Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-02-11
Judgments

the Wetsarn league is much
brighter than it has been at any
time since the close ON the 1911
season. Many clouds hung low
npon the horizon last fall and they are
slow to disappear, but now they seem to
have been well dissipated and the sun is
shining. President O'Nein, Bill Rourke
and the other magnates are entitled to
much credit for the Improvement in
things and it Is probably not going too
FAR to say that chief credit belongs to
the leagues executive, the Hon. Norris
Lafayette O'NeIll. He has been a busy
man all winter and his business has
brought results. lie has worked overtime,
not taking his customary midwinter vaca-
ton In his California homeland, though
he hopes TO work in bit of trip yet.
Through the offices of o'NeIn the Lin
holn club is saved and Don Despair re-
lalns control of it. Despair was COM
pletely swsmped and at sea and would
have gone down had not the 1900 been
raised in Chicago with which to rescue
bin and his team. 0Neill Is entitled to
much credit for Strengthening out the tan
gled affairs at Des Moines and It is
lust as well for Western league fans to
recognize here and now that old man
comiskey. whom the Sporting News calls
The godfather of the Western league"
is friendly port in time of storm for
this league and has come to o'Neilrs aid
many times when the ship had been
seuttled by some pirates and was about
10 sink. He let's go Of real money as the
life line. This brings back to mind the
peanut protests once made against
DNeilrs maintaining his office and head
quarters in Chicago instead OF some town
on this circuit. We pointed out in these
columns then that he was in the proper
place In Chicago. where he could keep In
direct contact with the base ball world
and the big boys of the game and that
Is what he has done and is doing. The
Western league reaps the benefit OF It.
30 Lincoln and Des Moines are back on
the map with encouraging prospects.
Frank Isbell Is sure to met the require
ments in the Iowa city. The recent trade
Of Jack Thomas for Bill Dwyer ought to
help Lincoln, whether 1t does Des Moines
DR. not, Lincoln needed a manager and
gets Nun, as wen az u IAeN be1NAhah th
bwyer. Thomas can play IL he will and
he will If he stays on Isbeils team, that
4 a cinch. Another town that promises
much for this season is TopekS. With
real ball man like old Dale Gear at the
head Of the team, II lie sure to become
hustler, Dale has already landed lot
bf new material and he has the cordial CO.
narration OF the local fans and all are
determined on a winning season. That
pught to insure 1t.
Pa Rourke won out on his long sere-
huIe season-16S games. Well, why notT
II would be impossible 10 make base
hall season too long. The only regred we
nave ia that conditions do not warrant
naylng 1t twelve months In the year
often after our Western league season
closes we have some of the finest base
hall Weather of the year and it breaks the
heart of q real fan to see it go to waste
We are glad Pa stuck for the long sea-
son and gladder that he won.
Even base ball has Its social side as
comiskey and a few other diplomats OF
the game, have always demonstrated
1ack Holland may be regarded as the
social lion in the Western league, though
Dale Gear now threatens to challenge his
,,tIa Local conditions determine lot.
n the fans are inclined to boost, II means
everything TO the teams winning, and II
thew are predisposed to knock, ii also
means everything. only the other way
around.
They gave Dale Gear banquet reeep-
tion down at Topeka the other day ana
"W. G. F." in the Sporting News says:
svro say that Dale Gear made hit would
he putting it mildly. II he can handle
hail team with as great a degree Of sue
cess as he can experimenting, President
o'Seiu might just as well send US the
1911 Pennant now, as playing the schedule
will be q mere Formally
wrestling is getting strong hold in
the various universities Of the west, fol-
lowing in the trail OF some OF the large
eastern schools The University OF Ne
braska has matches scheduled with sew
eral western universities. and 1t remains
TO be seen whether the sport Will last on
q strictly amateur basis.
cWelch is a splendid man for team
remarks the Sioux City Sporting News
correspondent. anent Of the siouxs cast
offs. whereat one might ask It he Is such
a sulendid man for a team, why oio
sioux City let him get awayf
Coach s.tehm Of the University OF Ne
braska has put his seal Of approval on
the new foot ball rules. 1t always taxes
a tryout, however. to see whether they
will work
Pueblo probably has as much chance Of
setting a verdict for damages against
frank Isbell as it has for getting team
On the Western league this year
Guy Green il green guy 10 ask sun
from tip o'Nein and those other fellows
Why not make It million:
oToOls has signed his contract Fiay
kall