Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-25
ATFILETICS


club that Van Haltren wishes were
stronger Otherwise he is satisfied
with the team as it stands today. This
position is behind the bat, Vans
catchers are not working to please him.
They are not weak, puny fellows. Tneir
bodies and arms are strong enough.
The flaws are In their heads. They
are not pulling off enough plays to
make Van happy. Strong arm work Is
not enough for him. A catcher can
break up plays and nip base runners off
the bags. He can be big help to
team in sundry ways. Slattery was
miserable thrower, but he had head
that was not empty. Oakland has three
catchers signed--Marx, Carl Lewis and
La Longe. They are hard working and
conscientious and all that, but the
Oakland manager wants them to show
him inside baseball. Unless there are
changes for the better, look out for re-
lease. Otherwise the team is running
to the satisfaction of Van Haltren.
His pitchers have not struck their
stride on account of poor condition,
but he is losing no sleep on this score.
an Boice, Nelson, Christian g. Co. he
believes he has q staff that will cope
successfully with the best in the
league. AS to his flelders. they look
his team up along speed lines. Pains
were taken to sign fast young play
ers who could make runs without
knocking the ball over the fence. Van
Haltren has very likely youngster
at first. Cameron handles himself
much like Joe Nealon did when he
broke In. He is as active as colt and
uses the club like good hitter. Trues-
dale at second, is a fast article, but
fo,, n IN
already. and so have they to McCay at
third. Breyette, at short, is another
young colt who will add speed to the
team.
II think Los Angeles will have about
as Strong a team as it had last year."
remarked Zeider in San Francisco.
"Daly, who has taken the place of
Cakes, looks to be fast. He may not
be the hitter Cakes was, but he field
ed against us very well. Ellis will be
missed, but if Bernard plays regularly
he will strengthen the outfield. Dillon
has picked up a good catcher in Oren-
dorff. He has another backstop. but I
think Orendorff will do the bulk of the
work Los Angeles infield will be the
same as it finished with. Even with
Gray gone, Dillon's pitching STAFF will
be strong. You can depend upon Dillon
being In the race this year."
A good story is told on Terry Nc
Kune, the new second baseman of Cy
MORNINGS Oakland State League club.
Terry was the latest recruit to jump
to the independents. and when he re-
ported to Captain Joe Nealon at Mo-
desto he was carrying considerable ex-
cess weight. Nealon is proving a very
strict disciplinarian and makes the
players hustle all the time during the
training hours. He has them out twice
every day working on the diamond, and
also makes them do road work.
One morning he had the boys out
doing a ten-mile stunt, and Terry
found the pace so warm that he wanted
to quit and lag behind. Nealon stopped
long enough to hunt up a big stick
and kept In close pursuit Of Terry, and
every time that the former Seattle
shortstop slackened up he would prod
him with the club, which made Terry
increase his speed trifie.
Tommy Shehan. who played with
Joe Nealon at Pittsburg, states that If
the hard hitting first baseman had
worked as industriousiy for the Smoky
City team as he has been doing at
Modesto to reduce in weight and get
into shape he would today be the big
gest star in the National league. Tho
appointment of Nealon as captain has
worked wonders. and he is said to be
singing the ball for keeps and cavort-
ing around the initial cushion like a
two-year-old.
The Sacramento club grabbed jewe
when 1t stole first baseman Arnold
from the Fresno club of the State
league. Arnold is a good ringer fol
Bill Moriarity in size and in move
ments, but promises to be better
sticker than the former Stockonian He
played a nice first in the Phoenix games
and was particularly strong with the
willow.
Catcher Simpson of the Phoenix team
is human can OF ginger and is always
in the game from start to. finish.
Outfielder Adams of the Oakland clut
has been landed by Manager Graham
Adams was with the Senators in the
two games with the White Sox and
worked nicely He was dissa tisfled with
his position with Oakland last season
and went over to the State league