The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-24

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| ~
The playing season in the Western
/ League will close Sunday at Denver
J when the Kaws finish the last game of
a double header scheduled for Septem-
Der %. As far as Topeka is concerned
| the playing ended fair week The team
| has been away since then and there is
| nothing for the local team to fight for
! A number of players have been allow
ed to 90 home and others will stop
| here Monday en- route their winter
| quarters
What would you do if you owned the
| ball team2 Next year it is hoped that
| the kaws will make better showing
| To make a better showing changes must
be made on the team What changes
should be made is the question which
will cause countless discussions this
/ winter The same question will cause
a busy cold season for Manager Gear
| And lust because the writer has the
opportunity he is going TO say here
what he thinks is needed on the team
| 1t doesn't follow that the guess VIII
| be anywhere near the correct one
Yours is just as good and probably
better Manager Gear quite likely has
one And this is written without in
formation as to what the owners Of
the club may plan or hope to do
Behind the plate Gear needs a catch
err He should have a steady, heady,
relia bic man with some years Of ex-
perience as a backstOpper. The man
ager can't watch the pitchers and run
the ball club He needs some one TO
help out with this work beside doing
- Oh ne
Kaws have lost lot of games this
year through poor work behind the bat
Billings a recruit catcher from the
Central Kansas League, is promising
youngster. 1t is believed that he will
be a great catcher some day. But he
shouldn't be depended upon for the
bulk of the work An old catcher
could help him a great deal as well as
help the pitchers And the promising
ones don't always look so good when
they return Smith, the young Indian
catcher looked like great guns in the
spring but was Disappointing when re-
called late this summer. He didu't
show enough to keep his job unless it
has been on the road lately So we
want an old head catcher who likes
to work and help teach the young
sters.
The Lord knows no one needs pitch
ers much worse than the local CLUB
The Reynolds draft leaves his owner
ship unsettled Cochran shows signs
Of becoming a pitcher He has a good
arm and is quick to learn He is
possibility and one which should be
carefully cared for Hornsby has
pitched some good ball for the Kaws /
and should hold one Of the mound jobs |
next wear Adams the writer has not |
seen work but the Hastings recruit |
has pitched some good ball on the ROAD |
ocreham-weII-what ais CoCreham2 /
With his size and arm he ought to De /
one of the best Some say he doesn I
use his head and others say he gets I
a lump in his throat At that he |
pitched no hit game against Omaha /
But the writer has sat at the local I
ward and watched Cocreham groove the /
ball with two strikes and no balls I
on the batter That kind of pitching /
doesn't win games Cocreham isn't the |
offender in this respect In the last 4
game played here Cy Young did the 1
same thing against one Of the strong
est Sioux City batsmen, and what
Andreas did to that ball would melt
a heart of stone But getting back
70 Cocrehau1. the writer would have
TO be awfuIIy hard up for pitching
material before the big fellow would
he given more chance at class A ball
More experience may make good
pitcher of the big fellow Here's hop
ing il does. The Kaws need three good
pitchers By good pitchers is meant
the Hagerman, Leonard, Johnson,
Durham kind With Hornsby for the
fourth and the fifth to be developed OF
REYNOLDS or Cochran the Kaws could
start out strong in the pitching de-
1artmeut-
There are two places on the in
field that need not be worried about
And one of them is first base The
writer believes that Rube Gardner is
1ue Of the steadiest, headiest ones in
The league He is some all around ball
,Jsxer and Gear could win a world Of
James with nine men just like him
Gardner will probably play better ball
ext wear than he did this and he will
7nfsh right at the 300 mark in hit
ing this year. He hits timely and
Toes a lot of other things that a ball
player should do
The other position is second base
zreuch. Hensiing or Walsh, as the case
nav be. should cover this sack with !
INF trouble. The writer inclines to I
walsh. He is good at tagging, fast at
ieIding. and growing better, and feet :
If foot as an Indian WaIsh's only :
When the pitcher gets two strikes on !
him Jeems can't fight back With r
men on bases he either brings the man :
,oue or fails 10 advance him If his T
rive isn't a hit the runner is stuck Z
8 James can't keep EN- on the ground r
With the remainder of the inf1eId made t
ID of strong hitters the writer would :
avor him for the second base job. T
Jnless the other indelders are 10 be +
lard hitters 4 man who swings the T
willow better should be at the half +
way station 7
Figuring on keeping Walsh at sec
he