The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-15

sending men down to a quick finish
with regularity. It's nice to have the
leading club in the league in base
stealing, but running wild on the bases
does not help the victory column. A
little more conservatism in this depart
ment. please. While watching the
Denver-Lincoln fight, don't overlook
the fact that Isbelps men are playing
choice ball with Middleton out of the
game and Isbell laid up with tonsili-
tbs and that it will require stifening
UP for the Lopes to hold second place
That runner-up berth looks good to
most Of the local fans and we want
to keep it. St. Joseph is also com
ing. While the scores indicate that
the Drumrers were outhit yesterday,
| they took two straight from Omaha
and that team is playing ball. OF course.
an error cclmun from Omaha is to be
| taken with salt as the scorers there
will protect the pitcher to the detri-
ment of the visiting hitters whenever
possible.
Lincoln Star: Gagnier places O'Brien
as the best twirler in the league. Eddie
thinks the ex-ked SOx pitcher is re-
| spousible for the Bears lead. O'Brien
has won his number of games and has
saved many contest when the other
side was closing up narrow lead
| He'll pitch one day and be in uniform
the next Then when the other side
gets up within a run or so at the finish,
| Hendricks jerks his thumb and O'Brien
stops the trouble. He's a second Marty
| O'Toole and uses the same stuff" The
pitcher has a fine splitter, fast high
curve and a splitter with a bend on it,
and in addition to this, uses his head
and outguesses the batter most every
| time. Neither Unglaub or Gagnier have
the fan habit, the number of whiffs for
| both being less than dozen this sea-
son, but he got both of them yesterday
| r1..ot.1o MANAGER TSbeII YEA
| terday exercised his option of purchase
| on Pitchers Maple and Harmon, who
we're sent to the Nebraska State league,
which means that they will be here in
Bad luck still stays with Pitcher
Jimmy Durham, who was sold to st.
| Joe. Since leaving here he has pitched
four games, and while only five runs
/ have been scored against him, he has
lost all of them, which is certainly a
jinx record.
| Des Moines Capital: President Tip
/ O'Neill should instruct his staff of high
! class umpires to hurry the games along.
! They allow the players to loaf. 1t
usually takes from two to two and one
half hours to play q game in the West
ern league, while in other leagues the
/ games never last longer than two
hours; usually about an hour and
half.
Des Moines Capital: 1t was generally
supposed by Des Noines fans that when
the team returned from its enforced
stay abroad all past differences would
be forgotten. The hue and cry had
been, get rid of Higgins. Some even
went so far as to suggest Three-I
league baseball, much to the disgust Of
the real fans. Higgins is as far re-
moved from the Des MOines baseball
team at present as he ever can be. The
only thing lacking is his signature to
the contract in President O'Neill's Of
flee in Chicago which will transfer the
|. franchise to another man. Some peopls
seem to have the idea that by knock
ing the team and clubbing them out
casts, they are splitting Higgins. AS a.
matter Of fact they are hurting them
selves and baseball in Des Moines as
well as making the player down on the
city. Higgins has no more chance Of
staying in the Western league the rest
. of the season than anything. tn
Western league magnates, Tip Oman
and Des Moines fans are co-operatin1
) to force the sale as soon as possibis
: and they are not doing it by an aIlega5
attempt to place Des AIoines in a love- ~
4 class league 'O"er