The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-21

ought to do. and that is cut out horse
play during game The people who
go to Liberty park do not pay their
money to see a circus. or series OF
clown acts. They go there to see the
home boys play ball, win or lose
A NOPE from the Springfield Repub-
lican: Ellis is here, Porter was taken
Ill in the seventh inning yesterday and
King is disa bled by sprained thumb.
This is a gloomy state of affairs for
the Highlanders, whose names should
be changed to LowlanderS, as they
have been in the cellar since the West
ern association league games began,
with one exception, when they passed
one of the teams and remained ahead
for about "a hours; but, like the frog,
they leaped back again into the well
and have been fioundering around in
the water ever since Evidently the
locals are hoodooed: Ever since bad
Eye" and Dewey got lost in the
shuttle while attending the firemen'sl
tournament at Nevada, Mo, SPRING
field league ball teams remind the fans
of Mr.. McGinty. Dewey was not be-
hind the big guns at Manila bay, but
Eye" never failed to follow a street car
when he saw the ball players in uni
form and very seldom missed a game.
Guthrie is not yet out of the hole.
On the last pay day, August is, the
players were only given so per cent.
of their salaries. The following from
the Guthrie Capital indicates that
something still has to be done:
In the next two days the necessary
funds must be forthcoming to hold
the team. Said a member of the new
committee; "It is up to Guthrie to
make good and as the standing of
the town is involved and much criti-
eism will be evoked by failure, the
town will do her duty. Guthrie is not
a gutter, and will not fall down, I'M
less the committee is deceived. Yet
the difficulty is to be met. 1t is con-
fdently expected that our people will
not allow it to be said that they are
unable to retain the team. A whole
month of games is yet TO be played,
and fourteen of them at Guthrie. Long
trips and rains at inopportune TIMES
put the board behind. Several pa
they would double their subscriptions.
Prompt action, however. is essential.
Admirers of the game understand that
it is not possible to bring a league
game to their doors in return for or
binary admission fees, which in this
case are at a minimum price. Gate
receipts alone will not support a
league team of salaried players. The
team is now on the right basis and
will so remain and all room for criti-
eisn nlinimized. And unless the adj
herents of the game and friends of the
town lie down, which we feel sure will
not happen, the next thirty days will
witness greater success than our team
has yet achieved, and 1t now. has a
very creditable standing indeed"
''Pat" Blackburn. Topeka's new
pitcher, who has however not yet
against Great Bend Saturday and lost
by a score of to 5. He let down his
opponents with five hits, but his sup
port was ragged, five errors being
amassed behind him..
The Daily Oklahoman has howl
on the substitution Of A1ilsap for Ogee:
1t is difficult to understand the phi
losophy or reasoning of the manage
ment of the Oklahoma City team in
putting Ogee out of the game and in
stalling Milsap at first base, when it
team needs good batsmen and that
Mi1sap cannot hit the ball. Milsap
usually plays a good game at first, but
has his errors with the rest of them.
first Joined the team, but in the last
home series played a f1rst-class game
in the field and ut TIE bat. If the
management really desires to win the
pennant it should secure a good
catcher who is a dependable hitter and
a first baseman who. aside from field
ing well, can hit the ball. If the team
wins the series opening at Wichita to-
day it will be more luck than ball
playing.
Several inquiries from ambitious
scorers have been received asking the
exact meaning of the term "ielder's
CHOICE which is used in nearly every
game. The expression almost explains
itself. 1t means that the fielder
chooses to throw the ball elsewhere
than to first base to retire the batter,
preferring to nip man already on
the sacks and prevent him from aq-
vancing. The term can be used only
when there are one or more base run
nefs on the sacks when the ball is hit.
For instance, runner is on first base
when the batter hits to the shortstop.
Instead of throwing to first 10 retire
the batter, the shortstop losses 10 the
second baseman, covering the bag.
and puts out the UNI er coming down
from first. He chooses to retire the
advanced man, rather than to pat out
the batter, and allow the other runner
to move up a base. man reaching
first on such choice of a fielder is given
a time at bat, but net hit. lie has
accomplished no more than il he had
struck out or gone out on fly, Tor he
forced out the preceding base runner
at second. The play sometimes comes
up with a runner Oh third In that
case, if the ball is hit 20 the shortstop
or second basemAn playing In close,
no attention is paid 70 the batter, bur
the runner from third is thrown out
at the plate, if possible, thus retiring
the man who is farthest advanced on
his course around the bases. II the
advanced runner is retired on the
play, or would be but for an error-a
wild throw or a muff-the batter is
counted as getting his base on the
felder's choice of retiring the other
man. He gets time at bat, but no
hit However, If the play is made
clearly and without error and the run
ner beats the ball to the plate or the
base for which he is trying the batter |
should be given the hit. He has not |
only reached first base safely himself, |
without the assistance of a misplay, |
but has also advanced the runner
ahead of him, and no out has been |
made on the play.
Charley Schmidt, last year with
Springfield in the Missouri Valley |