Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-24
ROURKE WILL LOSE
SEVEN OF CHAMPS
Purchases, Recalls and Draft
Take Half Of Pas Stars
Into Faster Company.
MEANS A WINTER OF WORK

on the l9l5 western league race IA
Rourke, owner of the Omaha club,
was confronted with something of a
task. Although his team had finished
in fourth place, the greedy Omaha
fans we're not satisfied. They de-
manded winner.
So last winter Pa went out with
the firm intention. of assembling
ball club that would prove winner.
He combed the country from one end
of it to the other. He spent several
thousand dollars. And he gathered
the winner together.
+ And now after his year of success,
Pa Rourke is going to have to start
all over again. For his 1916 cham
pionship nine has virtually been rid
died by purchases and recalls by
clubs Of higher classification. .
Seven Will Be Missing.
Seven of the players who captured
the 1916 emblem for Rourkeville will
be missing when the roll is called
next spring. They are Earl Smith,
Ernie Kruger, Kewpie Kilduf, Lou
North, Shag Thompson, Marty
O'Toole and Bobby Marshall.
OF these seven players three were
purchased by National league clubs.
Smith has already gone to the Chi
cago Cubs. Kruger and Kilduff go
to the New York Giants. Lou North,
the property of the St. Louis Cardi-
mails, has been recalled, as has Shag
Thompson by Connie Mack, to whom
the little oufelder belongs. Marty
O'Toole returns to Columbus in the
American association and Bobby
Marshall goes back to St. Paul in
the same loop. '1
Have Work Cut Out.
A bunch of heavy shrapnel couldn't
have worked much greater havoc in
the Rourke ranks. Pa Rourke and
Marty Krug certainly have their work
cut out for them if they hope to fill
these seven vacant places with talent
of equal prowess.
OF course, there is the chance that
some of these Rourkes will fail to
stick in the big show and will be re-
turned but it isn't safe chance to
bet on, in fact Pa himself doesn't be-
lieve there's chance at all
Smith Making Good.
Earl Smith is already making him
self solid in Chicago. Tinker isn't
working Earl every day, wisely CIV
ing him an opportunity to watch the
play from the bench during half Of
the games. As result Earl will be
more fully capable of occupying
garden regularly next year. There
isn't one chance in hundred for
Earl to be sent back.
Ernie Kruger, it is believed, is as
certain to deliver the goods on the
big time as Smithy. Some Omaha
fans aver Kewpie Kilduff needs more
seasoning and will probably be re-
turned to Omaha next spring, but
Rourke is not so sanguine. "Kilduff
is just the scrappy kind of athlete
McGraw likes" declares Rourke, "and
| don't think there's chance for him
to be sent back"
| Merely Loaned to Pa.
Thompson and North were merely
loaned to Rourke by Mack and Hug
gins, respectively, as. were O'Toole by
Columbus and Marshall by ST. Paul.
Thus Rourke has got to find two
catchers, two pitchers, two infielders
and one or two outfielders. Quite a
task, fans, quite task.
At that Rourke's problem is less
difficult next year than this year.
This year Pa had to build team,
around Krug and Forsythe. Next
year he'll have Forsythe and Floyd
Smith in the outheld, Miller, Krug,
Irelan and Burg in the infield, Cecil
Thompson, Harry Krause and Otto
Merz for moundsmen A little easier
than this, year, but mighty difficult
one for all that.