Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-23

NAA1 aN1A - NAL 'N1N
i ern league. He has assembled a set
OF players that look just a little bet
ter today than anything else in the league.
His acquisition Of Schipke and Kelley from
Washington Americans is a ten-strike; 1t
IS, taken In all, the most popular stroke
this old fox ever made. IL il more than a
popular stroke-it is a wise one, one that
Will go a long way toward bringing the
flag back to Omaha. Schipke got his train
ing for fast company in Omaha and was
one Of the most popular players ever on
the team. lie has been up in the majors
two seasons and comes back ripe with
experience which will be an extremely
valuable asset to omaha. He comes back
not because of failure in faster company,
but because Mr.. Rourke set himself to get
him and made an offer which Joe Cantillon
could not see his way clear to resist. Other
teams were after him, but Rourke had been
after him for five weeks and paid the
price for him and Kelley, the pitcher.
Schipke, better than all, is happy to get
hack to Omaha. That will make a great
difference. He is faster and better than
he ever was and by all odds will be the
king third baseman of the league. Kelley
Ssia right-handed, spit-ball pitcher with a
good head on him. He will add strength to
the team and with his major league ex-
p%erience, like schipke, will add balance.
Swain, the new pitcher from Wichita,
! probably the best Wichita had, is another
potent factor In the new team. He, too, is
illght handed and has a wonderful splitter.
he Is a heady man, as was shown in his
first game Friday. The pitching staff, in
deed looks formidable; Kelley, Swain, San
ders. Hollenbeck, Lower. Johns. There are
three southpaws and three %spltters, which.
OF course, makes it extremely hard for
the catchers, but at the same time hard
for the batters. II appears to be, at this
distance, by all odds, the strongest staff
o. pitchers Omaha has had since 1874.
Kelley, Sanders and Swain are seasoned
men and the other three very near It. AS
" the rest OF the team it is all right. With
Cadman, the ~slugger. and old standby
bonding, the catchers are expert. King
VIII stay on second and it viii be a tossup
between Pendry and Belden for center
Held. Pendry is the better batter and may
lmake a fast outfielder. The fact that the
Ntedm as a whole is made up of seasoned
ember Is what is bound to make it a
tlugh proposition for the rest Of the league.
This is a factor also in Sioux City's favor.
There need be no evading the fact, when
al. twitting Of the friendly Sioux is done
with, that Holmes has a real ball team and
II would not surprise many OF us II he and
kourke fought II out for first place. All
the other teams are good; the league. in
fact. is much Faster chan It was last year
.ur than IL was expected TO be this year,
bat such teams as Des Moines and Wichita.
with so much unseasoned timber, are sure
TO meet with difficulty In the end. Omaha
fans should be reminded Of this: President
Rourke has been rather severely criticised
l2hs year for not going out and getting
sfbster men to begin the season. 1t may
De Just barely possible that Rourke, who
has been In base bail all his life, was wait
ing to see how fast the league would be
before setting his watcn with II and that
when he saw It was running ahead OF
expectations he did go out and get the
players and he did pay the money for
item. Swain, schipke and Kelley cost
a sLag sum of real coin. The ~weeding-out
!. process he has done this year Is remark
aoie, He let go Of four players and took
.-.,e within the last two weeks, which
is some BUSINESS for a minor league team
y owner. We have 1t from Pa that he is
going TO maintain a team that is a team
this year cost what It may, Bigger days
are ahead for Omaha base bali interests.
.,vpting as true the story that Jiggs
s.,onue's ultimate disposal by Comiskey
was traceable to his encounter last year
with Manager Jones, the exchanges re-
Gently made by the White sox and Wash
ington are interesting IL not significant.
Jiggs Donohue ls sold to Washington be-
cause he fought with the manager; in ex,
change for him the Sox got Pitcher Burns
uRhO fought with the Canfaan ~ The Sane
tors last year. And Bob Ganley, who was
the Senator's field captain. with whom
Burns fought. is also disposed OF. He went
20 the Athletics. This is the one lesson to
learned-the one thing fatal TO a ball
team is internal dissension and there isn't
a team owner or manager who doesn't
know and act on this. Jiggs Donohue was
touted by Comiskey. Jones and all the
White Sox fraternity, as the greatest first
baseman in the business. then all of a
sudden he was missed from the lineup.
What's the matter. ] don't see Donohue
in the lineup any more2" fans inquired.
Hes sick, was the general answer. He
wasn't sick. Chances are UgGs. who never
was the greatest first baseman. is still a
cracking good man. but when ne fell out
with the manager OF the Sox his usefulness
TO that team ceased. II does not matter
tina 1uhes ulu not return 10 the team or
that his refusal TO return may have been
related 10 his trouble with Jiggs: the rest
OF the team, most OF them. took Jones' end
OF the argument and Jiggs became an out
east. Ganley's value TO washington de-
preciated to almost nothing when he en-
gagged in the fight with Burns It's a good
thing for base bail that things are this
way, And MS 4 good thing also that man
aeors are the first TO recognize It.
No use talking, II really looks as n Jack
Holland let go OF his premier pitcher when
- sold Swain to Omaha. But money will
~ EN-.
That reception slugger Bill got when he
stepped to the plate Friday was enough
TO make any man happy.
II Moran keeps up his catching record
and slugging. the Cubs may forget about
King.
Just think, II Graham were o sond
and King In center.