Omaha daily bee., 1914-07-26
NOTABLE INFIELDER SEASON
Many Young Men Win Prominence
in Major Leagues This Year.
WI NLAURELS AT VERY START
Practically All of the Youngsters
Entering BiE Mines with Any
Promise at All Are
sticking.


season OF 1914 has been notable one for
the number Of young infielders who have
come into prominence in the major
leagues by making good from the start"
Every season produces it's crop OF
youngsters, but usually there is some sort
Of an even distribution between battery
men. infielders and outfcders. This sea-
son the sensational" young pitchers, as
they arc usually termed, have been not
able for their scarcity and future Cobbs
and Speakers have failed to show them
selves. Practically all the new talent
Of the present season is OF the infield
variety The White Sox have uncovered
a brilliant pitching prospect in Urban
Faber and Pfeffer has done some clever
work for the Robins other pitchers
have shown enough skill 10 attract pass
ing attention, but they have failed to
establish themselves as stars" Among
the outfleders DaNy Roberston furnished
n flash that gained him the title Of
sensation for a few days Then no
dropped back into the crowd.
different story.
with infielders II has been a different
story. There nre at least seven whose
names were unsung in the preseason dope
on the teams prospects. yet all seven
are now established as regulars on their
respective teams There are others. per
haps. who have shown enough promise
TO make some veterans worry about their
positions. but only those who havo Up
! set early calculations by breaking into"
J the daily lineup are considered here.
When the dopesters were figuring tho
Giants chances last spring Tilly shafer
was the only player considered for the
third base position. Herzog had been
traded to Cincinnati and the reports OF
shafer'B retirement we're regarded as
more dreams from the fertile brain Of
that Los Angeles correspondent Not
until President Hempstead made his
transcontinental trip and failed TO get
Shafer's name 10 a contract did It dawn
upon the fans that Shafer was sincere
this time. Even then Milton Stock was
not thought likely to win the place. He
! had played shortstop all last season for
Mike Finns Mobile team. Snodgrass was
tried out and reports from Marlin were
that no was acting like a born infielder.
But when the season opened Stock was
on third and he is there yet. He has
been batting close TO 260 and fielding up
to tho standard expected on a champion
ship team He is one OF the youngest
players in the league and should be
fixture for some years.
Another Good YounEster.
In Brooklyn another youngster has beon
uncovered who bids fair TO be numbered
among the stars OF the future. SO little
was thought of Ollie O'Mara as late as
last March that President Ebbets signed
ing for a sum not far from $4,000. Last
year O'Mara was with a class B league
and he was regarded as lacking expe-
rjence- When Egan was hurt after play
ing about a month OMara got his chance
and now this despised ''busher' OF four
months back is filling the place which
cost Ebbets n small fortune and Dgan is
resting on the bench. O'Mara has been
batting 80. q high mark for a youngster
who has not had his final training in the
near-majoFs. HIS fielding has been 80
fine that he could hold his position with
much smaller batting average than he
now possesses. On the bases O'Mara is
equally at home, and in his general play
he shows the headwork of an experienced
player. He looks like the real find of
the year.
what Made Hts Team.
Ask Hughey Jennings what "made" his
ball team this season and no will imme-
diately begin to sing the praises of two
youngsters, unknown a year ago, but now
representing one-haif OF the Tiger in
field. The Jungaleers were the almost
unanimous choice of the critics for SOW
enth place in the preseason dope. but
they are right in the midst OF the PEN
nant fight despite the frequent absence
OF Ty Cobb from the lineup and the bat
ting slumps OF Ownie Bush and George
Moriarty. The players who have made
so much difference In the work OF the
Tigers are Burns at first base and KRv-
anaugh at second. The former has been
hitting the ball at a e65 clip and the lat
| ter at .254. Burns showed up so well at
first base that Jennings traded Del Cal
ner TO the Red Sox Both men have been
fielding brilliantly and they we'll deserve
all the credit Jennings gives them for
tho return OF the Tigers 20 the high So
ciety OF the American league. Burns is
| the leading batsman among tho Jennings
infielders Both have been the recog-
nized owners OF their positions since tho
season opened. though neither got much
attention in tho dope which was handed
out before the team went south.
81. Louis Experience.
A somewhat similar situation exists In
the ranks of the st. Louis Browns A
year ago the first basing OF the Browns
was done by stovall and Brief Short
stop was covered by several players. with
Bobby Wallace and Mike Balenu doing
most OF the work. When the team went
south on It's training trip last spring the
names OF Jack Leary and Wares We're
regarded the same as many other strange
names on the Browns roster. Few
thought then that these two players were
to be prominent In tho greatest uplift
the Browns have experienced since 1905
Today Leary is recognized as one of the
most promising young players in the
game lie Is batting close 20 .2SO and
he has been regular since the opening
day. Wares at shortstop has not batted
up TO the standard OF the other young
sters named above but his ability 70 get
regular place with batting average
OF only 2n Is eloquent testimony 20 his
worth as fielder, Bobby wallaoe's
injury gave the youngster chance and
he showed wonderful fielding ability.
} When the Browns were here for their
| first gafiRa