Omaha daily bee., 1916-04-30
Judgments


tXAYI ing week Of base ball sea-
" son often proves misleading
- and a single week OF good
RI@EE7f playing seldom justifics any
49, sweeping prediction OF sue
cess, even the most pessimlstc home fan
cannot dispute an assertion that the
RourKes carry all the earmarks OF a
winning ball club BY scanning over the
accounts Of the games up 10 date one
finds that every member OF the Rourke
clan has played good base ball in every
Flngle game. Weak and unbalanced
teams sometimes make early season
spurts. only to shoot TO pieces when June
arrives, but those teams spurt through
sone sensational work by one or two
or three players, not through ability Of
The team as team. Apparently Rourke
has no weak spots to fill Ills outfleld
SIS as good as ClaBs-A outfield car be
expected to be. Tile infield ranks prac-
fically the same II does not seem pos
eible two better Class-A backBtops than
Kruger and Marshall could be Assem-.
bled on the same club Question could
be raised about the pitching staff only.
And the hurlng corps has three men,
Thompson and Rrause. VIC know
will be winners. Mcrz and Allison have
not rounded into shape. II either one
or the other does round into form, Rourke
will be set for the season II neither
gets the kinks out Of his arm, Pa will
probably have to get another twirler.
Thus II is with but one exception-and
that only bare possibility--the Omaha
Western league team has every appear
Ance Of a winner and only the Unforeseen
can prevent the Rourkes from landing
b first-division position.
over in Des Moines. before the Ronrkes
md Boosters pried the I'd Off OF the
season. Frank Isbell, manager Of last
years champions. yentured an opinion
to Pa Rourke that the scribes around
The circuit, especially IN Omaha. made
mistake this spring in predicting the
class Of ball In the Western would be
faster this year. Don't you think II
will?" questioned Rourlse, and Tshel an
Bwered in the negative Isbel Is foxy
manager. but for once he has missed
bet. lie didn't up TO the opening Of the
season believe Western ball would be
any faster this year than last and he
followed this belief in assembling his
ball club. our Judgment is that Izzy is
going to learn very rapidly OF his mis-
take. and the recent events-oyerwhelm
hg defeats Of 1zzy's troupe-is bearing
hs out even at this early date.
self-oonseious Gotham has gravely
Nome forth with an announcement that
Joe Stecher Ia not the wrestling cham
pion of America. The title and honor Isl
awarded TO one Ed Stranger Lewis. New
York justifies its assertion by explaining
that Lewis wns the victor IN the recent
New York tournament: that he ex-
pressed willingness TO meet stecher.
and that Joe kicked out when the prop
osition was put up TO him. This is the
New York way of putting it. Probably
there are few other vital facts which
ihe New Workers. fail to mention. But
even so. on the merits Of the men, Lewis
has no more right to the championship
belt than Doc Roller and once more
New York drops couple Of more notches
IN the estimation Of the west.
One Of the surprises OF the year 20
Western league fans is the reports OF
the clowning antics OF Carl Sawyer, who
is now graelng the Washington payroll
fawyer is said, by the easterners. 10 be
tven funnier than Germany schaeffer or
Nick Altrook sawyer was with pes
Meines last year and he played ball out
here. Not once did he attempt any ~
the clownlng stunts. lie stuck strictly
"a business. Now Ne has switched en-.
, tlrsly and seems 20 make his playing
\ subsidiary % his cloWnlng Perhaps
pY~~s yer figures on kiddiug his way into
~fhe hls leagues
few days aRa Gcorge sutton poatsd
q forfeit ol so 70 hack an a challenge
~ play Willie ilopp fvF tbs worlds
billiard ehamplonAhtp EoxY usarFe
HiurllarlY enough whsn sutton PEE up
Nis money llopps was 60 his way -
gAran With kaM TmmsdA sutton pfea
ehiF sil claim tRs hsiubionshle ihrouka
asfsuit a. obviously iiapns eanRai afcrps
tha def NhY sutton mAAs s4sh a m@Fs
4 mysgsn IL #tN eniY brins daea
criticism en- ire hssf ~ tha ehsi.enseF
Rnd aahaAF siIi afe4rt ans slalms % sha
Ntla he may maAa
4 hssi is hsias uain i Nse fafs that
tea heKlns mA sa that STATS aaaHlA -
s'sapsasled eH tha sfaQnaa ihat tasins
y pFaial paalns Ifat pafii.alaftl
tHliAl saart fske faF mstahes Ne
exslnple - BattHas lseiaaaN she hss
fsasat tspnta aa nstta sifesdt thls
FsAF fesf 4 aH atsssas q aaa . saeA
Hha tFNsaFiF ~ Ga sFef y y tssaptaff
taRaFisnfa faa psfaHsaat tfaaele
suh We - fsat sass q las fsrssas
wha afe saHesNtN1 nmb Aat lhas @
sse ~
(fAeHT rl tin nEN piAA