Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-26


zehrung the new Western league
preSIie, is the victim of circumstance in
one instance. For a venture Prexie zeh-
rung is going to bang up against one
stumbling-block that would BATTLE wiser
and more experienced base ball heads
and It will be a case of all hats off
il he survives. The said stumbling-block
lis Wichita. Wichita is indisputably and
uneduivocally the toughest ball town in
the wide, wide world from an umpire
astandpoint Down in Wichita they say
khe fans are aggressive and eager to win.
Persons haihng from other parts call
EN- rowdies. But even so Wichita Is
one tough town for umpires. Any arbiter
who ever worked in Wichita will bear
witness to the fact Heaving cushions,
pop-bottles, bricks and divers other
missiles with an ump for a target is a
popular pastime In Wichita and It's a
dull week when at least on ump isn't
chucked into the river But Wichita js
going to be worse than ever this year
unless there is no truth in signs. For
Jimmy jackson is going to be manager
of the Wichita club. And Jimmy holds
all records for umpire-baiting and he's
demon at egging a crowd on a Judge
whose decisions are displeasing to Jimmy
Jimmy will find the Wichita crowd easy
to egg on and he's going to do that
little thing. thats his nature. Unless
Prexie zehrung IL 90 fortunate as to
. select a crew OF iron-wtlied unpires with
oodles Of nerve and who viii break up
Jinmys ball game for him when he
gets obstreperous. Zehrung is going TO
get moro teiegraphio appeals from des-
perate umpires than the kaiser gets
diplomatic notes from Wilson, and, also.
Wichita won't lose many ball games IN
the home baiiwick. Here's hoping Zsh-
rung and his urnpiring staff will be able
to handle the Wichita situation but we
aren't optimistic enough to anticipate n.
As result Of the columns OF self
eulogy Benny Kauff has so promiscuousiy
peddied this spring, major leagues sport
writer's have come to dub him with the
apropos appellation Of Shrinking Violet
NO more pertinent title could be attached
= to the manifestly chesty Kauff ana II
viii cling to him during his entire base
ball career. And II won't be long before
Benny realizes the folly OF so much
nraggadocio. For someday in July. when
the pennant flight is relatively close and
the game OF the day is fairly close and
Benny comes up in the pinch and fails
to deliver, some rabid fan is sure to
destroy the two-tifty hay lid OF a neigh
Dor and scream above the roar of the
multitude Shrinking Violet in company
with other pat phrases of the occasion
And unless Benny is absolutely devoid
of nerves itll touch a tender chord and
his batting average will suffer. Perhaps
Benny's supreme confidence in himself
will carry him through with flying eolors.
but 1t looks very much like he'll have a
hard fight with less than an even chance
to win.
The signing OF Rebel Cakes as manager
of the Denver club is resulting in con-
siderable speculation around the Western
loop. Oakes, 1t will be remembered, was
a very highly paid manager in the Fed
eral league last year. Also Cakes 10 a
ball player OF major league ability and
would undoubtedly have been procured
by major league club for this season
except for some extenuating circum-
stances, one of which probably has to
do with salary The Rebel didn't even
hesitate to accept the Denver proposition,
so II isn't necessary to possess any
miraculous faculty Of deduction 10 specu-
late-even suspicion-regarding Oskes'
salary Under the existing Western
league salary limit. $500 is a pretty
husky figure and considerably more thar
seven managers will draw. But is DenvsG
getting Cakes for 81. 800 or less? You can
draw your own conclusions.
Joe Hetmanek, manager for Joe Stecher
broke into print in Los Angelo the Other
day with an interview that shcaid glad
den the hearts OF Omaha fans HetTaneb
declared he believed the Stecher-olctca
match would be held in Omaha when the
time comes for the match to be staged
There is a good bit more to Hetmanek's
brief assertion than appears on the sur
face. Hetmanek IL a taciturn sort OF
chap who never makes ventures. He
doesn't make predictions and he doesn't
give utterance to idle opinions. Het
manek moro than believes" the mattel
will be held in Omaha; he knows Il vii
be held in Omaha, or he wouldn't have
said as much as he did. So there's {
little something on the inside that msAni
Omaha will be the place OF the match OF
the match will not be held and the kero
sene circuit villages may as well qui
1maling offers.
New York boxing critics say Benny
Leonard will show Freddie Welsh up
when they meet. Perhaps. but It's a
cinch Freddie will score a knockout over
the cashier.
II is pleasant news TO hear Sheldon Le-
jeune will be back again. Sheldon Is the
Belgian who thinks a two-bsse hit is q
bunt