Evening star., 1909-02-28
|ST. LOUIS FANS
STUCK ON BROWNS
Manager McAieer Pins Faith
on Heidrick and Catcher
CHger.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

StJNCjs
Special Correspondence Of The Star.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, February 26, 1909.
Another base ball season IL on. James
McAleer. leader Of the st. Louis Browns.
started one squad Of his players In active
training last Monday. Ten Of the veteran
members Of the team reported at French
Lick Springs for a ten-day stay. after
which the entire squad will go to Houston.
Tex. for the regular practice. Before TAX
ing UP the work for another race in the
American League McAleer announced in
decisive manner that he never began
q season with as good prospects.
One rather surprising bit Of Information
was handed out by Manager James yes
terday. There have been few of the base
ball ANS here who have thought we'll of
Emmett Heidrick as probable help to
the Browns Of 1902 Consequently 1t was
surprising when McAleer announced that
he wanted Heidrick. and wanted him badly.
and that he believed he could get him In
condition for the coming season. Then
he added this emphatic statement:
eff Heidrick gets back In condition.
he will be the best outfielder in the Ameri-
can League. and haven't forgotten Ty
Cobb and Sam Crawford when say that.
There never was any one VINO couid run
the bases like that fellow. He had them
all beaten on the slide. He could hit any
kind Of pitching and he knew how to play
the outfields. Best Of all. he's scrap
per. He has an argument to make to
every one I like the player who can
give me an argument. and he's one that
was always there with the talk. Those
fellows who think the manager knows 1t
all and just try to do as he says never
get anywhere. may be foolish Inst IN stick, X
seems to be trying to throw us down.
but I'm not going to cut of my nose
to spite my face I am convinced hes
q great ball player and I want him for
the Browns"
A Wealthy Player.
Heidrick did not report for the water
cure'' at French Lick Springs. It Is quite
possible he will be on hand the first
week OF March ready to take the south
ern trip. He is wealthy and doesn't
have to play base ball for living. Still
he is a friend Of McAleer's and will
doubtless try once moro to get back In
the condition he was four years ago.
when he was the sensation OF base ball
rick in condition the Browns will have
the best team in the league, barring. OF
course. the possibility Of one or two
other stars falling down completely. The
Browns pitchers are all right. The
catchers are greatly strensthrned % ;,a Win
is superb. with exactly the same lineup
as last season So If Heidrick can get In
shape to play center field. Stone and
Schweitzer. with the help of Hoffman.
will complete an outfeld that cannot be
surpassed unless by the Detroit club
alone.
Another change planned in the outfield
by McAleer is g. shift Of George Stone
from left to right. George has been ac-
customed to playing the sun field in the
old park. and he plays 1t wonderfully
we'll Next summer the sun will blaze
into the eyes Of the right fielder. because
Of the shifted position OF the diamond.
Therefore McAleer will shift Stone to
than any of the other outfielders. This
shift is likely to help In another way,
as there are fewer throws to the plate
from right field than loft. and George
has weak throwing arm.
Criger Will Help.
good catcher was wanted by Nc
Aleer this year more than anything
else He got one when he acquired
Criger in exchange for Spencer. The
Browns lost lot Of games last sea-
son in errors Of omission rather than
commission The fans in the grand
stand seldom see those errors unless
unusually well informed on the details
Of base bail. But you all will recall that
Ed Spencer seldom picked a base run
ner off Of first base or of of second.
He didn't play ball that way. He
seemed to want them to try to steal
and then nail them at the next bag.
Neither did he have the faculty of for
seeing a hit-and-run play, and time
after time the batter would clout the
ball through shortStop or second base,
as one Or the other of those players
respectively ran to cover second base.
The catcher must be sharp enough to
foresee or even guess when such a play
is planned and signal for a wide ball,
one the batter cannot hit: then he can
probably catch the base runner.
Criger's great success in catching is
in working out these details of his po-
sition. He is continually nagging the
batter and the umpire. and he always
has the pitcher going at top speed.
He is a good guesser. and mixes the
batter up so much of the time that ne
doesn't have any idea he can hit the
ball.
With Wallace. Ferris. Williams and
Tom Jones on the infield McAleer feels
absolutely safe. There's not another IN
field in the league SO strong. so why
should he give it second thought.
The report that Jimmy Williams was
suffering from rheumatism and had
was wrong. Williams, it was after.
ward learned, has not had a touch OF
rheumatism since last fall. wien ne had
to leave the game for a few days. He
simply wanted to go to Hot Springs be-
cause he preferred the baths and water
there to those at French LICK Springs,
and McAleer granted his request.