New-York tribune., 1912-03-03
TIMELY BITS Of SPORT
Brooklyn Superbas Almost Made
Over in Three Years.
WORKING TO WIN PENNANT T
Rucker and Hummel the Only
Ones on Roster Who Played
with Team in 1909.

Nov that all the players Of the Brooklyn
team OF the National League have signed
contracts, q glance over the list shows that
Of the team which took the field IN 1903
only two men are left--Nap Rucker the
brilliant pitcher. and John Hummel, the
infieldcr. This indicates clearly what ef-
forts have been made in the last two sea-
sons by Charles Ebbets. owner OF the club,
and Bill Dahlen. his manager, TO build UP
a winning combination. 1t takes time TO
tear one team to pieces and construct an
other, largely with new material, but the
fact that only two players have survived
the test in the last three years is evidence
enough Of what is being done 10 get a PEN
nant winner across the Bridge.
The new players in 1910 who are still with
with the best first tssemen in the country:
ICY" BarGcr and Knetzer. pitchers and
Erwin and Miller, catchcrs. The mon who
wore a Brooklyn uniform for the first time
last year and have signed to play again are
Zack Wheat. Dollie Stark, Coulson. David
son, Tooiey, Schardt. Ragan and Burk.
Seventeen players have been purchased
or drafted this year at an expense OF over
10000 in the hope that one or two may
show well enough in the spring training
work to justify their being held TO strength
en some weak spot. These men are Allen
Broen. Cutshaw, Daily. Dent. Downs. His-
gins. James, Kent, Morrow, Moran, North
en-, Phelps. Reilly. J. G.. Smith, Stack and
Yingling
Bill nahlen and While Neeer. who has
been engaged TO help coach and develop
the recruits, are not likely to overlook any
stars. II another Daubert or d strong
pitcher or two can be discovered i'm the lot
Mr. Ebbets will consider his $4,000 well
spent On paper the Superbas look stronger
| than last season. when they finished in the
second division, and Dahlen is remarkably
! optimistic, even though he is not making
any predictions The Brooklyn fans"
have reason TO hope for the best.
As previously told in The Tribune. Mr..
! Ebbets will throw up a shovefu of earth
with a silver spade as the first step toward
constructing Ebbets Field the new home OF
the team, in the Flatbush section, Brook
lyn, tomorrow afternoon. weather permit
ting.
Borough President Steers OF Brooklyn
will make a short address, following which
| luncheon viii he served. The time has
been fixed at I o'clock.
Bill Bergen's name does not appear in the
list of Brooklyn players The once popular
catcher, who led the National League in
his position in 1915. even in competition
with such masters as Bresnahan. Klins
| and Gibson appears 10 have been lost IN
some mysterious way. Il is possible that
Dahen is enforcing a bit OF discipline by
not ordering him to report at Hot Springs,
but it is more likely that he has decided 10
depend on Phelps purchased from the To-
ronto club and TEX Erwin 10 do the
catching. Phelps is almost sure 10 add
strength to the team where II was needed.
Danny Murphy, who will act as captain
Of the Philadelphia Athletics this year.
! SAYS his team will again win tho pcnnant
! He predicts further that the Boston Red
/ Sox will finish in the second division and
that the New York Giants viii rcpoat' IN
the National League.
Philadelphia critics. 20 SAY nothing Of
the fans" are optimistic 10 the point OF
delrium. Another American League pen
! nant is accepted as foregon" conclusion
and now the praises Of the Phillics are
q
/ Philadelphia. To show how strongly some
OF the critics feel "Mr Wiseguy.' IN 'rhc
| Philadelphia Press" may be- quoted:
Every time fellow speaks about those
| Phillies IN the same breath with the word
"penuant' some other fellow breaks IN
with: "Oh, that club, I've been roofing for
! them for twenty years and something al
| ways happens 10 prevent thcm from WIN
ming the championship J thlrk thcE re
| hoodooed." There is no Disgusting the fart
that the general opinion is much ~ stated
above.
trembling ;hat the writer sits down 80 o
! typewriter TO attempt To tell why the Ph.l-
! lies should win the National League pen
nanor at the very %orst' BE- oG IN the ngTt l;rt
| to say next fall u told you So or "W1it
| tn next year." II by any chance the QUak-
ers should have bad year.
is 10 give his honest opinion, and my opin-
ion is that. as they are hooked up TO-DAY,
the PhilNcz have the best team in the Ma
tional League.
A few lines later hc says that, with
| "Red" Doom, 'Pcaches" Graham and KILL
fer to do the catching. the Phillics have
tbe strongest mask and nit department in
cjthc. ieagre.' Sounds fino, hut there arr
those who viii not agree.
Accident insurance policies for 5000 each
have been given 10 Charley Comskey and
each member or The Chicago team by two
admirers Of the White sox. The policies
are in leather pocketbooks. bearing the
owners name in gold letters.
Tire Chicago Cubs left for New Orleans
yesterday, with Toney. the pitcher, and
! Zimmerman. the inhelder still holding
out" Otherwise the squad was complete,
| although Mordecal Brown will not join the
| team until the middle Of the week.
"The Boston Herald" has picked an all
star intercollegiate hockey seven. Harvard,
which beat Yale in a three-gamo series.
gets four places, while Princeton. which
won the intercollegiate league champion
ship. gets three The team is made up as
follows:
Left wing, Sortwcll Harvard; centre
Kuhn. Princeton: rover Baker. Princeton (;
| right wing, Kay. Princeton; cover poiLt,
| Huntington. Harvard; point Blackall, Har-
ward; goal, Gardner, Harvard.
on the second team Princeton gets two
places, Yale two, Cornell two and Columbia
| (Trimble) one
! Three new stakes to be run at the spring
meeting Of the Kentucky Racing Associa-
! ton were. announced yesterday at a meet
ing of the executive committee. They are
| as follows:
The Phoenix Hotel Handicap, for three
| year-olds, one and one-Hxteenth miles;
the Brewers Selling Stakes. for three-year-
olds, one mile. and the Iroquois Stake, for
! two-y -year-0lds, four and one-half furonss
The association will add 5000 to each. This
makes seven stakes TO be run at the meet
! ing.