The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-29
READY FOR START
But Weather Conditions Are
CnfaYOrabIe to Baseball.
Cooley Has a Lot OF Players
Ready to Report.

With the opening OF the South
western League season only three
weeks away, Dick Cooley. manager OF
the Topeka club, isn't feeling just
right toward the gwink who is re-
spOnslble for "the present brand OF
weather II might be all right for som
bird who is thinking of starting
skating rink, but temperatures around
the freezing mark mixed in with
biz OF chilly moisture doesn't furnish
much inducement for baseball prac-
tice-
II the weather man will change his
tactics. Cooley expects TO have a squad
OF fifteen or twenty men on the field
by the last OF the week otherwise the
hot stove league with reflections from
the big league training camps in the
south. and occasional references to
Harper Rigby's mat artists VIII have to
furnish most of the entertainment
few days longer. It ism just right,
but the weather man has the final say
Cooley has sixteen players under
contract AT the present time with
strings out for a dozen more -Four
or five of the players under contract
are already in the city and a few more
are due 10 drift in today and tomor-
row with the rest waiting for the call
OF the PLAYERS under contract only
two are from last years Miami. Okla
team They are Bockskopf a first
bsseman and Hahan. an outfielder
Cooley may select a pitcher from the
remains If the Miami club. but since
they cost 5000 each. Cooley says he
doesn't propose TO buy many players
when the woods are fun of free agents
Won't Buy Many Players
Altho 1t was the Miami franchise
which the league transferred TO To-
peka. The players were not included
For that reason Cooley says he is not
figuring on using more than three of
them unless they are released out
right by the Miami management In
1Iahan. Cooley thinks he is getting one
OF the best outfielders in the league
last season. and Bockskopf stands
fair chance OF holding down the mi
1ial sack. At that he may have TO
fight il out with a first sacker whom
Cooley hopes to obtain from a West
ern League club within the next few
days.
For the most part those who have
signed contracts with Cooley are
youngsters who starred last year in
The mi-professional ranks around
Kansas City. many of whom Cooley
knows personally. They include An
drew Ryan. n catcher: William Ryan,
n third sacker; James J. Allen. a
pitcher: Henry Mckissick- an out
fielder; F. r Rose an infielder; For
rest F johnson. a catcher; J. Weiss, a
second baseman: Lee r Dobyns, A
pitcher Robert Yendes. a pitcher; r.
J. Welsh. Hugh Nevill and F. 3. Coo
ley. The last three are infield men.
Signs Star Battery.
In addition to these Cooley believes
he has landed a star battery in Frank
y. Wagner. a catcher. and Claude Jen-
ney. a pitcher who halls from Stanley.
Iowa. Wagner was with the Nashville
club in the Southern league last sea
son and previous to that time saw
service in several minor leagues. He
IS over six feet tall. is a hard hitter
and should be the class of the South
Westerns backstopS. Cooley believes.
Jenney is a youngster. who last season
attracted favorable attention from the
Chicago White SoX after he had beaten
NOtre Dame in a conference game.
and won a lot Of games in college and
semi-pro circles around Chicago last
Immer. genney signed a contract
wish Cooley late Tuesday afternoon
ard says he is ready TO get into a uni
form any time. Cooley also thinks
mighty well of Robert Yendes. another
hurIer. who last season toured the
country with a team known as the
All Nations. winning sixteen out of
eighteen games
Some of these youngsters are
league said Cooley today. but TIL
have between twenty-five and thirty
men out there twice a day just as soon
as the weather clears up Then Wen
see what they can do, I can get all of
the ball players l want so it's going to
be up to every man to hustle"
SPRING PRACTICE AT h. =. a. c.
More Than seventy Candidates Out
for Football. Coach Declares.
Manhattan. March 29-Spring foot
M training K going