The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-19
new MILLERS
ARE SPRINlERS
TEAM PROMISES TO MAKE
TROUBLE FOR OATCHERS.
Fox, Oyler, Sullivan, Maloney, Coulter
and Demontreyille Are Among the
Fastest Base Runners in the Asso-
ciation Team Looks Strong in All
Departments.

ton of Leon DemOntreV1lle Tor the
inf1eld. The new man brings g great
reputation from the east, and. If he
comes up to expectations, he is like
ly to play the third bag, while Billy
Fox will keep his old place at sec
ond.
With Demont, Oyler and Fox in the
inf1eld, and Maloney, Sullivan and
Coulter in the gardens, Watkins has
a bunch which cannot be excelled IN
speed by any team. in the association.
st. Paul's jnfield has little the bet
ter of the millers in experience, with
such crafty veterans as Kelly, Cling
man and O'Brien, but for pure speed
1t is doubtful if any club can show
a bunch to equal the local sextet. the
members Of which ought to make lots
Of trouble for the catchers when they
get on the paths. Watkins has al
ways considered speed the prime
requisite in a ball player, and he has
kept this point in mind when sign
ing his men this year.
While the new men have speed,
however, they are not deficient In 9TH
err respects. On his fielding Fox has
no peer among the. American associa-
ton second basemen. Oyler admits
that he learned a. lot last summer
from playing with Frank Martin, and
this year he should be as good as
any man in the league. Demontre-
Vile will hold his own with any of
them, If he lives up to his reputation.
All Of the outfelders are brilliant per-
formers in the gardens, and both in
and outfelders are fairly strong with
the stick, except Fox.
First base is the only uncertain
place in either in or outaeld. Lally
is an unknown quantity on the sack,
altho he did fair work at that posi-
ton with Comiskey's whitesox for a
short while in 1900, and once played
the bag for st. Louis. kim is q
brilliant player and good hitter, but
his inability to talk or hear is handi-
cap. At the worst, however, kim
is better than many first basemen who
will be playing in the association this
summer.
Behind the bat the millers are we'll
fixed, altho, perhaps, not as well as
one or two other clubs in the league.
Roach is a steady tho not brilliant
catcher. and O'Leary, altho young
ster, is a man of undoubted ability,
lacking only experience in fast COM
pany. Ludwig is still on the list and
will be given another trial by Wat
kins who thinks he can develop the
big youngster into a good backstop
Last year Ludwig was nervous and un-
able to do his best, and Watkins thinks
he may get his feet under him this
season. The miller president is not
! banking on Ludwig, however, and ne
| has two men of unquestiOned ability
without counting en- the German. e
In experienced pitchers. Watkins is
not as we'll off as some Of the clubs
Bailey can be counted on for good
| work, and Katol will be one OF the
best in the league if his. arm is right
this year. Thomas should pitch win,
| ming ball with such a fast club behind
him, but the others are to certain
extent unknown quantities. All q
the dozen odd twirlers on the list are
well recommended, however, and
from the lot there should be no diff
Guilty in picking four or five hrst-class
men.
watkins thinks he will be able t
make good hitters out of Oyler ant
1 Sullivan. .Oyler, on account of his di-
.rninutive STATURE, is a very hard mar
to pitch to, and with coaching, ough
to learn to fuss the pitchers consid.
erably. Sullivan hit 100 per cent bet.
ter last summer than he did wher
with Minneapolis i'm 1902, and should
show even more Improvement THU
Iyear.
/ The Toledo fans are getting more
and more impatient to know thu
makeup Of their team. Up to dat
Manager Long has announced tn
names of only a, few men, and boil
!. infield and outfeld are yet to be mad,
UP. Long has a good catcher in Ia
husky, and good pitchers in Deerin,
1 and Reisling. Reisling and Zalusky
however, have refused to sign con
l tracts up to date, and unless they com
in, Long will be badly fixed. So ia
he himself is the only good fielde
announced for the Toledo lineup, alth
4 he claims to have several men on tn
string whose names he has refused t
q give out.
Watkins is more fortunate tina
81 most managers in the association
Thursday he announced that he ha
the signed contracts of all his me
4 except Demontrevi1le, who accepte
i terms by wire Monday night an
whose contract, naturally, has not ha
81 time to reach Sthe player and be re
turned. Nearly every other club ha
8 several good men hanging out agains
5 salary cuts. J.
], National league managers general
expect to see Barney Dreyfuss' three
times champions lose out this yea1
:. The pirates are weak in the pitcher
& box, even weaker than last year. 70
, Philippe is the only twirler on tn
staff who is a known quantity. Eve
!, If Lever shows up in his last sum
, mer's form, Pittsburg will be far in
ferior to several other clubs in this de
partment. In all other respects, how
ever, they have the call. That grea
q inf1eld and outfield are intact, an
Phelps Is considered by many to be a
good as any catcher in the business.
The New York team is certain to
, one two-three in the National. .Th
. pitching staff has been strengthene
materially by the addition of Anne
Milligan and one or two other young
sters, and Dahlen should brace UP tn
!, inf1eld. Cincinnati also looks yer
!. strong. Manager selee OF Chicag
. touts them for winners. Chicago II
J. self will be In the hunt without
!. doubt. ST. Louis looks much stronge
:. than 1t did a month ago.
Few fans realize the amount {
money expended every year for raj
road expenses of a travelling baseba
team. It is one of the big figure
coming under the head Of current Ell
s. penses and has kept more than on
manager awake nights thinking
: over. Nowadays most of the clubs &c
I a rate from the railroads and us
!. these lines whenever they can, exclu
sively.
The two clubs at the extreme end
!. OF the circuit, Toledo and Kansas Cit,
have the biggest hills at the close {
a season, while those around the Ger
. ter, of the circuit have the smalles
E According to this years schedule Tc