Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-07
STANFORD NINE
LEARNS BATTING
COACH flanagan TURNS AWAY
WEAK BATTERS
Captain Sales May Be Barred From ln-
tercoIIegiate Contest, to
Give Place to
Theile

Reports from Stanford are to the ef-
feet that Jimmie flanagan, the foot
ball coach who in the past three years
has developed Cardinal team work to
such an extent that the best teams
California ever had have been power
less against the rushes of the Stan
ford line, is making as great a success
with the baseball material as he did
with the football squad.
When flanagan took hold of the foot
ball team it was in a slump brought
on by detection over continued defeat,
and the first thing the new coach did
was to instill a fighting spirit into his
men.
This year he found baseball squad
on the Stanford diamond that was per-
feet in fielding but knew nothing of
batting and base running, and his aim
throughout the season has been to de-
velop a team that can hit and run.
Work in the batting cages has been
of the hardest kind, and more than one
old varsity man is expected to lose
his place in the final lineup because
of his poor stick work.
From the material on hand flanagan
has weeded out the inexperienced
players, and has chosen a tentative
team with some three or four substi-
tutes, dismissing the rest Of the squad
with the statement that he is not on
the diamond to teach ambitious young
sters how to win their sweaters but to
turn out winning nine.
For q time Lanagan's policy was
criticised severely by the players dis
missed, but the student body has so
much confidence in his ability as a
coach that the objections of the un-
fortunate were silenced.
Among the most likely players on
the diamond are Pitchers Sales and
Theile. Sales is captain this year, but
is such a poor batter that it is thought
he will be held on the bench during
the first intercollegiate contest to give
place to Theile, who is much heavier
sticker.
Behind the bat, Stott, the quarter
back of the football team, makes a
backstop that is practically impreg-
nable. Stott is one of the fastest and
most daring base runners on the dia-
mond but is weak with the bat. This
he more than makes up for by the way
in which he holds his team together.
Presley, who holds down the initial
cushion for the Cardinals, is too dimin-
utive to suit Lanagan's ideals, but is
sure and covers a world of ground.
Last years varsity men hold down
every position on the diamond with
the exception of third base, and Lam
agan is in a quandary over this po-
sition.
Moriarty Of st. Vincent's, who is now
in Stanford. is without doubt the best
man for the position, being a strong
batsman and a good whip, but he is
not eligible to play because of the one
year residence clause in the intercol-
legiate agreement. Dudley, a fielder of
last year, has been tried in the posi-
tion with considerable success, and 1t
Is possible that he will fill the vacancy.
From all indications Stanford should
win the series with California, as the
Berkeley team is sadly depleted
through the failure of last years play
ers to return to college. Sales is said
to be as good a pitcher as was Heit-
muller or Overall at the time they were
in California, though Theile has even
more speed than the big captain.