The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-05
COACH is SECURED.
Gus Alberts Will Try to Put
Washburn Players in Shape.

It is about time for the Washburn
baseball team to brace up and be Sc
Eious. There is too much horseplay
in the practice.
Last Saturday afternoon the wear
ers of the blue met a picked nine
from several of the minor aggreg3.-
fions in Topeka. The score was away
up in the tWentieS, but that means
nothing. The point is. that with its
full force in the field, stationed at the
places which the men will probably
play during the season. Just as per-
feet work should have been done as
the men are capable of. Instead of
that, a lot of kindergarten tactics were
INDUCED in during the whole after
noon. Practically everyone was guilty
of the offense. Occasionally one of the
1nfielders would manage to hurl a
good stiff throw to first base, but these
were rare. In one instance. the
catcher let a man make a home run
on a fOur-foot hit in front of the plate.
The throw to first was about ten feet
too high, and by the time the fielder
got through juggling with the ball the
runner was past the third base. OF
couse. this is fun, in the eyes of the
college boys, but with 33-game
schedule in front of them, beginning
with Saturday of this week, there
ought to be a general bracing up.
To stimulate seriousness into tn
men, Manager Leach finds it neces-
sary to put them under the rule of a
professional coach for a time. To this
manager of the Topeka Missouri Val
ley League association, who will take
up the work at once. Leach and Al
berts hope to be able to get the men
thoroughly cognizant Of the fact that
the playing season is here, and that
what they are doing now will abso-
lutely determine at the end of the sea-
son whether or no Washburn can
boast of another crack championship
team.
Washburn was scheduled to play
Kansas university at Lawrence on
next Saturday. But the Wearers of the
blue and crimson called off the game
because they are not ready. The K. L.
schedle has been sadly butchered up
for various reasons and this has held
back the team. Manager Leach is try
ing to schedule another game for his
team, one in Topeka with some Kan
sas college.
The uniforms came yesterday and
are handsome. They are all blue, with
the exceptions of the jerseys, which are
striped with white bands. Over the
pocket on the left side of the blouse
is a white w"
Washburn's prospects for a great
team are better this year than ever be-
fore. The art school man, HonskY.
was tried out Saturday as a pitcher
and he is a real 'phenom." He ought
to make some of the teams Washburn
goes UP against look pretty tame so
far as their batting averages are con-
cerned. ''Bunnie" Coldren, the captain
is a good steady man in the box. AS
q fielder he recalls the days of the
crack Richardson of four years ago.
Behind the bat, Mehl is better than
many professionals. Stahl and Pull
liam are working for first, either of
which is good enough to play the place
for any college nine. At second, Back
enstoce and Art Griggs are the con-
testants. Judge" Anderson, last
years famous quarterback has a cinch
on shOrtstop. Frank MOhler, who is
studying about fifteen hours a day for
the Cecil Rhodes examination, will get
the third sack.
In the outfield Coldren, Presley, Cox
and Dadisman are working for posi-
lions.