Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-18
CLAN OF ROURKE
GATHERS MONDAY
Battery Men and Athletes Who
Winter Here Report for
Spring" Practice.
YOUNGSTERS ENTER KICKS

Although all signs may read win
ter" and spring seems long way off
with the gently-fallen by far from
white snowAakes covering the land
ape, forty-nile-an-hour winds using
Sixteenth street for speedway and
the mercury racing downward instead
of upward in the tube, the clan Of
Rourke will begin to gather in Omaha
tomorrow. Spring practice for the
battery men and chosen few of the
Others starts tomorrow and the
weather. man will be expected to call
off the dogs Of war.
When Rourke issued the call for
battery men to report March 10, he
figured the W. k. balmy spring would
have made her usual annual journey
from Florida or Honolulu or wher-
ever it is she spends the winter. But
evidently the sweet young thing got
scared at the threatened railroad
strike and is postponing her trip until
the danger subsidies. .
But, nevertheless, however, and no
matter, Rourke says the practice will
start Monday. If spring won't come
he'll get himself photograph with
a couple of Wackakee records and kid
the athletes into thinking it's spring.
Also Manager FRANKIE has offered the
athletes the use of the Auditorium.
They can wear rubber soled shoes in
stead of the spiked affairs, play soccer
ball, throw the medicine ball about
and might even put up a couple OF
nets and try batting practice. without
injuring or marring any of the city's
precious buildings. The athletes can't
start playing right off the bat any
how, and they can work themselves
into condition in the Auditorium al
most as easily as outdoors.
Seven Rourkes Here.
There are seven Rourkes in Omaha
now. The arrival Of Joe Burg from
Chicago yesterday made it the lucky
number. When the strike was called
for Saturday night Joe made .reser-
vations for Friday night, although
Joe, not being a pitcher or catcher, is
not due to report in Omaha until
week from Monday. They may be
throwing bombs at railroad trains by
that time, though, and Joe says the
walking between Omaha and Chicago
is bum. The other Rourkes in Omaha
are Harold Irelan. Otto Merz, Cy For
sythe, Marty O'Toole, Cecil Thomp-
son and Manager Krug. OF the men
on the job already Thompson, Burg
and Krug are signed and Merz and
Irelan have accepted terms. All will
report for duty Monday.
A couple of Pas youngsters upon
whom he placed great faith are balk-
ing. They are Jake Holderman and
RUDE Benton.
Holderman attends the Rush Med
ical college at Chicago and apparently
wants to finish his school term, not
reporting in Omaha until June. As
Rourke sees no way to get along
without a first baseman from April
to June he is insistent that Holder
man report at the regular time. Other
wise Pa will have to get another
first baseman.
Benton Wants 500.
Benton has a peeve. He says the
Winnipeg club, who owned Mr.. Ben
ton last year, owes him 500 and he
refuses to sign until the kale is paid
over. Pa wants to know since when
did it come to pass he should be pun
ished for the sins of the Winnipeg
club. He advised Benton the only
way to get his money was to put in
a claim.
Harry Krause, the little southpaw
hurler, who is something of slugger
with the stick, may go to the Oakland
club of the Pacific Coast league.
Harry lives in San Francisco, his FAM
lily is out there and he prefers to play
ball on the coast He asked Rourke's
permission to make a deal for him
self. Pa gave it. So Harry cooked
up plan with Oakland. Oakland is
giving him a trial and if he makes
good will make the buy from Omaha.
If Harry can't make the grade Oak
land ships him back to Omaha and
pays the fare. Harry is already train
ing with the Oaks and last week
hurled half of game against the
Gt,.,z ct IL