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

: agement of his team pay his fine and
give him full pay while indefinitely sus-
pended for few days. Had the action
: of Judge Simon in the Goes case been
) started earlier in the season and been
generally. adopted over the season this
trouble would have been averted. Pres
1dent Shively has been too lax all sea-
, son in the matter of disciplining the
players. With a little more strfctness
in dealing with the rowdy players a bet
ter season in this regard might have
been pulled off and the premiums on
rowdyism have been removed.
The attendance in the Western As
sociation this season has fallen away
below the normal standard Wichita
has not drawn the crowds because Of
the one sided race which the Jobbers
made. Oklahoma City was the banner
town in drawing this season. The Nets
had to fight all season and were given
as good team as the town ever hal.
Hutchinson followed the territorial town
in drawing. The Packers were always
fighting and Jay Andrews made himself
very popular with the Hutchinson fans.
The season was7the first full one for the
town and they had good team, some
thing which. proved an innovation in
Hutchinson. Topeka fell from first to
fourth this season. Several cause con-
tributed to this fact and need no repeti-
ton here. The causes were only re-
moved after the fans had lost interest
in the team and then it proved too late.
All the other. towns fell down this sea-
son and in Leavenworth and Springfield
the attendance was very low all season
| The following from the Springfield
Leader shows the manner in which the,
| Springfield team wound up the season
from a financial standpoint:
''One of the Midgets who returned to-
day. in discussing the baseball situa-
| ton, said.
" For the last thirty-seven days OF
| the season the local baseball players
known as. the "Midgets," have drawn
no pay and the men are very much
worried as to how and where they will 4
get the salary which is due them. The
first and fifteenth of each month DUR
ing the playing season is known and
looked forward to by every ball player
the world over es pay day out the poor.
Midgets have waited long and patiently
for tho money which never came.
9 The team left home on the first of
September with the assurance that they
would receive their pay when they re-
turned home. After two weeks on the
road they came back to Springfield on
the thirteenth of the MONTH playin
the thirteenth of the month, playing
games they won. The sixteenth was to
be their pay day, and three o'clock men,
toned as the hour and of course every
man reported at the White City prompt
ly on time only to be confronted with
a hard luck story that there was no
would be made to raise the amount
needed. %
They were given the franchise to dis
pose of if possible or that they might |
that they might raise their pay.
This was not done until the team
was almost read to leave for Webb
City. and there was nothing for them
to do but go to that place and finish |
out the schedule.
=" No man can live on promises and
most of the players were forced to Dor |
row from friends that they might pay
room rent and board bills.
." There is not man on the team
who does not need his money and need
it badly. So the three games with
Hutchinson Will be played as benefit
games and the. players Will be thankful
to the, fans of Springfield If they will |
turn out in goodly mum bers the three |
remaining days and give them their |
support.
- of the last nine games played there |
has not. been a single defeat marked up |
against the Midgets and even though |
very much downcast while at Webb |
City they won every game and certain |
ly deserve patronage.
g There are enough good fans in
Springfield, If they will only turn
out Saturday and Sunday to easily pay |
the mems wages.
ga subscription is alo being taken |
by Joe LIE Bolt and any who feel that |
cigar store on South street.
q The franchise is for sale and anyone
wishing stock can purchase same from
John Shinn who is looking after that
for the players
OF the local players there are several
who have shown up strong during the
season Among the pitchers Halla has
made the most enviable record. He will
lead the left handlers of the league.
cIorIfNI in
a bad record to make and that is what
the big ST. Louis lad has done. Without
Halla s work it would have been pain
full to relate. at this writing where the f
local aggregation would have been. On
first Abbott is the star of the associa-'
ton, both in fielding and in stick work
Olson at second had made a great rec
ord and has played as great an inf1eld
as any player in this brush ever did.
Ragan at short has shown wonderful
this season. Runkel did
great work on third. In the outf1eld the
best player was Davis. He has been
recognized all season as the best sun
delder in the league and his hitting which
during the past two months has soar
ed over the 300 mark has been the best
feature in the whole race. There is
funny connected with the
work of Davis. In midseason when the
Topeka captain whose disfayor he had
aroused tried three times to trade him,
q certain Topeka sporting writer calm
ly admitted that Davis was very poor
player and was not even the equal of
besides that he was a bully
and all other manner of slush. How
ever, the playing of Topeka's star out
gardener, has been so brilliant and con-
5istent that this certain scribe in all
his erudition has finally come over to
our way of thinking in this one regard
and is throwing bouquets along Reds
way. In regard to padding Davis av-
sraaes the writer of this paragraph did
not indulge in vain effort early in the
season to make the fans believe that
Davis was a better player than
aurlburt, and as result did not have
% hand it to Red in order to make
,1or A. Sc &1,;v, 4