The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-13
(By Wagner)

Manager Charley Hemphill Of the
Atlanta, Southern association club,
has written to the Bridgeport man.
agement, offering to sell First Base
man Marty Phe1an to the Mechanics.
The old boy let his foot slip that
time. He evidently thought Phelan
was a stranger in these parts. If
Hemphill had known Phelan was a
former Bridgeport player he might
have hesitated about trying to horns
woggle the local fans. Phelan went
south after he was released by
Bridgeport in 1909. He had a good
season with Macon, Ca o., in the South
bought by Atlanta.
Manager Hemphill also offered to
sell Outfielder Britten to Bridgeport.
Britten was a pitcher last season and
won six and lost is. He claims to
be a good hitter and says he can
make good as an outfielder. Last
season his batting average with At
lanta was PAT.
Manager Mccain can't see either
Phelan or Britten but he would. like
to get Infielder Howard of the Allan
ia club. Howard is a Washington
youngster who went south last season.
He does not like the climate in that
section and is anxious to play in the
north Last season Howard hit .258
in AZ games and had a fielding aver
age of 9O5 at third base. Manager
Mccain is now negotiating for How
ard but is afraid Atlanta won't let
the player go.
Jimmy O'Rourke, who has been Wis
iting his parents on Pembroke street,
has left to join the Columbia, o. team
of the American association. The
Columbus squad is now in, the midst
of spring training.
Tommy Downey is playing short
stop for the second team of the Phila-
delphia Nationals at Hot Springs,
Ark. He has been fielding well but
has not hit much SO far. Indianapo-
lis papers say Downey will be sent to
that city.
Spike Hickey, who was played in
the outfield for Hartford last season
and was drafted by Cleveland. did
great hitting for the New Orleans
team in the training trip to Panama.
Hickey clouted for 389 He was turn
At Eagles hall tonight the Blue
Ribbon basketball team. formerly the
St. Joseph's will rningle with the
strong Naugatuck five. The visitors
have a fast combination but the Rib
bons are confident of victory. Nor
rison, the crack center, will be with
the locals and Bob Hoffman will also
play. There will be two preliminaries
and also dancing.
The Detroit Times has the follow.
ing story about Brad Kocher. the for
mer Bridgeport catcher. 1.-THE base
ball player on the most remote anna
teur team in the country never knows
when he is going to be tipped off
to the manager of a big league team.
Bradley Kocher who is one of the
two very promising Tiger catching re-
cruits was first sighted by Manager
Jennings six years ago when he was
with a kid team out at White Ha-
ven, Pa. A friend of the Tigers out
East put the Detroit scouts on Koch
er's trail. He was looked over and
then lost sight of until the Tigers
saw him with Bridgeport, Conn.,,
from which team they got him, let.
ting him out to Toronto for a while
for some farming. Kocher vies with
Mike Maurer and Del Gamer for the
honor of being pulled out of sand
lot and given a trial with the Tigers
Although he didn't look good enough
when an amateur for an immediate
trial nevertheless. he came across
with the stuff later on when he did
get into professional baseball"
The series between the Crane No
2 and Blue Ribbon teams for the bas-
ketball championship of the city will
probably start next week. 1t is said
that Manager MCGUIRE of the Cranes
thinks his team can beat the Ribbons
even if they have Morrison and Ca
hill in their line up. The Ribbons
would be. in a bad way if they could
not use these stars because they had
to give up two of their best men in
Hoffman and Langhammer who will
play with the Cranes.
Secretary Reddy of the Bridgeport
,lub is trying to arrange an exhibit
ion game with Yale University at
Iewfield Park. The Ellis have a few
open dates and it is hoped that they