The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-07
PLAYERS SIGN UP
Few HOIdOuts Outside Two
Western League Towns.
Weather the HOOdOO of the
Training Season.
KAMeAS RnYS Tn HOLLAND
KANSAS BOYS TO HOLLAND
Des MOines Offers Choice OF
Five Baseball Parks.
Dryer Might Do Well With
Lincoln Club.

All but three Of the Sioux City play
ers have signed contracts. The Kaws
are practically all signed up, Rourke
says he has only a limited number of
contracts out and the Drummers are
writing their names on contracts with
pleasing regularity. Des Moines and
Wichita are having some trouble with
the holdout proposition. Lincoln, lit
tie slower than some of the other towns
in receiving returns, was Handicapped
but viii come along nicely now that the
affairs of the team have been settled
and there should be nothing TO prevent
an early and thorough training season
unless the weather interferes Weather
is the one bugaboo of the training sea-
son in this latitude. Rain and low tenn
peratures play havoc with the players
The locals hope by going south to get
away from the annOyanceS OF tne past
Perhaps they will. Rourke will go TO
Joplin and Holland Will reduce the
weight of his players at Excelsior
Springs Denver too was going to the
Missouri resort but when MaSih learn
cd that Holland was going TO Excel
sfor he changed his mind and his bears
Will gamboi over the green at Hot
Springs. Ark But the training season
for the ,Festern is only little more
than month away. 1t will not be long
until all viii be readiness for the pre-
paratory course.
Not only has the Cleveland team
moro Young blood than any of the bis
leaguers but the Olsen who IS to cap
tain the team is reported TO be Ivan
Olsen. formerly with the Hutchinson
team in the old Western Association.
Last year was his first year in Dis
league ball If it is the same Ivan.
The passing of Johnnie Mullen, the
former Western League umpire, to the
new International circuit recalls a con
versation with him as he waited on 4
train which was to take MIN east al
the close os baseball festivities a year
and a half ago. Mullen liked to work
in the stern but the year before
had been given a chance in the Ma
tional League. Looking for advance .
lnent the same as anyone else, accepted. /
Pulliam died and Mullen didn't make I
much of an impression on Heydler De /
cause he DIDN'T ask for a place Pull /
liam had promised it to him the fall {
before. Johnny didn't grovel when ne +
took the matter up and received no I
answer to his letter Ban johnson I
engaged hir early during his last year /
in the Western for the season of 1911. /
Mullen has 4 lot of friends out west 7
who would like to know just why the I
plucky little Irishman didn't remain in I
the American League. According to |
press reports he got away well in the I
big show last year.
It's the season of the year when Bugs /
RAYMOND eWears off drinking for q I
that he do it on his own expense this /
year.
The Des Moines Register and Leader
says St. Joseph, resurrected from the I
baseball graveyard Two years ago, has T
paid Jack Holland a fair return upon +
his investment. Indeed This is a rash T
statement for the usually conservative (
Register and Leader. st. Joseph gave +
Holland $4,000 CT more to install ball +
club there. Holland bought the Pueblo /
club for $1,000 according to his own I
statement. He didn't spend more than |
$500 for players that year. and sold a
few. Fair return? Yes, fair
With five sites for baseball park I
to choose from and all of them within /
easy walking distance Fairweather and /
Isbell are planning to build a grand !
stand that viii seat $500, bleachers for +
1900 more and 100 boxes. Arrangements F
will be made to take care of an addi- /
tional $500 overflow crowd It is ex-
pected that the work will be completed T
and the grandstand and boxes il shape /
for use by April ), TWO weeks before /
the season opens.
Here's one guess on the way they I
may open the season: At Topeka, Lin /
coin: at St. Joseph Des Moines: at /
Omaha, Sioux City; at Denver. Wichita
Anyhow they'll decide it today if there I
isr't too much windjamming in Comis- i
keyville, Ill
Great Bend is to raise $500 by Feb
rliarv Is to retain baseball in the newly +
organized Kansas League As there /