The San Francisco call., 1904-02-17
BERKELEY NINE
AT PRACTICE
Only Four Players Left of Those
Who SpOrted the Blue and
Gold in Last Years Games
ADAMS TO CAPTAIN TEAM
The Man Who Succeeds 0v-
erall as Leader Will Fill
the Position of ShOrtstOp

BERKELEY, Feb. 16.-Now that the
captaincy has been fixed by the cleo
tion of William w. Adams to command
the baseball men of the University of
California, the players have settled
down to hard, consistent work. Nothing
bothers them now except the rain, and
all they have to attend to is the educa-
ton of their catching fingers and bat
ting eyes.
Despite the fact that there are only
four of last years varsity men left on.
the team and that the loss of Overall
has pierced a big hole in the pitching
department, there still seems a good
chance to win the intercollegiate series
In the two games the team has played
it has won with consummate ease. I'm
practiced as it is, ii has gone out and
beaten the alumni team with it's COM
binatio9 of former stars and captains,
among whom were Overall, with his
swift, unerring twisters. In the first Of
these the score was IL to ., in the sec
ond 6 to 2.
These games demonstrated that the
pitching material is not going TO be so
inadequate as was first thought.
Hughes, a youth from the Oakland
High School and a freshman, pitched
against the redoubtabIe overall in the
first game and acquitted himself we'll
The only trouble about Hughes is that
he may not be eligible to go into the
game, as he has something to make up
in his. studies before he will be a full
fledged member of the university.
Hughes promises to correct this trOu-
BILE. but his colleagues say he will have
to hurry up if he wants to get in.
'Heine" Heitmuller of last years
varsity, and Hadley, a recruit from the
Los Angeles High School. pitched in the
second game. Hadley officiated the first
three innings and Heitmuller the last
six The alumni batters found Hadley
pretty often with their bats and rather
discouraged him. Heitmuller held them
down to few scattering hits He has
a ball that he shoots across the plate
like a cannon ball and cOnfuses the
batters.
There is an interesting contest on be-
tween Hatch and Bliss, both last years
varsity men. for catcher. Hatch played
in the place last year and acquitted
himself well. Bliss is tired of second
base and wants to catch, and as he is
bigger and stronger and more ag-
gressive than Hatch he may win out.
In that case Hatch will go either to
first or second base
Graham. a sophomore. is playing first
base in good style. He is well ac-
quainted with the game and knows
how to field as we'll as bat
Second cushion is being played by
Gillis, formerly of Belmont and Rob-
inson, a Berkeley High School boy.
Gillis seems to have the best of itsand
fields the position like a man used TO
it all his life. Robinson will be good
for the field in case he does not make
second base.
At shortstoD Captain Adams is all
alone in his glory. Nobody is likely to
disturb hiM there, because he knows
the position and fields we'll His bat
ting is his most telling weakness, and
if he fails to make the team it will be
on that account.
For third cushion there are Strub
and Gum. both freshmen, who have
been bearing UP nobly under the re-
spopsibilities and disappointments of
that hardest of jobs. This duo plays an
even game
The fielding positions are all more or
less uncertain. 1t depends much upon
who makes good on infield places. Ken
meth Hamilton. Spencer, Graham,
Hatch and Robinson are all eligible for
the left. center and right gardens.
IT'S a little bit early to size up the
mon" said Jack Mccarthy, the Cali
fornia coach to-day. We've only been
nracticing a week or so. Judging from
the material and the way the men have
gone at their practice l don't see why
we can't get up a winning team. There
are five new men to develop and fit in,
and that is no easy job. 1 must say 1
am surprised at the work of some of
the freshmen who have just entered
college. They play the game very well
indeed.
L am inclined to think the team will
be weakest in batting. That is a usual
fault with college teams, and it will be
nv work to overcome this defect as
much as possible. Heitmuller, Bliss,