The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-19

The Western Association, greater in
all other things. has fallen behind in
one matter. and that is its lack of
idiosyncratic players whose presence on
the ball field make an appreciative in
crease in the attendance.
Most of you remember Bill Haney,
the best clown off the circus sawdust,
member of the Bene- Hornaday syndi-
cate of Fort Scott last year. Many an
extra dollar passed the gates at Asso-
citation park in this city from people
whose main purpose was to see him
walk the tight wire on the chalk-line
serenade the grandstand on broom, or
play the monkey while coaching. Few
had him bested. He and George Graves,
this year of Guthrie, were a pair.
George never speaks four words a sea-
son. Haney went over the circuit and
informed every newspaper man he could
find that Graves was the noisiest thing
that ever came across the diamond.
Haney was an alleged pitcher. He
didn't have much, but the games he got
away with were simply something mir
aculous. He quit baseball last year and
got back on the vaudeville stage. from
which he came into baseball. with the
reputation of being one of the best
banjoists on the "ten-twent-thirt"r route.
Then there was Cyrus Stinson, the
Topeka twirler, who was dubbed 1.-The
Rube Waddell of the Missouri Valley
league" Big, strong, awkward. home
~, slow, lazy, but possessed of the most
wonderful speedy drop ball you ever
saw, he cut a unique swath. His chief
accomplishment was to pitch one and
two hit games, of which he had the
record last year. But his SuperStitions,
known mostly to the ball players alone
were the funny thing about him. Cy
could sit down and figure out more cat
astrophes with which the figure ID had
been mixed up than any man alive.
ball field in a uniform which he knew
had been worn by someone else. On
socks especially he drew the line. Over
at Leavenworth one day last year, when
he was slated to pitch. the game was
delayed to give Manager Abbott time
to go out and buy him a new pair. Cy
is with Pittsburg in the Missouri VAL
ley league this year and is doing great
work. But he is the same old boy.
Then there was Bill Rapps, still with
Leavenworth, as last year. But he is
not the same Bill of yore. Perhaps he
is getting dignif1ed. No more we hear
him yell like an Apache Indian when
he makes hit: Noisy Bill Rapps. you
lucky dog" No more his: "Vaaal
saaay!" caroms from fence to fence. No
longer does he paw the earth and howl
himself hoarse. Last year when Leav-
enworth came here, many a time could
the expression be heard on the cars as
the fans went to the park: 81 want to
see Bill Rapps." This year he is quiet
and says little in comparison to his
welcome mouthings of last summer.
Hell luSIG was OOlIy GldyS WA1O
"butted in with Leavenworth for a
few days this year but quickly disappear
ed again. When with Joplin last year
he devoted all of his time when not act
reling with the grandstand. And it was
a really serious scrap with Dolly too.
Sore as a boil he would walk along the
bleachers and fuss and fume like a ter
rier with any spectator who started
something with him. There was little
Pepper" Grant of the same team, who
gained his sobriquet as result of the
marvellous amount of chattering which
Pepper could not have hit a bale of
hay tied to a lamp post-but the way
in which he played that third sack! Not
a minute that he was not at bat or on
the third peg, he was bowling, Jabber-
ing and scolding away like E, Calling gun.
Pepper" has dropped clear out of
sight. None of his Joplin pals know
where he is this year.
Over at Springfield we had Mig
Perrine last year, known as the dirty
ball player" True Mig could pull off
some things which were something like
an eclipsed sun-but he pulled them off
and got away. He hit John Schrant in
the head one day with ball in the
Highlander town and to add insult to
injury. John was fined SIS for soaking
Mig in the optics. The next week
Springfield was at Sedalia. You open
your head here" said a big husky 200
QQuAQ SCQd1ld l611 dS SOOLA dc An rs St4 hAn
the town. land we will have you ar
rested for disorderly conduct" That
seemed to pail the belligerent little star,
and for the first and probably the only
time in his life he kept quiet for three
days. His own teammates last year
said that when he was drafted to Little
Rock, he more than made good. but
the rest of the players on the team de-
clared to the manager that he was so
blooming ornery' that they would re-
fuse to remain on the team if he was
retained. So Mig was cut loose, or
rather went back to Springfield. His
vociferous growlings, his scrappy atti-
tude, his pugnacious little self, caused
many a fan to wander to the park. Mig
is with Denver in the Western League
this year.
There was Charley Schmidt, of SPRING
field last smumer too, now with Mime
apolis in the American association
Charley was noted because he didn't
swear and because he was the only bal.
player in the league who ever licked
| Umpire Owens. Ths incident haDrene1
one day at Fort Scott. The Highland
ers, or Midgets, as they were known
then, were coming back on the car
owens was standing on therear platform
| He and Zoellers got to calling each
| other names and he swatted Zoellers ia
the face. Joe retorted by swinging
bat on Bricks neck Schmidt got into
the game At this point. The conductor
stopped the car enc ordered them to
Iget out. Schmidt and Owens tumbie6