Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-15
CHICK SETS THEM ON FIRE
Performed Like a Seven.Day Wonder
on First.
HOT FIGHT FOR INITIAL BAG
Aubrey lay One Day and uRs All
wonderins what Has Broke
Loose from the west
ern league.

Chicken Autrey has set the base ball
contingent OF the Reds on fire by his won
derful work around first sack on the first
day Of his appearance in a Red uniform.
Here is an item the special correspondent
Of the Cincinnati Times-Star wired from
Atlanta to his paper Thursday:
Friends, Cincinnati base ball fans, lend
me your car! There's going to be the darnd-
est scrap for that first base job on the Red
team that has made the followers OF the
game perk up and get out their binoculars
for many a day. Remember what a rumnny
Chick Aubrey appeared to be when he was
tried out by Manager Hanlon in the tall
Of 1907. Remember how he mutfed the first
fly that was knocked to him i'm the outfield,
the error costing the Reds the game. And
how his general performance was Of a
caliber to give one the collyobles.
wei Chick has come back-but it isn't
at all the same Chick. This new Chick is
the glngeriest specimen that mas hooked
up with the Red squad this spring. And,
say. when It comes to making back-handed
catches, running pick-ups, losses from
scmi-reclining positions and covering first
base after making a play to second, Aut-
rey has Fred Tenney out-Tenneyed, Frank
Chance nailed to the mast. and big Kon-
etchy looking like a novice.
Aubrey got to town Tuesday night and
began his exhibitions Wednesday morning.
Griffith gave him all he possibly could in
the way Of batted balls to try him out and
the feeders tossed them at his feet, HIS
pad, into the air and to the sides. But
Chick was there after everything, and in
the end had the other fellows gasping in
WEAKNESS and wonder. And when 1t came
to swattng the ball in practice, Chick
quite lived up to .hat Western league repu-
tation OF hits. or course. this one days
work doesn't give the first base job to
Aubrey, for that Hoblitzell boy also is
going at a rate that is pretty to see, and
the fight for the sack will be a long,
hard and close one, But wouldn't 1t he fine
il the Reds did dig up a second Hal Chase
or Jiggs Donahue in Aubrey?
Manager Griffith may have some trouble
landing big boy Patterson, the second
baseman whom he claimed away from the
st. Louis Americans. According to Raglan
Furchner and Aubrey, who played in the
same league with Patterson, that young
man was much peeved last fall when 81.
Louis drafted him., as he wanted to con-
tinue his job as manager Of the Pueblo
team. He even went SO far as TO threaten
not to report to the Browns, preferring to
take chances Of getting the job of manag-
ing the Pueblo team again without dom
ming the spangles as a player. Patterson
has not been second basing long. his orig
inal position being at first. He is not
quite six feet tall and extraordinarily fast
for a man of his build"
Post Talks same Way.
To show that the above is not a one mans
opinion here is the item the special CORE
spondent Of the Cincinnati Post wired his
paper:
HAS the Cincinnati club picked up another
Hal Chase or Harry Davis? VIII Chick
en- Aubrey, the Omaha wonder, make the
bugs of the National league sit up and take
notice?
Time alone can answer these questions,
and it is up to every Cincinnati fan to
hope and pray that time will answer 1t in
the affirmative, Aubrey, fresh from the
golden west, created a sensation at Ponce
De Leon Park yesterday by exhibiting
some first base plays that awoke the regu-
lars who have been watching the Reds
practise.
Chicken was right there with everything
a good guardian of the first sack needs.
He put on exhibition an arm that can
throw the ball to any part Of the diamon
as true as q rifle shot and showed the on
lockers a bit Of play that caused them TO
gasp.
Nothing was too hard for Aubrey to
handle. He gobbled up hard hit ground
balls like a little Georgia pickaninny swal-
lows a luscious piece Of watermelon. Tie
handled thrown balls. high, low or wide,
as easily as Chase, Davis, Chance, or any
of the star first sackers in base ball, and
delivered the bali to any waiting inflelder
so perfectly that tSe boys thought they
were dreaming.
ut may be that Aubrey looks so very good
because he is already in fine condition,
having played ball all winter in California.
It may be that when the other players get
the soreness worked out OF their limbs
he will not look so fast. but he did look
good yesterday, and will bear a lot OF
watching. Aubrey throws with his left
hand and is an adept at catching any kind
Of thrown ball with his gloved hand.
''Hoblitzell is also playing fine bah around
first base and when he gets into shape
should give Aubrey a great battle for the
job. Chick is playing a 100 per cent
stronger game than when tried in the Red
outfield in 1907
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