The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-16
KAWS ARE STRONG
Gear Believes Team Will Play
Good Ball.
Seven Men on Squad Should
Hit Around 300.
GEAR LIKES PITCHER LEAK
Certain Soldier Boy Has Great
Season Coming.
Change Likely on Squad About
Opening Time.
GEAR LIKES PITCHER LEAK


You can't make Manager Gear be
lieve there is anything wrong with ms
team of Kaws- He sees only strong
aggregation, when he has completed
his lineup. That his pitching staff will
be strong enough for a pennant race
he is certain. And he isn't afraid of
the rest of the team. Gear points with
special pride to the fact that most of
the players are likely fellows who are
going the right way instead of depend
ing on sand to prevent their descent
down the incline.
For instance there's the hitting end
of the club. Gear figures that the first
seven men up will hit 800 under ordi-
nary circumstances. They are hitters
of that class, at least. Few of them
have not beaten the magic mark a few
points in the last two years. This
leaves only the pitcher and catcher
and Chapman, Smith and Schmidt are
all husky swatters, although falling
short of the three double mark. In
addition they are all fairly fast on
the sacks
Brigadier General Leak is a mighty
pleasing chap according to the mana
der youth. IF I can't make him
pitch winning ball I'll be badly sur
prised," Gear says. And it may be
added that the manager can make a
likes Leaks throwing arm and he likes
the manned in which the former army
man steps into the ball as it is served
up by the opposing pitchers.
There's a change imminent on the
squad and it will likely prove con-
siderable of surprise. The manager
isn't quite ready to announce it, may
not for some time, but he has prac-
tically decided upon it. This change,
he has decided. will strengthen the
only weak link in the team: And Gear
can prove to you why it will do so. The
change involves two or three players
and viii probably not be made before
the season opens.
Today's workout will be a morning
and afternoon session. Tomorrow the
morning workout will be held and the
contest YanniganS versus Regulars,
will be staged in the afternoon. Thurs
day the team will go to st. Marys to
play Qutgley's crew and give the
ground keeper an opportunity to work
on the grounds. There will be no
workout on the grounds Friday morn
ing, so it will not do Wichita a great
deal of good to come Thursday. It's
an old game, this one of trying to get
a workout on the diamond of the op-
posing team before the day for the
opening game. Cooley and Guy Green,
former owner of the Lincoln team,
had a row about it when Topeka first
opened in the Western league.
Plans are being worked out by A.
NJ. Catlin, president of the Topeka
Baseball association, that will permit
every boy in the grade schools to at
tend the Saturday games. The tickets
will be furnished through the princi-
pals of the various city schools. The
plan differs from that used by Hol-
land, in st. Joseph but the results will
It's a good move and means fans, this
year, next year and afterwards.
Gear believes that Denver and ST.
Joseph will be the teams that the
pennant winner must beat out. He
admits he IS a stranger in a strange
land and may be wrong, but the early
dope and last years records have de-
two most likely pennant contenders.
He isn't saying anything about his
own team, preferring to talk about
that later in the year.
The girls are looking 'em over
these evenings. Several of the play
ers are already working on tryout
contracts in more than one place. Sc
Iections should be made by the end
of the week.
Again we repeat they are an in
d1strious bunch There was no sneak
ing toward the bench when the cap
tain wasn't looking in Mondays work
out. Instead everyone who had a
chance to work into a place where he
could exercise was busy. More con-
versation was heard at the park today
than occurred outside the grandstand
all last season.
Smith made himself solid with a
lot of fans by the manner in which he
handled himself Sunday. Half a doz-
en- spirited debates were held today
on which of the trio is the best back
stopper and Smiths cause never
needed a champion. There was plenty
Of them always on hand.
The Kaw squad is tired of travel
and wonders why about the st. Marys
trip. The st. Marys journey is an an
nual affair made yearly just before
the season opens so that the locals
will know how defeat feels when it
comes. There is no team on earth that
can beat st. Marys but the Kaws try
It every year. The trip to the college
town is always a lot of fun for the
boys affords a workout and some
times real money is carried back from
there.
There was more pepper in the
workout Monday than has been seen
in a similar performance on the local
field in many a day. Whatever may
be the result when the real festivi-
ties begin matters not, there was
some classy work at that time. And
-
Easily