The Topeka state journal., 1908-12-17
President O'NeilPs Prediction of
the Western League Fight.
Every Team Stronger Next Year
and Some Extra Fast.
WATCH FOR TOPEKA
Cooley Has Secured a Number of
New Players.
Wichita Managers Are Working
Hard to Get Good Nine.

The winter dope of the Western
League augurs much for a most sue
cessful season next year. The addi-
tlon OF the local and Wichita clubs to
the circuit, thus rounding out an eight
club league, has added zest to the win
ters work of the managers and has
oeen conducive of unusual activity.
In the past the Western League has
not always been a strong well-balanced
organization with every team fighting
right up to the end. Generally it is
one-sided race.
President Tip O'Neill. of the Western
League, has recently completed trip
over portion of the circuit and news
paper interviews with him at the diff
ferent towns show that he expects a
real live race next season with the
eight clubs fighting until the end.
here is a sample interview from Mr..
ONelll: From what have been hear
ing every team will be stronger next
season and some exceptionally fast ball
should be the result. The managers
seem unusually active right now and
look Tor many new faces in the league
next season. The fans are fond enough
of the old favorites but they want to
see some new blood injucted in the
right spots.''
O'Nein is a great friend of our own
he has told the other managers to
watch out for Cooley and his team.
And most of them have needed the
warning.
O'Neill has announced that with one
exception he would have a new UNI
pirfng staff next season. Jack Haskell,
who is a veteran in the service and
who is of big league calibre will be
retained but the other places will be
filled with new men.
The schedule meeting for the next
season will be held in Lincoln early
in February. 1t is the usual custom
to give the schedule meeting to the
city that won the pennant the year
previous. Sioux City won, but the pow
ers that be are hostile to Ducky
Holmes. the Sioux City manager, and
the meeting will go to Lincoln. The
season will consist of 154 games, max
ing q games for each team to play
in each other town, one more a sea-
son than the Western Association call
ed for The season will commence
Saturday April "a, as has already been
playing in the towns farthest south.
Cooley has already been busy secur-
ing a team for next season. On his
reserve list from last season, are Bren-
nan, Barley. Roach, Hendrix. Abbott,
Maggie, S. Olson, Merschon, Funk, KahI
Andrews. and Cole. All these will be
back for tryouts. Other acquisitions
announced thus far are: Kern, a catch
er from Dallas, Tex; Bell, an inf1eld-
er, from Kalamazoo; Burnham,
pitcher last season with Webb City;
Beltz, pitcher last season with Hutch
inson; Groeschow, last season star
shortstop from Terre Haute; Volz of
Cincinnati; Curtis of the Iowa League,
and Tommy Doran, the we'll known
catcher, who worked with Topeka in
the exhibition games last fall. Others
are being sought by Cooley and he has
strings on many players of merit who
will be valuable acquisitions for the
Topeka Western league team.
Managers Isbell and Holland, of the
Wichita team, are working hard to get
a good team. Isbeu has secured the
promise of several near-major 1eaguers
for next season, who will be loaned
to the Jobber team for the season.
Several youngsters have been signed,
who may make good. The Wichita
team wasn't as badly riddled by the
major and minor league drafts as was
the Topeka team and there is still a
good bunch left for Isbell and Hol-
land to start with. Last week, Isben
announced that Weller. a high priced
twirler of the Utica, N. Y, league
team of last season has been signed.
The other Western League teams are
working hard. Manager Irwin, of the
Denver team, has been signed to man