The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-12

date of the arrival of the Minneapolis
squad. The teams will indulge in a
day of 1ractica and then will put on
the first game of the season. President
Higgins says that none of the players
are holding out and that the signed con-
tracts are coming into the Office daily.
Jack Holland: Pm for the boosters.
There isn't anything better for a club
than a good bunch Of boosters behind
it. Sioux City did not have the best
ball team on the circuit last year. vet
showing was due to the support the
players received from the fans. Why,
those rooters there wouldn't remain
still, even when the other side was
scoring, and when Sioux City had an
inning-say, you couldn't hear yourself
think. And it diGn't matter if the team
struck. one of those ruts-as all clubs do
and lost few games The fans never
wavered in their support. They were
roofing just as hard when losing as
when winning. And it's a mighty fine
thing for the city, too. A ball club
comes and beats us badly and the fans
do not jeer the local players. but in
stead cheer them on. The visiting play
| ers notice that and they go away, re-
/ marking about it. It makes them like
the city and the spirit of the FANS
In the event that Johnny Byrne, Sec
rotary to Owner Higgins of the Des
MoineS baseball club for the past two
years, does not reconsider his resigna-
ton which he says he sent to Mr.. Hig-
gins, William Hughes, who last year
handled all refreshments at the East
Side park, will be the next man TO
handle the clubs affairs for Mr. Hig-
gins. In letter recently sent to Mr..
Hughes, Owner Higgins states that re
is of the opinion that Byrne will be
with him again this season but should
he not care to again take up the trou-
bles of the team in 1910, the position
would be offered to Hughes.
Dick Padden, formerly St. Paul man
ager. will do the scouting for the WASH
ington club next season.
Nap Rucker, the Brooklyn southpaw,
who was injured in an accident recent
ly has almost entirely recovered and
expects to be as good as ever next sea-
son.
Arthur McCabe, the leading hitter Of
the Connecticut league, with a 1886 bat
ting average on the New Britain club,
will be given every chance to make
good with Cincinnati this spring
Steinfeldt and Howard of the Cubs
will not be able to go through Alabama
this spring, as there are judgments
against them growing out of the row
with Umpire Harris at Birmingham
| two years ago.
Eastern league experts are unani-.
nous in the belief that Pitcher Russell
Ford, who did phenomenal work for
Jersey City last year, will be one of
the Edighlanders' regular sIabmen this
| year.
| Tom Jones is to have another rival
| for his job at the first base with De-
! troit next year. Jennings is figuring on
giving Simmons a trial. Simmons comes
! from Rochester and hit .299 in the
| Eastern league. McGraw had Simmons
south with him in 1908 The manager
/ of the Giants got him from the Con-
1 necticut league. Too much weight
| proved a handicap and he was let go TO
! Rochester He played first for Cancels
pennant winners, and Jennings drafted
| him and will give him a trial
| There is a terrible Swede going to
| the Hishlanders next season, Ole john
son. Johnson was born and raised at
/ Muncie, Ind, and is a glass blower
! during the winter months. He started
/ his professional career in 1903 with
Dallas. He stayed there two years and
| left the Texas league in 1904. At the
close of the season he was sold to the
| Little Rock club. He was hardly Glass
A caIiber then. but Little Rock held
| him tw~ years before selling him 30
/ Charleston. S. G. He Joined Portland
| in September. 1907 and has played a
| sensational game at short since.
A Lincoln dispatch says: Don c.
| Despair. president of the Lincoln base
| ball club. is proving a veritable sur
| prise party to the army of enthusiasts
! in this eitv and suburbs. Despair is a
live wire whose management will bear
close inspection. When Messrs. Despair
and Stoner bought the Lincoln fran
/ chise last summer. the most optimistic
/ were dubious. When they sold the
! popular playing captain, Bill Fox, to
A Omaha for 81. 800. a vail of sorrow went
| up to the Lincoln armament When
| President Despair, still in his swad-
4 ding clothes as a magnate. wrote a let
ter to President Prexy OiNeill, boss of
the league, the timid ones were sure it
sealed Lincoln's doom for fair treat
n1ent from the big man. Newborn
magnates like new United States sem
ators are supposed to sit in the corner
and maintain silence-for a few years,
at least