East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-08-21
PENNANT FIGHT
WAGES IN WEST
Denver Seems Like Wnncr@Not All
Interest is Centered About
Big Leagues.
(By Hal Sheridan.)

NEW YORK, Aug. 21.-Taking it
fer granted that some millions of peo-
pie throughout this August ridden
land have picked the pennant winners
in the American and National leagues,
and are beginning to figure on the
batteries in the first of the Worlds
series games, we believe it safe once
more to turn our attention away from
this struggle to the struggling minors
Therefore jumping blithely from
Broadway to the snow-capped noun
tains of Colorado we find Denver the
pick and choice in the scramble for
the Western league pennant. Some
say it isn't a scramble. Denver was
the winner last year and so far as can
be seen from this distance, there
isn't anything in the league that will
stop a repetition this year. Under
the leadership of Jack Hendricks,
former big Lacquer, Western fans be-
lieve the Denver aggregation is one of
the fastest in minor leagueland. Ex-
cept for couple of men, Hendricks
has team of youngsters, willing and
apt scholars for all the tricks he
shakes from his leaves. In the last
three years, Denver has turned out
Buck O'Brien, one of the Red Sox
pitchers in the last worlds series,
Dutch Leonard, a pitcher also with
Boston, and Johnny Beal who figured
in the deal between the White Sox
and Milwaukee which sent Larry
Chappelle into fast company. Hen
dirk has two promising youngsters this
year in Johnny King, a pitcher, and
Lester Channell, an outfielder. Chan
nell Is slugger and has fairly knock
ed the hide off the ball during the
season. King played with the Sacred
Heart College team in Denver last
year. Charley Doom, of the Phila-
delphia Nationals signed him but he
never played for the Philles and Den
yer got him.
1t may be taken from Hendricks
that King is one of the best pitch
ers the Western league has had in
years. Channell has been in fast COM
pany once. He was with the Cubs,
but was sent to Louisville. in the Am
erican Association and then drifted
westward. With Fisher, first base
man, Denver fans believe the majors
would be overlooking world beaters II
King and Channell are not brabbed
off before another year rolls around
But Denver isn't the entire league
The season started with a rush Den
yer winning twelve out OF the first
thirteen games, and Omaha going
great guns. Then Omaha blew up
and fizzled very much la Brooklyn
in the National league. AS these
things were going on there was con-
siderable activity otherwhere and 9TH
erwise.
They have the single upmire sys-
tenn in the Western league and the
fans went after President Tip O'Nein
with much gusto on the question. az
ter umpire, players, owners, manag-
ers and spectators had mixed severa
times. Jimmy McGill. brother or
Pittsburgh Phil, the famous race
track plunger owns the Denver club
and along in the season, Umpire Sig
ler walloped McGill on the nose as
result of some argument. There were
recent reports that McGill wanted 10
sell HIS club to get rid of the worry
But to follow the peregrinations OF
Umpire Sigler. Along in June Sigler
forfeited a game to Denver because ~.
said the Omaha players stalled. Bill,
Rourke, known as Pa" is owner G.
the Omaha Club. After the game he
and Sigler met in the grand stand.
There were words and Sigler increased
his club owner batting average to
1000 by cracking Rourke on the jaw
and putting him down for the count
And inasmuch as Sigler weighs about
1876 and Rourke weighs 200 all will
agree that the umpire established
somewhat of batting average even
IL he was fired three days later by
President O'Neill.
Among the teams perking up while
the heat is sibzzling. Des Moines Is 60
ing the fastest. After bad start the
Boosters began TO get under way and
the prospects are they will finish Sec
ond. Des Moines is strong in the box
with Lafferty, Rogge and Faber.
Rogge has turned the trick OF win
ming ten straight games. Some time
ago Faber and Johnny King of Denver
engaged in an 1S-inning battle, Faber
winning A week later, Faber pitched