Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-26
u ISLANDERS
WILL NOT SHOW
When Roll is Called This Year
Only Five Of the Champs
Will Respond.
NEARLY ALL GO HIGHER UP
Make Records Last Year Which En-
title Them to Better Places in
the Baseball World.

Although the pennant which will
float at Island City park this year will
proclaim the Islanders the champions
of the Three-Eye league. 1t will be
true nevertheless that the real dyed
IN the wool champs for the most part
will not be among the players who
will have the title. The tosSerS and
hitters who earned the rights to the
championship laurels are for the most
part scattered far and wide over the
country. from Maine to California and
from St. Paul on the north to the gulf
on the south. Only five from among
the score of players who wore the
Islanders uniform last season when
the pennant was won will return to
the fold again this year. These are
Manager Jack Tighe, Frank Lakaff,
Otto Vogel, Harry Kelly and William
Jacobsen.
Four Pitchers Advanced.
Four of the Islander five crack
twirlers have left Glass B leagues
probably forever George Hardin, adj
mittedly the premier twirler in the
league, was sold to the Detroit Tigers,
champions of the American league, be-
fore the season had closed and George
is now trying out with them on their
southern training trip. Christy VIII
son. the cfassiest box artist in the
minors, in the opinion of one of the
best scouts who travels over the coun-
try for a major league club, was draft
cd by the Providence club in the East
ern league, where he is expected to
make good if his arm does not go back
on him Billy Neal. the steadiest little
HEAVIER in the league, did not escape
the Watchful eyes of the bigger fell
lows despite the prayers OF the Isl
ander fans that he might be spared,
and he was drafted by the Mobile
club in the Southern league. where he
Will make good even with the handicap
of hot climate against him. Billy does
not do his best work when the Their
mometer is boiling. Ray Webster, the |
cub" of the staff, was sold to Rock |
;Crd during the winter, but it is hard |
" thought he will play there, as he is
-rying for a better berth nearer his |
home in the east.
InfieId Is RIdd1ed.
By sales and drafts the infield of the !
hampton team was riddled, not only |
the regulars being taken, but also the
utility men. Out of seven inf1elders |
only two, Vogel and Kelly, remain on |
the Islander list. Both catchers, Eng |
and Stark. were sold to other teams,
Eng going to Burlington in the Cen
trail association and Stark to Hartford |
in the Connecticut league. Eng was
disposed of in justice to himself, as
he was not getting the work to which
he was entitled while with the ISL
anders. Stark went into faster COM
pany on his merits as a catcher. Joe
Berger, the islanders star shortstop
for several years passed, was taken
away from Rock Island by means of
a draft made upon the club by the
Mobile management, who also secured
Harry Swacina, the Islander first
sacker, by the medium Of a trade.
The two are already with Mobile and
are making good In Glass A baseball.
Utility Infielder Eddie Wise was sold
to Ottunwa at the close of the season
as it was felt that Eddie was Just a
little too light for the team which is
to be champions this year. Eddie
played part of last year with Ottumwa
and made good there so that his re-
turn was a welcome one.
OutheId Entirely Gone.
The entire Islander outfiekd moved
up into higher company this year as
the result of sales and drafts Frank
Murphy left Rock Island to play with
Los Angeles in the Pacific Coast
league. and from all accounts received
since his joining them he is making
good impression. Clyde Mcbride
was drafted by Birmingham in the
Southern league and he too made good
In the preliminary work, as every one