The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-01
SEASON WAVES.
Kaws Played Good Ball During
July and August.
Gear Strengthened the Club
Without Paying Big Prices.

The curtain will soon drop on the
Western league season. The fans of
Topeka should be pleased with the per-
Torrance of the Kaws as they have
played pretty good baseball the middle
of the season and finished without los
ing big chunk of money, which has
not been the usual custom.
Manager Dale Gear is largely respon-
sible for this condition, and in doing so
he has lessened the desire to knock on
the club and is held in much higher
esteem by the baseball public than
when the season opened more than five
months ago.
The Kaws have won more than half
of the games played since July 1, but
got a bad start a t the beginning of the
season. Gear secured players who
strengthened the club and did not cause
a large expenditure of money either.
Among these players are Pitcher
Paul Brown, Catcher Lou McAllister.
First Baseman Phil Koerner and
George Smith, who has played in prac-
tically every position on the team. Nc
Allister did not cost the club a cent,
Brown and Koerner cost the club $500
each and Smith cost the club 5000.
There is not one of the quartet but
who has paid the club more than the
amount of purchase price by their val
liable services. McAllister joined the
club when there was not catcher on
the team who was in condition to play.
His services in handling the young
pitchers has been invaluable and was
in measure responsible for the large
prices garnered off the sales of Pitchers
Cocreham and Reynolds.
Paul Brown has been a consistent
winner since joining the club. He was
just as good a pitcher when with the
Sioux City club during the 1912 season,
but circumstances arose which caused
him to be a loser after the 1913 season
had been given a good start Manager
Dale Gear expects to get as much for
his release at the end of the 1914 sea son
as he did in the release of Cocreham or
Reynolds.
Phil Koerner has been a sensation
at first base and is rated as one of the
best on the circuit. Bill Rapps was an
excellent fielder and used excellent
judgment but kOerner strengthened
the infield by reason of his batting
ability. koerner is just as good hit
ter, with men on bases, as any man OH
the circuit and that is about the only
place where he has an advantage over
Bill Rapps.
George Smith has been an invalu-
able man. He started the early part
of the season at second base when the
keystone sack appeared to be without
protection. Cochran did we'll in this
position but was better at third.
Smith was sensation as a fielder and
did not have a superior on the circuit.
He also was fast on bases but a poor
hitter although practically all of his
hits were polled with men on bases.
Following his career at second, |
Smith was assigned a pitcher and |
was successful for time. Following |
this, he went in as shortstop to take |
the place of Joe French who suffered |
a broken leg. On account of this, the |
team was not weakened by the unfor- |
tunate injury as Smith was an excel |
lent fielder and nearly as good as any
man on the circuit.
Manager Gear, in securing these |
players, overcame TIE tendency of the |
fans to complain and winds up the |
1913 season as being one of the most |
popular managers that ever donned |
a Topeka uniform.
Three players will be drafted for
the 1914 Kaw team. Two will be in
felders and one a pitcher. One in
fielder will come from the Texas
League. 1t is possible that others
would have been drafted had the at
tendance been sufficient to keep upl
the expenses of the club during the
last three or four weeks of the season.
In, addition to these three men, Gear
expects to get another outfielder and
IS working on the deal even at this
lime. He says that he will be just
about as good there is on the cir
quit and that he will keep up with the
others of the club.
All of the players of the 1913 team,
excepting those who have been sold,
will return next spring, and with the
additions Manager Gear feels conf
lent that he will have a first division
club from the opening of the season
o its close.
Manager Gear expects to return to
Topeka and manage the team during
he season of 1914 and will be aided
by the services of Father Lou Meal
lister who is some baseball wizard
himself. 1t will be necessary to Sc
cure the services of another catcher
)ut Manager Gear thinks that he has
solved the problem. The names of the
lrafted players will be announced by
he national commission as soon as
hey are drawn.
ElIl0 Deaf nllATE0