Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-13
HONE OPENING CRIEVOUS
Rourkes Lose First Game Here by
4 to s Score.
PARSONS wILDNEss AIDS VISITORS
Acute Attack of Buck Fever and Poor
Fielding other Factors In UndOinG
of Omaha by
wichita.
Omaha. A. Wichita, 5.

Omaha, 4; Wichita, s.
The game is on.
But stage fright, poor fielding and the
wlldness Of Parsons in the opening in
ming cost Omaha the first game OF the
season on the home grounds. Parsons Is
a new pitcher Pa Rourke paid a lot of
money fot and who was so wild at Topeka
that he was taken out after he had lost
the game However. Captain FranCk and
Pa counseled together and decided to give
him another trial in Omaha He lost the
game by his wildness, although one of
the first two runs made while he was In
the box was due to a fooled grounder by
Captain FTanck.
A gala day crowd turned out to well
com the Rourke family home after its
disastrous trip to the mountains, but the
$500 people present we're doomed to dis
appointment. as the team was evidently
stricken with fright at such a large au-
dience and played at times like a lot OF
school boys. Several chances to retire
the Hollanders before they had made so
many runs we're missed and several
chances TO win the game by a little pinch
hitting were not accepted.
Mayor Dahlman was on hand according
to schedule to pitch the first ball. and II
was truly a ball" as 1t sailed high over
the head of Pettigrew. He was SO via
that Captain Franck sent him to the bench
and put Parsons in the box. Parsons was
worse than the mayor. Mayor Jim gave
q fine exhibition of his athletic abilities
by vauiting the side of the press box
as ne went onto the diamond, but IL
looked too high for him to tackle when
retiring from the game and he needed the
assistance of two sturdy athletes 10 help
him back into the grandstand. The band
played, but there were no flowers
Rooters willing, but Helpless.
threatening weather undoubtedly kept
a good many away from the game put
ForecasterN Welsh was on the job and ne
gave the players as nice 9 day as anyone
could ask for. Mayor Dahlman refralneo
from making a speech, although there
were several calls Tor him.
The regular rooters were out in all their
glory. Some were heeled with banners ana
some with r~o.semakers and all had their
voices, though these were not up TO the
standard they will reach a little later
in the season. The fact Is, the fans did
not have much Of a chance TO exert them
selves for Omaha until the NTH inning
and though then they let loose it was no
use. II did not seem to be in the cards
for Omaha to win.
But the game. 'Tis q sad tale. Wichita
took the ginger out Of the players and fans
in that first inning. Pettigrew started the
slaughter with O. single and was sacri-
feed along by Anderson. Cole made a
lucky Texas Lacquer, which Fisher could
Just reach with one hand but could not
nail. Pennell walked and the bases we're
filled with one out. Hughes hit toward
first and died, Parsons to Kane, but one
,.1t,. haA snarnd ROhartq hit a arOlndRr
10 Captain FrHnek. which should have sre-
tired tile side, but The captain juggled the
ball until H. was too late and Cole scored.
When Weaver was walked at the beginning
Of the next inning Parsons was retired.
These two did not look so big but the
trouble was that Brennan was pitching
magnificent ball and the Rourke family
could not connect. George Graham was
an especial easy mark for him and was
famed thrice. rH. %
Carnage piles UD.
Neither side now did any scoring unit
the firth inning, when Wichita piled uT
three moro. which were enough. II was
an awful slaughter and even Pa sickeneo
at the sight, After Anderson had struck
out Cole singled. He had a sort of habit
of singing ard made three of them during
the afternoon. Pencil hit a hard one he,
tween first and second. Graham knocked
It down but could not recover in time tC
throw the runner out at first. Then Hol
lenbeck got nervous and passed Hughes
filling the bases with one out Roberts
jolted a hard one down the first base lin,
which Sane stopped, but he, too, got IN,
juggling habit and when he finally Sc
cured firm possession OF the bail, tive
more had tailed. WesterEil hit to Holly
who threw to third, but Pendry gave the
runner a life by not getting the ball or
him. Weaver drove home the third run o.
the inning by pounding a soaker at PendrS
which Jack could not handle because Of
the corn silks in which 1t WAS wrapped.
Omaha started the last half of that fate
full inning as though something was to b,
done. Two runs resulted. With two ou'