Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-27
SPORTING GOSSIP OF WEIR
omaha Finishes the Depressing Trips to
Mountain Towns
SOFT SPOT IN SCHEDULE TO COVE
Bright Chance for Rourkes 60
Finish Third and Maybe
Second in the Race
for 1903.


second in the Race
for 1903.
Well, we're through with those heart
breaking trips to the west for another
season. None OF us believe In luck in base
ball, or anything like that. but we have
been taught by experience to dread that
trip to Colorado. Omaha always plays
good ball out there, but not quite good
enough to win, and the local fans
breathe whole lot easier when the
Rourke family sets sail for the Missouri
valley after each visit to the mountains.
This time they are coming home for fare
well stand. Three games here with Des
Moines, and then three at the Iowa capital;
four here with Sioux City and then Ave up
the river Pueblo and Denver each for four
and then 81. Joseph for the wind-up It is
quite likely THAI the games scheduled to
be played at St. Joseph will be transferred
to Omaha, thus providing the Rourkes with
as good chance as Sioux City had This
will be the difference, though: Glen Lieb-
hardt has recovered, and will be in the box
instead Of Thomas, the Texas league freak
who was such a pudding for the teams
that faced him, Omaha not getting a chance
at him other cripples will have returned
be as strong again when It comes to Omaha
as 1t was at Sioux City and Des Moines.
A postponed game with Des Moines will
probably be made the occasion of double
header this afternoon.
Sioux City has harder road to travel
for the rest Of the season than has been
stretched out before her lately. Carney's
men will not find the snap I'm the other
teams they had in St. Joseph, and as they
have TO meet every other team in the league,
both at home and abroad, It is not to be
expected that they will make the wonder
full showing they have. Omaha is through
with the worst of its schedule and has It's
soft spot coming up, so the prospects of
the Rourkes finishing third are most eX-
cellent while It is not too much to expect
that they will crowd Denver very hard for
second place. Des Molnes will hardly be
disturbed now in the premier position.
Denver has passed up its last chance to win
the lead, and as that team finishes away
from home, the Grizzlies will have to hustle
steadily to hold second place. Omaha's
pitchers are in good condition, despite the
apparent poor showing they made out west,
and can be depended on TO make matters
decidedly interesting for all corners during
the rest of the season. Sanders expects to
get back into the game when the team re-
turns. He says he is feeling better than
he has at any time this season. All re-
ports about his being released or jumping
are pure fakes. He has been sick, but his
doctor says he has recovered fully, and
A1the little Tennesseean Is anxious to get into
the game again Big Hall has surely made
good, and this combination ought to make
the windup mighty interesting for the Wis
itors.
Very much nonsense has been written
this summer about the prospects for the
two big leagues. and why some of the
teams have not made money; but the
prize reason for the failure OF all the
magnates TO secure return on their In
vestments is that there are not enough ball
players in the country to make up six
teen teams. One very wise gazabo has
figured It out that fewer than eighty
really first-elass players are to be had, and
this would leave sixteen teams quite
a ways short of a full complement Of
men. Another puts the number down even
lower than that. When It comes to this,
why not go the whole route and say
there's but one genuine ball player, and
that all the rest are limitations. 1t would
be unnecessary to name that one, for
everybody who follows the game can pick
him out. Not a great deal OF reflection
will be needed to convince one that the
number Of players has nothing TO do with
the success Of the game. More really good
ball players are drawing salary in the
e United states today than ever. In fact,
men who would have been considered Won
ders a few years ago are now doing their
daily stunts without receiving mention
other than in the tabulated score, simply
because the game has come to such a
pitch OF perfection that what would have
been looked upon an especially brilliant
move even ten years ago Is now considered
as quite In the routine of the game. Here
and there hobs up some man with his eyes
and his mind on the past who remembers
how much more brilliant the game was
back in 1863 than It is now. and who never
tires OF telling Of the accomplishments OF
the HaymAkers or the Neversweats OF the
early seventies, but he is generally some
one who plays the game through the col
umns Of the newspaper and is rarely seen
at the park.
1t is not the lack Of fast players that has
made the game a poor investment for the
owners OF losing teams 1t has been the
eupidity OF the owners themselves. Byron
Bancroft Johnson. the Moses and Aaron
IN one Of the American league smote tbs
rock a few years ago from which tn,
golden stream was to gush forth with
laughter and music. Well. the gushing IT
several OF the cities where Byron Ban,
croft planted his reoeptacles has been IN,
other way. st. Louis was a bang-up good
ball town. and would be today II It hat
one team In a position to make a fight
but what do you suppose either the Am
erican or the National owners think OF 4
under present copditions2 Boston-well
when soden and Billings let go OF tn,
Nationals n uNrIA 90
Americans is nearly ready to quit, yol
can easily guess what the situation is Il
Beantown. Washington has made none!
this season just because Washington 4
one Of the best ball towns on earth ant
has team that has attracted more atten
ton than extra session of congress
Detroit. with its wonderful bunch Of Tiger