The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-04
PLAYERS SOLD.
Topeka Ball Team Loses Four
of Its Star Men.
Davis, Olson, HalIa and
BuntOn Go.
LOUISVILLE BUYER.
One Thousand Dollars Each the
Price.
Will Not Report Until Next
Spring.
Olson, Halla and
BuntOn Go.
LOUISVILLE BUYER

Manager Herman Crow this afternoon
announced the sale of Outf1elder Gerald
Davis, Second Baseman Emory Olson
and Pitchers HalIa and Runton of the
local baseball team to the Louisville
team The deal has been on for several
days and was finally contaminated by
Manager Crow Of the locals and Vice
President Chivington Of the Louisville
team who was supposed to be acting un-
der instructions from President George
Tebeau OF the Louisville and Kansas
City teams
The deal would have been closed some
time ago had it not been for the fact that
the first overtures for the four Topeka
players were not entirely Satisfactory
to the local management By holding on
the local management was able to Sc
cure 81 900 apiece for each OF the four
players. The drafting season for the
major league teams is now on and II
has been reported several times that
Washington intended TO draft Olson
Blankenship. the Washington scout who
visited the Western association during
the latter part of June. told several OF
the leading baseball men in the Western
association that if he could not induce
CantiIlon to purchase Olson on his re-
turn to Washington he would at least
be drafted unless some other team beat
the National to it, Davis also stood
chance to be drafted Secretary Thomas
of the Chica go Cubs witnessed game IN
Topeka a few weeks ago when webb
City was here with the express purpose
of getting a line on Davis playing He
was not buying players at that time but
he stated that Davis looked good TO him
and that he would give him strong
recommendation TO Manager Chance
and President Murphy Of the Cubs
The sale of these four popular players
will occasion a great deal of surprise
among the local fans. They were being
considered by the fans as strong
nucleus for next years team around LS
which they would build a strong team
The fans will hate to see them go as II
will leave an awful vacancy in the local
team However all are very popular
with the fans who are eongratulatirls
the players on their good luck
All the men are good players and VIII
helm Louisville a whole lot next season
President Tebeau Of the Louisvllle team
IS said to have recently allowed VICE
President ChivingtOn, the real neao u
the Louisville team a lOOSer rein and
more money with which to get better
team L gether for Louisville next sea
son Louisville has improved wonder
fully as a money making venture Whlle
the team has been under the control of
Cooley and Tebeau is planning TO derive
a great deal more revenue from MS
Louisville holdings for next season
The four players who have been
sold are among the strongest ana
abIest players in the association this
season. Jack Halla is as good a
sOuthpaw as there is the Western as
ISOLATION this season HaiIa has a
better per cent of victories to his
credit than any pitcher in the league
this season This is an exceptionally
good record when the fact is taken
into consideration that the team has
been considered little more than a
second division team. Halla has been
PLAYING three or four times week all
season and when not in the box he can
generally be found in the outheld- He
is one of the best utility men in the
business for q southpaw and as nrst
baseman he can play rings around
nearly every one else in the league
He has been hitting above the -SOO
mark al season
Bunton was purchased from the
Louisville team early in the season
The Louisville management was
loathe to part with his services but
Cooley who is with the Louisville
team this season, brought the deal
through in good shape Bunton won
the first ten games he pitched IN TINS
league and barring the two or three
weeks when he was out of condition
on account of a bad arm has been
consistent winner all season
Olson has made as good record at
second base as any man VINO ever
donned a glove at that position Up
10 date with only seventeen more
Games TO be played this season Olson
has but eleven errors to his credlt
and but two Of these come from
handling grounds balls Six or seven
errors came on dropping fly balls ana
the remainder on falling to hold the
hall on a double play or an over
throw in taking a desperate chance
This is his first complete season in the