Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-09
NO REASON TO
Be IN THE DUMPS
Catching Department of the
NationalS-Tom Brown
Speaks Highly of
Street.


washington team generally harp on the
catching department of the club as its
weak point and claim that Manager Can
tillon cannot get along without at least
an additional receiver of first-class abil-
ity. While admitting that Mike kahoe
does not class w very high. it is be-
lieved that Jack Warner and Charley
Street are exceptionally clever and but
few receivers In the American League
have anything ION them"
If any one will take the trouble TO look
over the situation from behind the bat it
will be observed that there are no man.
ayers in the American League letting out
any Of their veteran catchers. Jim Nc
CURE was thought to have pretty
nifty group of receivers to help out
Lou Criger but the veteran nearly had a
fit until he had signed that old timer
Mcfarland from the camp of the White
Sox. Mac has never been an angel, and
that Mcclure would take a chance with
him shows conclusively that he would
sooner have a. wise old man behind the
bat than a youngster with good ability
but without the knowledge OF the tricks
OF the trade.
Jack Warner may be slow in running
bases. but there are very few foul flies
that get away from him, and there were
not a large group Of the feetest base
stealers in the American League who
had the nerve to take liberties with him.
Ty Cobb, Elmer Flick and one or two
others pilfered several bags on him dur
ing the visit of their clubs to Washing
Ton. but even these whirlwinds have been
turned many a time by the old boy. AS a
coacher. Warner is strictly q 'top-liner.
quickly as Billy Sullivan or Lou Criger.
At the bat Warner has been moderated
by many OF his critics. who lose sight OF
the fact that such a wise old fox as
Clarke Griffith has gone on record as say
ing that Jack Is one of the best pinch
behind the bat continuously for weeks
and go along In first-class style, some
thing almost impossible in a youngster.
This continuous work Is what makes the
old boy valuable to a team.
Race to Get Street
In Charley Street the Washington club
has not secured a youngster, but instead
receiver who is almost on the. border of
being veteran. He has been playing
professional ball for about six years, and
for the past three years he has been con-
sidered one Of the best backstops in the
minor leagues. Bad habits have kept
Street back. and he lacked only the de-
velopment Of little common sense to
light dawned on him last year when he
married and decided to settle down. Just
as soon as the news came east Connie
Mack, Jim McAleer and Joe Cantillon
made the wires hum with inquiries to
the coast managers. and the Washington
man beat the other two, as his right
bower. Denny Long. was on the spot and
soon had the catcher under cover.
Both ,d MeAieer and Mack assured Presi-
dent Moves at the receSt meeting of the
Washington club had signed the best
available receiver in the country, and they
acknowledged the soft impeachment that
CantillOn had beaten them to Street.
Clarke Grimth also had his eye on the
man when 1t was too late. and one or
more National League magnates would
have liked to do business with him.
Streets work while with the Wiliamsport
club Of the Tri-stat e League was of such
a fine order that special scouts were sent
there to look him over. but all came away
with doleful shakes of their heads, as they
had investigated Charley and found him
"whippoorwill' when it came to high
flying. That he would ever reform did not
enter into the calculations Of the different
magnates. but Street has rounded to like
a thoroughbred. and will be the talk Of the
American League circuit before the sea-
son is month old.
Tom Brown Praises Street.
Tom Brown. ex-player and umpire, is
enthusiastic whenever Streets ability As
a catcher is preached to him. In a recent
talk Brown said:
I'm Street Cantillon has secured just the
sort of player that he likes to havesaround
him. He is aggressive. fights all the way
and never knows when he Is whipped /
in rotation without hit. but on the
fourth walk-up to the plate he had more
confidence than ever that he could hit the
ball. And the big boy stung the leather
them. and the best part about his hitting
was that he generally bingled the ball with
a runner on the sacks.
"Behind the bat he was worth his
weight In gold to the Williamsport club.
as he kept I'D a continuous coaching and
jollying. and I believe he did as much to
win the championship for that team as
any of the crack pitchers. What caught
me. outside Of his mechanical work. was
his craftiness in opening up the inside
work OF the opposing team. He seemed
TO really smell the squeeze play when it
was coming up and several times made
the players who tried 1t look foolish And
the same applied to the single or double
steal. He always had the ball in the
right place and at the right time, and /
don't think / am going too far when l
say that Street comes the nearest to be-
ing Charley Farrell's equal of any player
have seen in years. Farrell. to my mind.
was the best receiver that ever wore a
wind pad. and when l put Street close to
that old boy you must know that / think
a great deal of him."
With two catcherS Of the ability of
Warner and Street, either one being ca =
pable OF catching a string of games a mile
long. II seems strange that the Washing
ton club should be reckOned weak behind
the bat. The pair can certainly bat as
we'll as the average catchers, and it will
be only In case of accidents that third
receiver will be needed. Kahoe will then
come in handy, but ii is to be hoped that
Blankenship's experiences last year will
not be repeated on either Warner or
Street the coming season. This is one of
the points of the game that no one can
guard against, and accidents will put the
but we are figuring on an even break
with the Goddess Of Luck. and IL 1t comes
that way throughout the season toward
the Washington team there will be no
crying over the lack of ability in the men
behind the bat. Stick a pin here.
Waivers of the Managers.
The waivers sent out by President:
Johnson and Pullfam to the differen,
leagues ara supposed to be held in con
fideI.ce by the magnates, but from report.
tina: are leaking into the newspaper
it would appear that several of the club
owners have been permitting some Of
tkeir friends to take a peck at the
names Boston. ii is reported has no
jim Mcclure evidently intends to lool
over his crowd OF fifty or more before
any one is given the order to hike himself
bach to the minors Clarke Griffith hal