The San Francisco call., 1907-02-17
MANAGERS ARRANGING
FOR SPRING PRACT T|CE
Will Take Their Players
to Country Diamonds
in Short Time

that they are 1mpatiently awaiting the
formal opening of the season on this
coast late next month. Manager Long
received the signed contracts Of Barney
JOY, the Hawaiian player, and those
of Irwin and Hildebrand during the
week. Charley Street has sent word
that he is ready to start for the coast
at any time now, but the management
of the WilEamsport club is 10th to have
him come. They are still wiring offers
to the club in this city for his release,
but none of them is being considered.
The burning question here at the
present time is whether the grounds
at Fourteenth and Valencia streets will
be completed in time for the opening
game of the season. The club manage
ment has not commenced to worry on
this point yet, as the contractor has
agreed to pay penalty of $500 each
day he requires over the stipulated
time in which the grounds are to be
ready. He is sure he will be able to
deliver the grounds on the specified
day.
The plant will represent an expendi-
ture of nearly $685. 900. OF this amount
the officials of the ball clubs paid $20,-
250 as a bonus to the men controlling
the free market for the lease of the
grounds 1t is estimated that the stands
and clay diamond on the new grounds
will cost $4,000.
PLANS A GRASS DIAMOND
Jack Gleason, general manager Of the
San Francisco Club. spends his days on
the grounds and watches the work
with the eyes of an expert While 1t
will be impossible to provide grass
diamond this season, that is one of the
features he has planned for next year.
At the close of the forthcoming season
the diamond will be seeded and a vel
~ Go n
relieve the eyes of the fans next year.
The new grounds are the most accessi-
Bile this city has ever had, and if the
quality of the ball is in keeping with
the grounds there should be a marked
revival of interest in the national pas
time.
The San Francisco team will leave
here on March 1 for Bakersfield, where
the men will do their preliminary train
ing. When they return their ranks will
be slightly thinned but the men who
survive the elimination process should
be fast enough to win on any ball field.
The practice work of the players will
be watched by Gleason and Long and
it is expected they will at once detect
the weak spots in the list of players
they have signed.
While the San Francisco team is at
Bakersfield. Oakland will be putting in
its hard work down in San Diego. Port
land will train at Salinas, Fresno at
Fresno and Los Angeles at Santa
Monica. The Seattle managers have not
yet announced where their men will do
their preliminary training. While the
Los Angeles team is at Santa Monica,
its home grounds viii be occupied by
the New York Giants. The latter team
will spend few days at Bakersfield
before going farther south. It is pos
sible that they will play one game with
the San Francisco aggregation while
they are In Kern County.
GAMES AT FREEMAN's PARK
The games at Oakland will be played
this year at Freeman's Park, the
grounds at Idora Park not being avail
able. Freemans Park was the scene
of the league games for some time, so
the fans. President Walter is arrang-
ing for a new grandstand. The in
tention Is to start the seats close to
the ground and then slant them back
to a considerable height. This will
increase the seating capacity without
taking up much room. The present
diamond is to be increased by the addi-
tion of a f1fty-foot strip running
around the grounds, which Will give a
good-sized field and will do away with
the -the-fence rule.
There are twenty players on the
clubs reserve list. They are: Catch
ers. Hackett and Bliss; pitchers, Reidy,
Hopkins, Randolph, Gates, Blexrud, Ho-
gan, Iberg, Emerson and Wright; in
field. Bigbee, Haley, Pastor, Bowcock.
Devereaux; outfield, Van Haltren, Heit-
muller, Smith, Bassey.
Wright, Bowcock and Bassey come
from the Three 1 League. and 1t is be-
lieved they will add strength to the
Oaks. Wright is a pitcher and halls
from Lynn, Mass. He was considered
one Of the best pitchers in the Three
I League. Bowcock is rated as a crack
baseman and Bassey is touted as a
wonder in the field.
OAKLAND RETAINS RANDOLPH
Randolph was lent to Los Angeles
last year and played with the Angels
throughout the season. This season
he will be in the line with the Com
muters. Last season was his first year
in professional baseball, and, although
he was green at first he quickly de-
veloped and was playing good ball
when the season closed. Hogan and
Iberg did not play in the Coast League
last season, but they are still on the
reserve list of the Oakland club and
contracts have been offered them.
While Manager Henry Berry of the
Los Angeles ball club has not an
nounced his lineup for this year, 1t
is likely the team will be much the
same as 1t was last season. Toman
has been released, and that leaves Sec
ond base vacant The intention is to
put Brashear there.
Berry expects to get Jud Smith to
play third base. Jud says he Will not
play for Portland and will quit base
ball rather than go back to the rain
belt. Under the circumstances 1t is
likely Smith will either be purchased
or some trade made for him. Another
deal on is Pitcher Baum for George
Wheeler. If Wheeler can be secured
he will be put at short.
Berry will give q tryout to Clark,
a catcher who played last season in
the New York State League, and II
he makes good he will be signed
In all probability the lineup will
be as follows: Eager and Clark,
catchers; Bergeman, Burns and Nagle,
pitchers; Dillon, first base; Brashear,
second base; Smith, third base; Wheel
er, shortstop; Carlisle. left field: Ber-
nard. center field; Cravath, right field;
Ellis and Ross, utility men,.