The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-08
NEEDS A STARTER
Topeka Can Have a League
Team by Pledging support.
Decision Should Be Reached, as
Training Season Is Near.

Topeka has no longer than from
| thirty days to six weeks, in which to
| get a squad of players together If its
| team is to start the season on an equal
| basis with some of the other clubs in
| the Southwestern league. This means
| that whatever support the local base
| ball followers are going to give John
J. McCloslSey in his efforts to place
| Topeka in the circuit should be deter
| mined without delay.
A dispatch from Muskogee states
| that the Nets will get together imme-
| diately after March Is and start the
| training season April l. When a team
| composed partly of old players and
| possessing a proven pitching staff will
go into active training within six
weeks the question naturally arises
! how much tirne-will Topeka need to
whip a new organization in shape for
| the opening of the season April 20.
No Park Arrangements Yet.
McCloskey says he is in Topeka to
stay if possible. He as well as Dale
| Gear, a former Topeka manager, and
many other baseball fans believe that
| the time is ripe for a return of league
| ball in Topeka. But no arrangements
| for park have been made and Nc
| Closkey says it will require at least
| $4,000 to put a team on the field
ready to start the season.
McCloskey says he will sell his fran
chise outright to a local association
on condition that he be employed as
manager of the club, or he and his
| friends will take enough stock in a
company capitalized at $25, 900 to give
him controlling interest. In making
his rounds about the city McCloskey
| is receiving all kinds of promises OF
support, but as yet no definite action
| has been taken. If propositions of this
| kind could be equipped with self
| starter like a Ford, all would be love
| ly, but the other kind will have to be
| used, and so far it is lacking
Plans at Muskogee.
In the following dispatch from Mus
kogee, Topeka fans may be able to
get line on the class of the South
western league by looking over the list
| of players and their former connec-
| tions:
| Manager Corgan will arrive in Nus
kogee to take charge Of the Muskogee
| Southwestern league club March 10
and will have a large squad on hand
for spring training April l.
| The Nets will start with q proven
| pitching staff even if they do not im-
\ prove it during training.
| Herman Kemner, ANDY Gump'
1 Biggers was not under contract with
| the Nets last year but has signed for
| this coming year.
| Old players who will be back are
| Catcher Ray Bonifer, First Baseman
IJoal Clanton Second Baseman George
| Brauchle, Shortstop and Manager Roy
| Corgan, Third Baseman George Wohl-
stadter and Outfielders F'rese and
| Wetzel.
Additional pitchers already signed
up are Fritz Bozarts of Minden-
| mines. Mo, Paul C. Waner left hand
I ed twirier obtained from Joplin,
Lefty" Mari, who is being brought
| from Quincy ILL.,, by Johnny Frese
! Ernest L, Hunter of Broken Arrow
| Lefty" Elmer Amelihg of Granite
/ City, Ill, and Ray Halford of Madison
J Ill.
| Catehers in addition to Bonifer. whe
| have signed Contracts to try out with
/ the Nets are Jack Fricker of Granite
! City. ILL.,, c. L. Hightewer of Beau
mont, and Howard Fox of Willard
Mo-, Fox has been recomme ended &c
| the club by Hershel Bennett, star out
fielder of the league last year.
Fox played the South Atlantic
league last year. Hightower was with
| Beaumont in the Texas league last
| season.
! In addition to Clanton, the Nets will
have Al Harbor of Sioux City and Ar
| mold II. Mines of Kansas City at first
Aspirants for Corgan, Brauchle and
| Wohlstader's jobs at short, second and
third base will be George V. Slattery
of Granite City, ILL.,. Joseph DWyer O1
New York, who is paying his own ex.
penses to come here and try out fol
an initial position, n. r. Vaught OF
Burkburnett, who played third base
for Tulsa for time last year and ther
played in the Texas Oklahoma league
until it BLEW up" siFa Raymond Ken.
nedy of Fairplay, Mo.
For the outfield positions the fol
| lowing named aspirants will compete
F'rese, Wetzel, r. L. knight of Paden
! Okla. Red" Lawrence (not the
Red Lewrence who won the bast
stealing record of the world last year.
of Royal Center, Ind, and Harold J
Berd Of Fort Gibson.