The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-03-18

Dear Editor:
Two weeks of wonderful weather
and daily workouts have brought our
band of leather Founders into mid
summer form.
For the first time in the history
of the Athletic team, its players are
in the pink of condition before the
championship race starts and accord
ing to all base ball dope, present in
dications and productions of local
fans who have seen the games be-
tween San Antonio and the Mock
men, the White Elephant squad will
make the battle for the American
League penning a running. Com
ing through a terrific rain storm the
night before reaching the training
camp, the order of the enthusiasts
was dampened The morning in San
Antanio dawned, however, with a
,cloudless sky and two hours after
reaching the Menger Hotel the lean
presiding genius of the Quaker City
contingent was leading his men on
the field of Black Stedium, the new
Texas League park. Water, knee
deep confronted Mack back of the
plate and things looked bad for the
first week of camp. The local boys
got busy, however, and shortly the
Mayor of the town arrived on the
scene with the most powerful steam
er of the fire department. Ten burly
fire fighters dove headlong into the
pond of muddy rain water, and then
started their apparatus pumping.
All day they labored, sweeping and
digging until by night fall, a sea of
mud replaced the pond of water. The
following day, sand artists took up
the work and before noon a thick
covering of white sand gave the
catchers solid ground to chase the
numerous foul cracks. A day of sun
shine and the entire field was in fine
playing condition, week of wonder
full weather, during which time hard
ly a cloud appeared in the sky, en-
abled Mack to get his men into fine
shape.
! Alternating with the local team
and his youngsters he threw his regu-
lars into battle each afternoon, young
pitchers doing the majority of the
pitching. Bender and Coombs were
used several times but the old boys
using nothing but speed and a
change of pace which Bugs Raymond
used to say was change of place in
stead of pace, as he said every time
he used it, it was a change of place
(cities) The sensational infield
which put such crimp in the world
championship aspirations for Nc
Graw's bunch two years ago, is work.
ing in wonderful fashion, Bakers
position being filled in a most accept
able manner by Orr, a California
league product. Baker did not
reach camp until Sunday, March g..
He will take his position at once,
Orr having gone on north with the
Yanigans and Mast which will in
clude a months transforming trip
through the southern states.
The far-seeing tactician who pilot
ed the White Elephants through so
many successful campaigns, has
picked up a wonderful bunch of men
this year. Orr, Brady, Tick, and
Fritz present formidable infield
whenever compared with the $1,000,-
600 beauties, McInnes, Collins, Barry
and Baker With Harry Davis, the
star of yore, holding down the first
sack, the Mack proteges have been
playing a steady, consistent game
which has shown the Texas leaguers
up in great shape and given the reg
ulars a hard fight in every contest
staged.
This comparison of Vans and Reg
ulars in spring training camps is Of
ten ridiculed, fans insisting that the
older men do not extend themselves