The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-26

Block announces that he's tired of
stopping the thirteen-inch shells of
Jack Hendricks husky twirlers and
that if he continues in the Western
league he must be given a regular
berth upon the inner defense, prefer
ably third base.
The big league scouts have had
their eyes upon the curly headed lad
with the heavy stick most of the sea-
son and there have been numb of
offers for his services. If the Bear
management sees fit to accept, he Will
be trotting around in fast company
next year.
AS matter of fact, Block realizes
that he is too good hitter to be
wasted in a position where he is not
actually q star. Though a remark
a BILE performer at bat, Block has new
er regarded himself as a wonder be-,
hind the plate.
Lefty Thomas, released by Wich-
tia, st. Joseph and Topeka, has gone
to Silver City, N. M, where he will
play Independent ball in the cactus
country.
A Sioux City critic says Brother
Fred handed Josh Clarke a bunch of
lemons in the three recruits sent the
Sioux from Pittsburg. Not one of
them was of Glass A quality.
Wee Willie" Sudhoff, one time
star pitcher of the St. Louis Browns.
is reported to be violently insane in
the observation ward of the city hos
pital. The strength of two police
men was required to remove him from
his home to the hospital.
Physicians who examined Sudhoff
declared that his mental condition
was due TO some old injury to the
head Baseball men asserted that
Wee Willie" was one more added
to the list of bean BALI victims. re-
calling that he was hit on the head
with q pitched ball while playing with
st. Louis in 1905.
Omaha Bee: President Rourlse ex-
pressed surprise that his action in
calling for waivers on his entire team
with the exception of Thomson and
johnson should have occasioned COM
ment or interest on the part of the
papers and the public. 1t was, he eX-
planned, merely an ordinary thing for
a baseball magnate to do. Perhaps.
but it was, on the surface, the larg-
est and best bit of baseball news the
Western league had had for many
day. 1t was under the circumstances
most natural to conclude on the face
of things that this action was taken
as a preliminary step toward trans
ferring the Omaha team from the
Western to the outlaw Federal league,
a step in which Mr.. Rourke would
have had the sympathy and backing
of a large clientele, had he chosen to
take it. WITHOUT advocating outlaw
baseball, or seeking to disparage the
Western league, one can say this
much and remain well within the pale
of downright hard facts: the Fed
eral league is making a big demand
for recognition by the powers of or
ganized baseball and the Western
league, as all candid, well-informed
men know, is not gaining the ground
it should be to hold the place il has.
So far as Omaha is concerned, moth
ing better could happen for it than
to get into a league such as the Fed
eral is with larger cities, that is, of
course. the Federal as an adoption by
organized baseball. Why regard the
FederaIs adoption by the powers IL
strange? The American league once
was an outlaw. Not long, though,
was it? Its advent was simply the
logic of events in the evolution of the
great business of baseball, likewise
that of the American association.
Now baseball is neither retrograding
nor standing still; it is progressing.
1t is simply a question of that prog
ress having reached the point of de-
veloping a fourth large circuit, the
Federal. as added to the National and
American leagues and the American
association. Development is inevita-
Bile. Let Omaha be in on the ground
floor this time, not just outside, as
when it missed its chance to get into
the American association, where u
belonged.
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