The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-17
GOSSIP OF THU sroRrk

GOSSIP OF THU sFoHUk
Phil Koerner continues to lead the
Western League players ~ . rungetter.
In 116 games. he has scored 105 runs.
Drummers has scored but % or II leos
than the Topeka man. Koerner, -
some claim, II not fast but this u dlo-
proved when It - learned that he has
scored many more runs than any Other
Western Lacquer.
Forsythe II the leading base stealer
on the Topeka club and IL seventh In
tho league. He 81 given credit for
stealing - bases In III games. Among
the other base stealerD in the league,
who have greater records are George
Watson OF the DrummerD and Nicholson
OF Wichita. who have u each. Baird Of
Sioux City a. Krug OF Omaha Il. La
Juene Of Sioux City 50. George Coch-
ran 10 second on the Topeka club
with %.
There are but ten points difference in
the fielding averages of the Sioux City
ciuo. the league leaders. and tho To-
peka club which IL tied with the Drum
mers for sixth place. Sioux City has an
average OF $50, while Topeka In .952
me Wichita club in last with an aver
age OF .94S or only fourteen points be-.
hind Sioux City. This indicates that thu
fielding ability Of all the clubs is nearly
| on a par.
Eddie Hahn q, I -Iunter of Dea
Motnes and Tallion Of Topeka. are the
only players in the Western League
who have played in every game this sea-
son. Each of this trio. including last
Tuesday. has played In III games.
Koerner Of Topeka has missed but one
snd II credited with playing in 11e
games.
All the pitchers now ON the staff OF the
Topeka club. excepting Grover. have .
greater average than the club. This i'm
dicates that the stan IL much stronger
than the pitchers who were on the club
at the beginning Of the season. Had
they been with the club all season the
team average would have been much
| better.
Topeka IL fifth in run getting.
with total Of 681. The Denver club
10 leading with SCI and Sioux CITY.
which has won more games than any
other club. IL second with e46. Sioux
City IL second in batting with an aver
age of .220. The Sioux City club has
four men who are batting In the SEQ
class. This includes LIE Juene. Kane.
Baird and Callahan.
The Sioux City club leads the league
in base stealing with total Of Els.
| also in procuring base on balls with
a total Of 526. The Denver club Il
first in sacrifice hitting with .1S3, but
| il seventh in base stealing. Denver
batters have hit for the greatest num-
| Der Of bases.
Jack coffey. manager Of the Denver
club. ID reported to have signed q con-
tract for the season Of 1915. This may
be q wise move on the part Of C0ffey
and may be considered q wise move on
the part Of McGill but suppose some
major league club sticks in draft for
Mr.. Coffey?
| Even IL the majors do pick him mn
| on the draft. Offering Cof1ey q COM
tract at this time Of the year. b Nc
citation of Coffey's ability and work
during the season. Coffey il one Of
the finest fellows in the wsstern
Baseball writer's Of the circuit claim
that the umptres In the Western league
are the poorest lot ever assembled ON
the circuit This department admits
there are some rotten umpires ON the
circuit, but there are some good ones.
In our opinion. the umpires in the
Western league are better than last
year.
Tho umpires are not to blame for
all the trouble. The writer's In some
cases are prejudiced against Z visiting
club. Some of these writers are locat-
i ed in towns where the clubs are in
a slump and they are blaming the um-
pires-
/ Players in the Western LEAGUE are