with /
first basenan Of the Home
stead Pa. Eastern league team. The /
to come west. His advance notices /
crack him up ace high
Poorman, who used to play snortstop /
for Kansas university and is quite we'll /
known in Topeka, would have reported /
Friday for try-out. Nothing was
heard from him until Saturday at
which time he sent a telegram announc-
ing the death of his brother. He viii /
report to the team at Fort Scott or
Springfield. Schrant, Topeka's catcher,
says that Poorman can play third base !
well. and also is hitting in good shape.
Since leaving the university he has
played at a number of places.
Cy Stinson, released by Topeka. win I
go either to Springfield or Pittsburg. /
Both Shorty Hurlbut and Frank Bald
win have strings out for him He pre-
fers to join the Pirates. where he threw
the slants last year
When Shorty Hurlbut saw the car
toon of himself in Saturday nights /
State Journal. he told a story of an I
other one which appeared when the 4
league first started. 1T was on Sun
day morning" he said, that our team