The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-23
WESTERN ASSOCIATION GOSSIP

The expiring gasp of the sporting
writer on the morning paper is a snarl
because the official scorer in Topeka
didn't do his work well. Any one who
has watched The brilliant work of the
great baseball critic on the morning
paper will wonder why he was not
made official scorer. He is hereby
nominated for the job next season.
The baseball season of 1907 is a mat
ter of history as far as the season of
1907 in the Western association is con-
cerned. On the whole the season has
been a disappointing one to the fans
all over the circuit. Tile Shively cir
cult has enjoyed what is probably the
poorest season on. record. From the
first of the season until the last there
was little interest in the race. Wichita
won the pennant without half trying
The Jobbers got away well at the start
and have gone through the whole sea-
son without nfishap or accident of any
kind to mar their chances of winning
the rag. But this one feature of the
race is what spoiled the interest in the
league. The Jobbers started out like
a whirlwind. and never stopped. AS a
result the race, too early assumed a
One~Sidedi aspect and lacked interest
and the more essential element of pat
ronager all seaEeR5rs srs7 10 4G,S eo- 10
Next to- Wichita the strongest team
is the Oklahoma City, aggregat ton
which earned, second place. The Nets
started out weak but, with, Manager
Mcfarland they were we'll aware If
the, weakness, and strengthened, their
team as fast as available men could he
secured. With the purchase of HenIy.
Bandy, White, Love and Hoffer the
team towards the latter end of the
season got winning stride and easily
finished second where they rightfulty
belonged.
The Hutchinson team finished third.
The Packers were the hardest hitting
bunch in the league and to this fact
is attributed more than any other their
finish. There was not man on the
team who was not capable of hitting
the ball and breaking up a game at an
opportune time. Jay had some good
pitchers also. Fleharty. of whom lit
tie was expected surprised the natives
of the Western association by develop
ing into one of the leading pitchers.
Then too Jay used his head a little and
to his generalship must be attributed
part of the success of the Hutchinson
team. ..4.r ~-..- Il s.-
The biggest disappointment in the
association this season was
the Topeka team. With an aggrega-
ton to start the season that was the
equal of any in. the league, the, best the
team could do was to finish fourth,
and this only after hard fight. The
team failed to get away. good in the
early part of the. season and in mid
season the team fell down, badly. The
fans need no recounting of the many
incidents which led to the downfall of
the team. Within the past five weeks
Abbott has taken charge of the team
and has managed to hold them in
fourth place, although he had a hard
fight on his hands. The pitching of
Halla must not be overlooked as one
Of the biggest factors in finishing
fourth place. The work on the infield
has also helped a great deal. In the
outfield the fielding and hitting of
Davis was the one redeeming feature.
Joplin had fair team all season. /
With Armstrong at the head they play
ed great ball. and at times looked fit |
for third places But the team had a t
great run of hard luck and were un-
a BILE to finish better than at the head |
Of the second division.
The hard luck team of the season |
has been the Webb City bunch. In
nidseason they advanced up the lad-st
der to the five hundred mark and were
then put temporarily out of the run |
ming by the attack on Umpire Guthrie. |
After again getting their team in run |
ming order, several men were put on
he sick list and the team finished the I
season by dropping ten straight
games. s-s = 0
The Springfield team was handi-
capped all season by the poor work of /
Manager Pierce at the beginning of /
With the acquisition of bud Risley the
cam made great squirt and won the
asst ten games.
The Leavenworth team next TO
Wichita has been the most consistent
III season. but their consistency has
been of another type. Manager John
Ray who started the season at the
lelm of the Leavenworth team, COL
ected a bunch al. amateurs and the
team was at a discount +
'ue SuIuunI 9Ql 10 -SuIuuISsq 9Q1 le
we're never able to get out of last place
Another feature which has not con-
ributed to the success of the Western
association this season has been the UNI
ire proposition The umpiring this sea-
on has been the poorest that the West
IN Association ever received. At the
tart for few weeks everything went
long smoothly but soon the players
ound out they could bulldoze the UNI
Tres. Then the Webb City team start
d something and it was found that
layers could assault an uupire-and in
fct physical injuries upon the officials
With almost immunity. A player could