Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-09-17
Rock island Wound Up Well AT.
ter Season Full of Dis
couragements
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Those Disposed to Criticise Should
Think of Davenport and Be
Comforted.


locally not success. In the first place,
there was a great deal of trouble i'll
filling the two places left vacant
through the promotion of Sweeney and
Lister to faster company. Before this
had been accomplished, sickness and a
series of accidents began and remained
with the aggregation till the end. There
| was scarcely a game in which the reg
ular lineup was presented. In conse-
Quence it was necessary TO bring in an
| unusual number of recruits and to
make many changes, all of which tend
ed to break up team work. The pitch
| ing staff did well throughout. though
beset by misfortunes, also. Lakaff,
Wilson, Scott, Neal. and Howard, out
of the many men worked, proved their
worth.
Trouble In the Inheld.
Redmond. who was signed from the
Iowa league to succeed Lister, disap-
lpointed the management at the last
moment by deciding to quit baseball.
| Then SpantOn, of whom much was eX-
| pected, and who arrived the middle of
May to take the initial sack after Nc
| Clelland and Bacon had proved fail
ures. fell i'll with typhoid fever just as
| he was proving that he was just the
man, and was in the hospital all sum-
mer. Rudd was picked up to fill in the
vacancy, and did admirable work in
! the majority of the games, so well that
he will be given a tryout with Spanton
number of misfits, Cook was secured
hoe I1I ,,i1 hot
he is regarded as a fixture. Wanner
and Vandine played satisfactorily
their respective positions at sec
and and third throughout the
season. In the outfield, Swain
was all that could be desired in
right, but Carlisle the star center field
er. was unfortunate by reason of sick
ness or accident much of the season.
When in the game his presence was
always felt and appreciated. In left,
Schaab was disappointment from the
first and was finally released. Walters
came back to the team, and he finally
was let go. bowers has proven a good
man in left garden Black as utility
man was fairly acceptable. his work in
the last three games being the best he
catcher and substitute infielder has
proven a find, and is sure of a berth
next year.
Lakaff goes to higher company next
year, and the team is likely, too, to
lose the services of Carlisle, who goes
to the Pacific coast for try-out, and
his friends believe will make good.
Vandine too, is a candidate for faster
league.
Is Difference of Opinion.
AS to the work of Manager Neon
nell there is a decided difference of
opinion. With his players he is one OF
the most popular of the directing team
heads in the league, as was shown by
the gift from the team yesterday. When
he left Rock Island last year he was
generally considered one of the very
best managers the league had seem
but there are those now who are of the
opinion that the splendid showing of
the team last year was in part due to
the generalship of Jack Sweeney as
well as to good work on the part of the
manager, for the slump began the mo-
ment the services of Sweeney were IN
avoidably lost.
While to the difficulties heretofore
referred to a large portion of the sea-
sons disasters may be traced, yet there
are many who hold that the fact that
the team did not land higher in the
percentage column was also in part due
to the managers Sinking his duties as
catcher and to bad Judgment in critical
places. Mcconnell was one of the high
est paid managers in the league, and
it was understood that he was paid for
playing as well as for managing. AS
one of the best, if not the best back
stops in the circuit his presence in the
game was essential to best results
Nevertheless, The Argus is not dis
posed to be harsh. believing that all
things considered the team has done
reasonably well in finishing at the head
of the second division, especially when
ii is considered that from a sportsman
spirit it's old rival, Davenport, is left
once more so far in the rear as to be
scarcely within hailing distance.
Players Depart.
The players have begun to depart for
their homes. Several will play with
other teams for a short time. Carlisle
left for Los Angeles this morning. Van
dine Swain and Wanner left this
morning with the Rabbits, who went on
a transforming trip. They have II
games booked. going to Monmouth from
here. Manager Mcconnell departs today
for his home in Carrolton, Mo-, Scott
departed Saturday night for his home
at Tiskilwa, Forney was not able to fill
his contract with Bushnell owing to the
injury received in yesterdays game.
Cook goes to Springfield, and will play
with the Senators until the horsehide
and bat are laid aside for the winter. |
I1io..lr IIournrd md D0worc 90 to their |