The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-29
HAPPY NOW
Roth Plugs Up Weak Spot on Infield
He Says.

| St. Joseph, April 29.-Happy over
| the prospect of another winning team
this season, and encouraged by the
showing of the Drummers so far, St
Joseph fans are confident that Jack
Hollands hired men will be strong
contenders for the 1912 pennant. The
more enthusiastic bugs are predicting
that the club which beats the Drum
mers out will cop the flag.
Although the race has barely got
ten under way, local fans have good
reason for their belief as Holland has
without a doubt the best team this
year that has represented this city
since her return to the Western
League in 1910.
In securing Third Baseman Bobbie
Roth from the Kansas City Blues, the
Drummer boss plugged up the only
weak spot there was in the lineup.
on the local club for two years and
Roth is the answer to a knotty prob
lem that has been bothering Big Jack
for long time. Roth was secured
from the Blues under option. Charlie
Carr thinks so well of him that he re-
fused to sell him outright. He is a
fairly good hitter at all times but
best of all he is a sure fielder and
fast on the bases. His addition to the
club has strengthened the infield won
derfully and makes the team look
more dangerous than ever on the
bases.
The return of Bill Borton to the
team settled the first base question.
The big fellow looks better than ever
before. He is fielding fifty per cent
better than last year and hitting the
ball hard. Bobbie Meinke, the nifty
little bricktopped shortstop is also
showing wonderful improvement. the
loss of Barney Reilly at second base
was a blow to the club until Holland
decided to try Joe Kelly there Kelly
is natural infielder and is taking to
his work like duck to water. In
pulling him out of the garden Holland
believes he has done the best thing
for the club and the player also. Wat
ty watson, who has taken Kelly'S
place in the outfield, has been playing
grand ball ever since the season open
ed. He comes from the Burlington
club of the central association. He
led that league in extra base hits, stol-
en- bases and runs scored last season.
Holland is perfectly satisfied with
his battery material. GoSSett and
Castle, although both young catchers,
make a brace of backstops that are
hard to beat anywhere in the minor
leagues. The pitching staff looks like
a sure winner. Johnson, Crutcher.
Wheatley, Woldring, Chi1lette and
Freeman have not yet rounded into
form but the other four twirlers are
going in great shape. Crutcher and
Johnson are pitching better ball than
ever before. Wheatley, practically a
ton and Woldring appears to have
everything in the line of slants and
shoots that a pitcher could want. OF
the quartette three are spitball artists
with good curve balls to back them
up. Crutcher, Chellette and Freeman
stick to the shoots exclusively.
With a pitching staff that he can
depend upon and team such as the
1912 Drummers are behind them,
Holland feels optimistic concerning
the race. He predicts that it will be
hot all the way. He says that Denver,
Sioux City and Des Moines
will come up just as soon as they hit
their stride and that when they do the
real fight for places will be on. He
figures there isn't a real weak club in
the eight this season. AS far as the
Drummers can be doped from actual
performances to date, they look bet
ter than two of the clubs-Des Moines
and Sioux City, as they clearly out
played both teams. The Drummers of
1912 are not an experim ent-they are
a known quantity, and for this reason
Holland feels safe in predicting that
they will wind up one, two-as they |
did last season.