Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-18
SPORTING GOSSIP OF WEEK
Base Ball Rules Remain Unchanged for
Coming Season.
OMAHA TEAM LOOKS GOOD IN ADVANCE
Rourke wen Content with His string
of Pitchers, but BookinE for
johnny Bender Ms
Catcher.
Same old rules.

Catcher.
Same old rules.
Greater wisdom was never shown In base
ball affairs than the adoption Of the play |
ing rules as they have stood for several
seasons This is the best indication of the
satisfaction the laws of the game have
given. and Of the excellence OF the playing
under the arrangement. II will be a pleas |
ure for the fan to crawl up on his bench |
IN April and know that he has nothing to |
learn as to the rules that govern the play
ing. The only change made was TO oenne
bunt a little more particularly quite
q bit Of space had been wasted in debating
probable changes of the rule concerning
fouls, but these will still go as strikes
until two have been called. In this rule,
much as 1t has been condemned. is one OF
the saving features OF scientific base bail. |
1t has tended to shorten the game, and
has really improved batting. although IL
has cut the percentage down. When the
batter takes his position nowadays he
knows he is expected 70 make good. He is
not there simply to tire out the pitcher by
fouling of ball after ball He is expected
TO line il out or bunt, and generally tries
for one or the other. II he has the right
interest IN the game, he will soon make
good under the foul strike rule; but If he
is not in earnest all the rules in the book
won't help him. About everything pos
sible has been said one way or the other
on this topic and the best evidence Of the
rules working is the fact that It is re-
tanned.
While the schedules adopted show a num-
Der of conflicting dates they are mostly
a. t,Iya of
them. Conflicting Sunday and holiday
dates in Chicago, for example, mean moth
ing to either team, for the grounds are
filled anyway and II it wasn't for tao
games a lot of people would nc sent away
disappointed. The conflicting dates are not
an indication of undue rivalry, but rather
that a chance exists for both teams TO get
some of the money. Everything on the
surface indicates the utmost harmony be-
tween the big leagues, and outward appear
ances to a certain extent reflect inner SEN
timents. But the reasons for a consolida-
ton that existed last fall still exist, and it
is quite likely they will be accumulated
during the summer. At st. Louis, for ex-
ample, no reason appears for thinking that
Jimmy McAleer will be any more success
full during the coming summer than he
was last year. while the National team
has been strengthened by the addition OF
McCloskey as manager, and will quite
likely be fighting factor in the race. In
Boston, as last year. the conditions are
1ust the reverse. Fred Tenney has his
hands full in his task of getting a bali
playing team together for the Nationals,
and while he has been given much ao-
parent strength in the way OF players
from other teams, II is not yet demon
strated that he can make any impression
on the Boston public. Jimmy Collins, on
the other hand, has added to his famous
collection such new material as IL Hkelv
to send his stock up with rush again.
and. as he Is already secure in the public
favor, his way seems clear. In Chicago
the change of ownership in the National
league team may mean much or nothing
At the close of the season the Cubs had
the call on the White Sox, but whether
Mr. Murphy can hold that or rot is the
question. One thing in his favor is that
he has accumulated the apparent dislike
of Joe Villa, and Joe never wastes time
roasting dead ones. He il after the live
boys all the time. This makes many peo-
pie out west think that under Mr. Muir
phys charge the Cubs will be even more
OF factor in the race than last season
In Philadelphia and New York the condi-
lions are unchanged.
'Muggsy" McGraw has announced that
he is going TO tame Mike Donlin. but
doesn't say how he proposes to do 1t. 1t
might not be a bad plan TO take Mike over
on the Esat Side some night and let him
start something. Heretofore he has made
his plays where he was all 10 the good In
Philadelphia he soaked a woman and didn't
get a scratch, although he spent the greater
part of a season in the workhouse His
most recent outbreak was to pull revolver
on a passenger train and brighten a lot Of
travellers. II Michael could only be turned
loose some evening among a gathering Of
his peers and be induced to start some
thing the chances are many in support Of
the belief that his experience would go
farther toward working a reformation than
many hours OF managerial admonition. OBJ
seryation has led TO the conclusion that
'good beating viii do more 10 reform a'buly
than anything else, and Donlin is a cheap
bully.
Manager Rourke Eladdened the local
heart immensely by his announcement that
he had signed Runkle for short, making his
collection OF infelders complete He further
set people TO taking notice by his effort to
secure Johnny Bender 10 work with Gond-
iub as cdlcheI- ms NOuiu De an I'M
mensely popular move. for Bender is not
only a good catcher and batter but he is
a Nebraska boy and is well known in
Omaha, his record on the Cornhuskers'
famous foot hall team being one that will
stand for many years in public esteem.
Gonding isn't ready 10 retire by any means,
but will be found doing his full share OF
the work; but Rourke wants a seasoned
man 10 change with him. and in Bender
would have a player who could hardly be
improved on He still has Marx. the Utah
man, but he is an unseasoned youngster
and viii need at least one playing season
10 learn the game. II not longer
Rourke has a string Of pitchers that looks
good. Eddie Quick hopes 10 lead the list
next summer. He has signed with the un-
derstanding tina. he Is expected to work,
and has promised 20 shelve the indiffer-
ence he occasionally showed last summer.
Next comes McNeeley, whose prowess has
been tested on OmRha's field in other days.
He is a good man for many reasons. par
ticularly because he can I'LL iu on the field
as well as in the box. Kelley. Welch, Kou-
kalik. Corns. Huesser. Sanders. Bemis and
Fort make UP the nine men under con-
frarf ana with the claim IN Hail nnurlra