The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-19
Sport Wheezes
by CLUG-

Now that he has a berth on the
regular Savage squad, De Fate has
been given a nickname. Toney" is
the new handle with which he has
been presented.
Also, Pitcher John Voss has received
a new title since coming to Topeka
Voss is now commonly known as
Johnny Rebel
Shortly after the christening of
Voss he and Bugs" Grover were
walking down the street together when
the Bugs asked him if it was a fact
that his grandfather set a sprinting
made his famous march through the
peach state.
Voss took it all good naturally and
replied: Il don't know how fast he
ran but I'll bet that if your grandaddy
was with Sherman he's still got a
wooden leg in his coffin as a memento
of the memorable occasion"
For the last two days Owner John
Savage has been spending his after
Moons umpiring the practice games at
Western League park. So much dis
satisfaction was expressed at his de-
ciSions on the first day that when he
went behind the pitchers box Tuesday
afternoon he took a good sized rock
Spencer Arthur Abbott, who UNI
pired all the exhibition games here
and who is an ''old vet'' of the game
says that he can't see anything but
the top of the first division for Mana
ger Lattimore's club.
Abbott says he never saw a team in
Topeka that looked so good, and he
says that the infield and outfield are
not a bit better than the pitching staff.
! He believes that Sanders is one of the
most promising of the youngsters if
he gets little life and am bition in
stilled into him and receives the
proper handling.
! Abbott knew Outfielder Hanson on
the coast, and he predicts that the big
fellow is headed for the big leagues.
/ He says that Hanson can hit any kind
of a ball a pitcher can serve UP to
him, and that he has the happy fac
ulty of not placing all his hits in the
same spot. When Abbott knew him
! Hanson was trying to make a pitcher
] out of himself
| It is now time for the annual publi
cation of bunk regarding the appar-
ent slipping of Walter Johnson The
/ first of the week the Boston Red Sox
| knocked him out of the box, getting
/ five hits in row.
/ Harry Champeny, the washburn
student who has Just been elected
football manager for next season. bids
rair to become the most valuable man
on the job in recent years. Cham
peny has already announced that he
/ will install a press box on the field
| before the opening of the season.
Frank IsbeIl. manager of the 1915
Des Moines W. L. champions. an
nounces that he has the best left
handed pitcher in the league in Jim
/ Grant. one of his new recruits Grant
just wait until Animal Dashner gets
to going in his best stride.
Indica tions are that the Firemen's
league will have to take the place of
the City league in Topeka this sum-
mer. No one has been sufficiently in
terested in the City league to reorean-
lie 1t and those who had charge of its
affairs last season claim that they got
! enough experience to last them a life
time
The Firemen's league, it is under
n stood, will use the Western league
park when the Sava ges are out of
town. Arrangements have been made
so that members of the different
teams can get off to play their games
without trouble The night and day
forces will substitute for each other
so that the games will in no way de-
tract from the efficiency of the SER
vice.
Local fans who want to make the
trip to st. Joe for the opening of the
w. L. season tomorrow can leave here
at 7:15 over the Santa Fe and get
back tomorrow night in time to go to
bed at the usual hour
FnIVAAVP AAn