Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-06
ffm OMAHA SUNDAY BEE


he a siow-mule race this year, but
frankly we don't believe Il. Anyway,
a. too early for that much wisdom to be
riaced on exhibition. Not a team in the
league has completed its roster, and until
mis- is done how are you going TO know
the callber Of the league? Instead OF jump
ing to this pessimistic conclusion in md
winter. we are disposed to take the Other
end Of the argument and predict that we
shall have a fairly fast league. Ihefe are
Agme reasons that seem to suggest the
(satety Of this position. In the tirst place
every team owner is out for the best ma
terial he can get and most OF them are
getting some good men. In the next place
the rule that cuts off so much OF the
f1otsam and jetsam Of the big leagues Is
bound to have a beneficial reaction for
the minors and the Western may expect to
snare in this benefit. Again-and this is no
small consideration-we win have one more
old-time. big league ball players. In the
league at the head OF a team Is Frank
Isbell. OF course we have lost Holmes, but
the way relations between Holmes and
other managers stood his loss is not vital.
And the new ownership and management
At Denver certainly Is a hopeful sign OF
renewed vigor and strength. There is yet
this one fact to be considered-scarcely a
team In the league but has young material
which last year was raw, but Tins year VIII
be valuable This ought not to be ignored
In a general view Of the situation. All in
ali the statement at this time that the
Western league will not be much faster
than 1t has been for a period Of years does
bot seem to be warranted.
Two interesting exchanges Of players
we're made last week. one was the Cubs
r purchase of Beaumont and the other the
exchange by Cincinnati to st. Louis OF
Higgins, cakes and Corridor for Beebe
and Storke. The Beaumont deal is another
illustrations Of the Importance the best
teams attach to the weight Of a veteran
as a balancing power. Beaumont was let
40 by Pittsburg to Boston when II was
thought he had passed his zenith. Yet
chance and Murphy see in him enough to
make Boston a good offer. AS a matter Of
fact. the Pirates, realizing they made a
mistake I'm parting with Beaumont, had
been dickering for him back. Beaumont's
addition to the Cubs means that Messrs.
Sheckard, Holman and Schultz will have to
outplay him or he will get one Of their
places as a regular. AS to the Cincinnati
st. Louis deal, there is a belief that chi
dApo. too, has a hand in that. Chicago
tAs been anxious to get Beebe and the be-
lief is that It will now get him by a Zeal
that will involve zimmerman's transfer to
Cincinnati. 1t would appear on the face Of
it that this deal is more in favor of st.
Louis than Cincinnati.
You have Cy Young's word for it that
lsthe spit ball has seen its last season. The
Grand Old Man of the box. In his forty
fourth year and about his twenty-fifth as
a premier pitcher, ought to be entitled to
an opinion, and he says that the man will
the spit ball is a back number, because
batters have come to know that he hasn't
anything else, or he would not resort to
that a%rtifice. The spit ball never was
more than a temporary expedient and base
ball would have been richer today had 1t
never been invented. Many a good man
has gone wrong because Of 1t. IT, as
Young says, II has reached It's end we
Nay afford to give 1t one kind word, the
Word Of a respectful farewell for a good
radiance of bad rubbish.
We are told there is good ground for
hoping that George Graham will be able
for his guilty role this season, lie will
scarcely be strong enough to a k his
place regularly and he does not care to
essay that after his two disastrous ex-
periences with that knee. But If Graham
Noan only come back for irregular service
q will mean much to Omaha. With such
: an infield as Kane, Fox, Schipke and
Potts, buttressed by the fastest second
baseman the league ever had, we Will GER
tainly be- veil on our way to the top.
49,
Manager Jack Holland is a fairly busy
boy these days, building a new Western
league team and a new park at the same
time. But Jack is doing both with such
vigor and getting such wholesome support
from his friends in st. Joe that nobody
is doubling his ultimate success. Here's
hoping that the Drummers have a fine
4 line OF goods and do a big business their
first season.
II the National league race OF 1910 isn't
the fiercest it has been in many years,
then we miss our guess. The Cubs, in all
probability will give the Pirates the closest
un they have ever had, for the Cubs are
lfnlng up every suggestion of a hole with
f~air-tight material, And it does not appear
l,hat it is going to be a two-team race.
Z Pitcher McQuillen of Philadelphia is a
modest and inselfish young man. He got
a nice raise in salary. $500 bonus and be-
sides his rich papa gives him a hundred foi
every game he wins and he is still kicking
for more money. h would you dc
with a man like that?
Already Cleveland is out with its cry
Of "pennant for 1910" But that's like the cry
OF the wolf, coming from Cleveland. The
Buckeyes will simply have to win the pen
uant 70 arouse any enthusiasm
Beaumont makes about the fourth player
Pittsburg has thrown away and the Cubs
nave pitched up-Pfeister, Hoffman Archer
The others. And they're not SO bad.
Comlskey may be able to put il on Muir.
ply when he gets that new south sid,
park completed, but when II comes to q
grand stand Murphy is always there.
Storke, traded by Pittsburg, to st. Louii
TO Cincinnati, seems to be no more popular
in the National league than another storl
Is in high society.
s. Thanks, Mister Ground Hog. Now, LETT
see-February, March, April. And not al