The San Francisco call., 1908-03-02
Connolly Finishes First
in the Cross Country Race
This Is Tryouf Day
for Seal Squad
Long Decides That He Does Not
Need Reuter-, the Big Kandba
Pitcher
BY w. j. SIattery

BY w. j. Siattery
When the old village clock strikes
the hour of 10 this morning the 1908
Seal squad will gather up its bats,
suits, gloves and mitts and beat it to
freeman's park, Oakland, where the
first practice work of the season will
begin under the watchful eyes of Man
ager Danny Long and Captain Kid
MohIer, who hope that the rough edges
viii be removed before the boys play
their first stack against Comiskeys
White Sox Friday afternoon.
Practically every member of tie
team, with the exception of Hildebrand,
Esola and a couple more, who have
been working in the park with the
grass leaguers, are sadly in need of
trimming. The long idle spell which
the past winter brought about has left
the majority Of the gang fat and lazy.
Many Of them viii have to be reintro-
duced to the ball and bat. so long is
it since they have gazed upon the
weapons Of their craft.
The boys viii be worked out grad
ually. Kid Mohler will stake each to
a copy OF his revised training rules, and
unless these are followed closely the
Kid threatens TO use the hook. The
cold weather that prevails at present
does not warrant any fast or rough
-
as the squad is sufficiently warmed up
they will be expected to wade in and
show how much class they held over
from last fall
Jack Gleason has mapped out line
of gymnasium work, which he will in
sist that the tossers carry out. The
gym OF the Occidental club, which Glea-
son fosters, is an adjunct to the ball
grounds. According to Gleasons pro-
the will r,r, in
the mornings, swing the clubs, punch
the bags, toss the medicine ball and
Timber up properly before taking the
trip for the training field across the
bay.
Dick Reuter-. the big Kanaka whom
Long signed up last fall to do some
pitching for the Seals. will not toss
his curves before the admiring throngs
this season. When Long learned that
the dark skinned poi chewer insisted
on big raise in salary he Immediate
~ got sore, and yesterday he decided
to notify Reuter- TO stay where he was
unless he agreed to buy his own ticket
across the Pacific, which is not very
likely.
Reuter- can remain in Honolulu for
all care" said Long yesterday. The
memory of Barney JOY is still fresh in
my mind. and I am not going to take
any more chances. l sent Reuter- his
contract and he agreed to come Now
he is hollering his head off for raise,
but he won't get it. I was stung by
one Kanaka. and once is enough to hold
me for few seasons"
Barney JOY still owes the San Fran
cisco club half a months salary. 1t
seems that the big Kanaka double
shotted the turn the last time the
slipped an additional piece of coin.
which the management did not get
Jerry" to till after Barney was on his
way.
Joy has not yet received his ticket
from the Boston club, and II begins to
look as though the big league people
have about decided to allow Barney
TO spend his vacation in Honolulu on
their time. As the Boston squad will
report for practice within the next few
days. they would undoubtedly have sent
for the burly south winger had they
intended using him this season.
Truck Eagan is so interested in the
White Sox that he is trying to stall
out Of going away with the Oakland
squad Friday night and stick around
till after the big leaguers have con-
eluded their setto with the Seals. Cap
Van Haltren, however, has given Truck
the Office to be ready by Friday morn
ing, which will be getaway time.
Truck says he can learn more by
watching the big leaguers than by
working out with his teammates
Old Doc Frost was beaming with the
good spirit Of joy yesterday afternoon
because the mysterious one who copped
his historic big mitt blew back with
It some time during the dead of night.
Doc says the fellow was evidently suf-
fering from an overdose of fear when
he learned that Captain Of Detectives
Kelly had three plain clothes men look
ing the town over in quest of the miss
ing mitt. The sleyths were called off
the job when Doc rang up the central
station and flashed the good news over
the wire.
from the Texas lea que, and young
Gregory, the busher from the north,
are expected to blow in today. Long
viii rush both of them across the bay
and put them to work with the squad.
Larry Piper brings the news that
Southpaw Hardy. signed by the Oak
land club, is still lingering arourd
Toronto. Hardy informed Piper that
ne WAS gong TO lullIl MS contract, but
when Larry tried to induce him to show
bit of speed. Hardy stalled. It is
likely that he is playing for a chance
TO be traded to some eastern team. as
the coast looks too far away for him.
The Oakland squad is not showing
UP fast enough to suit President Ed
Walter, and he is figuring on ways
and means to fiji in should he happen
to be thrown down by several of those
whom he secured from afar. Early last
week he wired transportation to Pitch
ers Altman and DelIers. both of whom
are wintering around Tacoma Neither
has shown an inclination to take up
the tickets. so Walter believes that thew
are about to pull off their annual bluff
in order to make him come in with a
boost in the pay envelope
President Cal Ewing evidently does
not figure on having selected another
umpire for at least week vet. for he
has already appointed Jack OConnelI
to Judge the games between the Seals
and the Sox. Ewing intimates that he
will stick in one Of the 90 cteroor. 1oo1-