Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-09
SPORTING GOSSIP OF WEEK
Western League Race Turns Into Home
Stretch at Last
SECOND PLACE Only fight NOW LtfT
Omaha and Lincoln Contending for
This Honor, with Position ana
Prospects Favoring RourIxe
Family.
On the stretch.

On the stretch.
The western league teams have turned
the last corner and are now coming down
TO the wire. The only race Is for second
place. Des Moines has the premier honors
cinched so tight that a crowbar and
dynamite cartridge couldn't make any DIFF
ference in the result. In fact, this has
been 10 for weeks. Omaha did have second
place just about as well nailed down. and
then an unfortunate bit Of off-color work
gave the Lincolnites q chance, and since
that bit of bad luck the fight has been
a stubborn one. Omaha has kept just
about forty points ahead Of the Ducklings,
but that isn't enough. 1t simply means
that the finish of the last three seasons
must be repeated and the Rourke family
must win all its games In order to be sure
of the only place left to fight for. Three
Of the pitchers are in such condition as to
be depended on, and Dodge is showing
symptoms again. so that with ordinary
fortune second place may be ours.
The draft didn't hit the Western league
very hard this season. Randall Of Denver
was the only man taken. Perring OF
Omaha, Towne, welday and O'Leary of
Des Moines had been sold and it Is not
uncertain that Welsh OF Omaha will not
also be sold. The rest of the league didn't
look good to the scouts. This will be the
lightest output in its history for the West
ern, but IL has its lesson for the magnates
II they are going to keep up their training
school for the big leagues they must get
busier move on than they did during the
present season.
Papa Bill has made splendid start in
securing new material for his 1907 team In
Aubrey. This lad has proved a wonder.
and, n he goes next year the way he has
started out this season with Omaha, his
name will be on the roster OF big league
club by next September He Ii ball
player all the way around and has made
record with Omaha that has made the
fans forget there ever was player OF
the name Of Carter in right field. Rourke
has lines out for some more material and
will give the team thorough shaking up
for next season. It Is his intention to pre-
sent Omaha with another pennant winner
II 1t can be done.
The silly talk about dropping the Colorado
towns has subsidized after 1t had been given
secondary boost from Des Moines. 1t
has no foundation in fact, nor is II at all
likely that any effort win be made to ex-
tend the limits OF the league. Six clubs
have proved successful and IL a little
better grade of ball is furnished and g
race in which the contest Is mot robbed
of its interest as It has been this season
the old days OF prosperity will be renewed
and the Western league will again be num-
bered among the desirable organizations
| In the ball players world. Just the ex-
ercise Of little business Judgment by the
magnates Is all that Is needed to put the
! Western In good condition. This will re-
suit in dropping ONeil and the installation
| of business man as president. and Their
things will run smoothly: .Af'.,5Es.
| Interest has been restored to the aght In
the big leagues by the slump of the Chi
! cago whitesox. now in second place. but
pushing hard for the front position. Only
one game Is between them and the leaders
1 and a day may change this. The Chicago
team has ell the better of New York. II
that Cominsl1ey's team finishes its season
at home. and the support Of the South Sid,
bunch Is a wonderful stimulant to the Sox
Frank Chance and his merry crew arr
Just beginning to show form. Up to Thurs
day night they had won eighteen out o.
nineteen games played. percentage o.
.9f7, and seemed to be bent on runninI
their standing for the year up to as neal
800 as possible. The day they waded int
Pittsburg eftectually disposed Of McGraw'i
allegations that Chicago was trying to hell
Pittsburg win second place away from tn,
New Yorks, AS matter Of fact, ever,
time Pittsburg has been pushed out Of sec
end place this season has been by Chicago
Ditto New York. so Chance can't we'll b.
accused OF playing favorites All team
look alike to the Cubs and their husk!
leader.
In the political line. the talk OF the weel
has been OF the efforts OF John T. Brush &
form a combination to Dust Pulliam from
the presidency. but he doesn't seem to hav
succeeded He has secured the support o
Herman, but this is all, apparently Muir
ply and Dreyfus are naturally for Pulliam
and Billings, Soden and Conant of Boston
Ebbetts OF Brooklyn. the Robinsons OF 81
Louis and the Philadelphia crowd are al
thought to be with Pulliam. so that II n
wants It, the presidency will be hande'
him on a platter 1t would be disgrac
and a shame II he should be turned out
simply because he made the rowdy New
Workers behave themselves. II any GUST
ing Is to be done In the National league
| II ousht 10 DC Nc0raN anu bFusn' f1hIT,
Puiliam did enough when he put his foo
down on McGraw to entitle him to homo
as long as the game Of base ball exists
Nebraska II covered with nimrods toda,
who are taking advantage OF the ope,
season on prairie chicken and also Of tn
abundance OF chicken. Stirred by the re
ports from those who went out last weeI
the fields are filled with gunners anxiou
to get the September limit on birds. Tel
chicken Is the limit for September. Qua
may not be shot until November 1. Ne
braska has had some fine weather TO
birds and they are most abundant. Hunt
cts who went to the northern part o
the state last Sunday seemed to hav
better success than those who went to tn
South Platte country. Pleased beyon
rnaaanra az the r,rnsnacfa Of a racorh hraa \