Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-06
Rourke DOCS Not Doubt Il.

hOurke Does NOT Doubt H.
'I have had no official advice on the
matter" said President Rourke OF Omaha,
but think there is no question the trans
action IL not completed. will be. and that
Topeka will be in the Western league
It will be better for Topeka and all con-
eerned 1t will give Dick Cooley a chance
to branch out, which he can never expect
in the wetsern association. They have
about reached the limit there now"
Mr.. Rourke has no misgivings about St.
Joseph making good.
81 firmly believe that a practical base
ball man can go into that town and make
go Of IT, am sure that with good team
and management base ball in st. Joe will
pay"
There is a strong sentiment locally that
DR.. shively's hand has been forced and
that is why he. who will be out of the
Job, is SO reluctant to make admissions.
Manager Chance and his men will start
out the 1907 season serenely confident of
another National league pennant and they
With his old stars and additional timber
Of good fiber still with him, Chance, some
of the best critics believe, could not posi-
son. The Cubs present stan is.
Pitchers, Mordecai Brown, Charles w.
Harper, Carl l., Lusngrenn, orvsl Overall,
Moran. Mike Kahoe, ]. w. seabough; in
fielders, Frank L. Chance, John ]. Evers,
lam sweeny; ouffelder, James T.. sheckard,
James r. Slagle, Frank Schultz, Arthur +.
Hoffman, H; H. GessiAr, Newton j. Ran
There is one knotty little point that
Chance will have to puzzle over. and that
is the Slagle-Hofman controversy for CEN
was the best bet among the cubs during the
worlds series when he held down center
field on account of Sagle's injury, but
whether Chance will keep him permanently
in that position remains to be seen.
Holman Is a handy, all-round player, who
can Jump in ct any infield or outfield posi-
ton and fill all the requirements of the job.
1t isn't quite true that he can play second
as Te moi fSf behind the k TeguaTs s 4S
never fails to plug a hole on the infield In
satisfactory style! For that reason Chance
may not want to give Holman a regular
job where he would be out OF reach as
utility infelder.
The Record Herald. after reviewing the
general situation and showing that, on the
face OF returns. the rival teams have no
on e I respect the CUBS were mighty
lucky last season. That was in keeping
their best men in the game. The games
| Luck didn't any more than break even in
! that respect, but Chance was lucky to have
| his stars In the game with him practically
mot once in the last six seasons have
| Chance and Steinfeldt. been in so many
| games as they were last year Chance has
| always been an unlucky player in the mat
| ter Of injuries but he escaped all serious
| feldt for years leading member of the hos
/ pital list OF the Cincinnati team.
Then, again. Johnny Evers never missed
| q game on the schedule. He never did that
/ before, and may never again, Schultz and
| Sheckard were At all the time, and when
| Slagle hurt himself Holman jumped in
and played phenomenal ball. OF course,
/ the catchers got a split finger, every so
often. but one OF them was ready all the
| time
when one looks at the actual figures of
| last years National league race II is next
\ to impossible to see how the Cubs could
| slump enough in one year to lose the 1897
pennaHt: When II is remembered that Chi
cago led in batting. in Fielding, In sacrifice
| hitting. and lost the stolen base honors by
| only six stolen sacks, led in errorless
| genes and in shutouts. II would seem that
| the team couldn't help but repeat Its per-
Torrance of last year"
| While many hunters journeyed to the
Platte as IL touches the Union Pacific
railroad. they overlooked good thing right
on lake Monday killed thirty-seven ducks
and sixteen of these were canyasbacks
A large number of people went from
Omaha to different towns along the Platte
Sunday, but without great waders were
| unable to do much. because the water OF
| the Platte Is over three feet deep. The
| water is going down and the hunters have
| a few days Reports are there were nevel
more ducks than there are this spring. al
they fly In such fiocks as 20 almost obscure
the sun.