Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-20

MAHA did not come up 10 expecta-
tons on the long stay at home.
Yet the team did remarkably well
under the circumstances. 1t may
have been too much to expect Il
TO go into first place before starting for
the west. The trip on which II launched
Thursday is a long and iaborious one: q
VIII have met every team beside Sioux
CITY and Des Moines before returning.
rms Is not however, as severe a task as
j the one II has but recently performed. that
Of meeting the two Iowa teams win
NSioux City It broke even on eight gamea.
from Des Moines II took six out OF eight
Wichita Is its toughest proposition on this
visiting trip and 1t Is open to question ~
wichita Is as strong In the end as Des
MoinesI It is conceded to be not as strong
as Sioux City. It has won its first place
spurs, not by defeating Omaha. Des
Mofnes, Sioux City, but Denver. Pueblo
and Topeka. II really got its bulge on
the other teams by trouncing Pueblo. a
team rent by internal dissension and weak
ened by lack OF leadership at that time
Throw out the Pueblo victories and wich-
tia could not have made first place. WITCH
tia has a good team, no denying that fact.
put 1t remains a matter Of interesting note
that Il failed 20 make any progress ON
ia Nv GOAkNAEN IL WENT
down radically and rapidly. II Pa Rourke
' succeeds in adding a little strength to his
pitching department his team will be.
without question, the strongest team in
the league and II ought to be able to hold
us own on this trip Of nineteen games
aoroad-counting the one in Omaha today
so as to return home and cinch first
place on that stretch Of twenty-four games.
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High grade pitchers perhaps never were
as scarce as they are right now. That is
a fact every manager in or above class A
base ball is willing to admit. Fans are
prone 70 criticise the home management
for not getting better pitchers. They do IL
In Omaha; they do It whre the
need of better pitchers arises. But il those
fans were charged with the task of getting
those pitchers they would have a different
SONG to sing. Only a few days ago Stan
ley Robson, owner Of the st. Louis Car
dinals, was In Omaha and making a circuit
OF the western cities in search of pitching
material He has but three men on whom
he can depend, is willing and anxious to
pay money for others. and yet can't get
them. The writer, within a week. has had
a letter from the management Of a Ma
tional league team asking him to name a
pitcher in the Western league who, in his
Judgment. would make a major league
man. That ought to show something of
the task these men are up against.
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Omaha continues to play the inslde game
better than any other team In the league.
That in the end is sure TO win. Up to
Thursday last Omaha had stolen eighty
eight bases. twenty-seven more than the
: nearest competitor, Des Moines: II had
made seventy-eight sacrifice hits, ten more
than the nearest competitor, Sioux City.
Fisher Of Omaha had stolen tweuty-three
Of these eighty-eight bases, which was
more than any other man in the league.
, and Pendry. up to the time these tables
were compiled. an Omaha player, had made
fifteen sacrifice hits, which led the league.
King ranked as third In stolen bases with
sixteen, and Franck eighth with eleven
while WEIGH eame third in sacrifices, Klns
fourth and Tranck seventh.
President o'Nen sets at rest the talk Of
Pueblo losing its franchise by saying this
town is doing well and there is no chance
OF a transfer. OF course, everybody knows
there is room for apprehension. but now
that a change in field management has
been made and the cause OF internal dis
senston seems to have been removed tbs
team is giving evidence Of at least trylnr
TO play better ball. The rest OF the league
may be depended on 20 do all in its power
to sustain Pueblo and II is to be hoped tn,
result viii be successful
McGraw certainly Is a great general
Here he takes this mar Bugs Raymond
who has defied managers for years with
his obstreperous disposition; gives him
sound licking and then Bug goes on tn,
field the next day and works a. If nothing
had happened. That's discipline. whei
you can lick your man and make him com
around and eat out OF your hand your,
great leader. aren't your Chances arr
MugEsy was tried 20 the last and decide,
he'd punch Raymond's face regardless o
consequences
In Red Fisher Omaha has a man 70
the majors next year who promises to sur
pass any ever sent up by this city. H
now shows signs OF going ahead OF Jimm,
Austin even, for he has Jimmy beat at tn
bat and Is probably as fast as Jimmy Of
the bases ana In the field, though that 1
not disparaging Austin in the least,
HoRriever's finish Is but q part OF hi
career. Hoggy was a grand little bal
player, but he belonged to another day
His strategy was all 10 the good in tn
sariy sos. but he didn't keep VI with tn
times.
Joe cantiIlon appears to be getting some
thing out of his Senators. Washington ha
IN excellent aggregation Of ball player
and II they can only be whipped into
team working machine they will make
hard for the best
The White Sox at last appear to hav
some TO life. At that IL will be one Of tn
wonders OF 1909 II commy can force tina
nisfit team OF his higher than second de
piston. But then Commy is given to pei
Orming wonders. He did a big one In $50
The death OF Dewey removes a man q
ne kind the game needs. He hadn't bee
n the business long enough TO learn tn
,{cks 81 tha brushes. the Dreyfusses