The University Courier.
21
ATHLETICS.
MR. NEWSON RESIGNED as manager of the ball team, and James Harding was elected by the Athletic Board to fill the vacancy. We can say nothing as to Mr. Harding's past reputation as a head, but we predict that he will make a success of his office.
JIMMY KELSEY, CAPTAIN of the University ball team, has handed in his resignation. He received a severe sprain of his back last summer which makes it utterly impossible for him to play ball this spring. This is a very unfortunate occurance for the team in that Kelsey was a cool captain and a good catcher. We hope that he will be so far recovered that he will be able to go into practice and catch later in the season.
IT SEEMS TO me as though it would be a good scheme to have the diamond at McCook field fixed up, so that the candidates could practice. Playing ball on clods is hard and difficult work. The grounds will have to be fixed up sometime; why not now? The outfielders have to dodge and jump over posts in trying to field balls. The in-fielders have not the slightest idea where the balls are going. "Get a move!"
THE ATHLETIC BOARD elected "Gazette" Matteson temporary captain of the ball team last Monday. He will have charge of the candidates until the "Varsity" team is selected. The team will then choose its own captain. Matteson played short-stop on the team last year. This year he is a candidate for second base. He hails from the historic town of Abilene where ball players are thick, and consequently he will make a good captain.
THE ATHLETIC BOARD seems to have at last arrived at the conclusion that it is not necessary that a professor should hold all of the important offices in university athletics. The idea of putting a man in a place that he knows next to nothing about just because he is a professor and a nice fellow is a very foolish move. What we want is young blood. We need a man who has to make a name for himself in athletics. He is the man to get out and dig for the team.
THE REGULAR PRACTICE game Saturday was interfered with by the high wind which blew steadily all afternoon. Consequently nothing of importance was accomplished. I think, however, it would not be difficult to name the men from whom the team will be picked. Kelsey, Smith, Lewers, Steinberger, Strothers, Alden, Chamberlain, Hogaboom, Matteson, Williamson, Harding and Parker seem to have the best show at present, although the test may change as the season ripens.
THE RESIGNATION OF Kelsey gives the base-ball committee a problem that must be solved quickly; that is, getting a good catcher. Hogaboom and Parker are the only men in the University who are good men for the position, and I understand that neither one wants it. Hogaboom is a good catcher and can be worked up to be a first-class man. Parker I do not know much about, but I think that he can be relied upon. The battery work should be taken in hand at once. The battery is the most important feature of a game, and it takes lots of hard work to get a good one.
WHAT PROMISED SOME rare sport for Kansas City in the way of field sports seems to have been nipped in the bud by the lethargy of the University of Missouri. For some time past the Kansas City Athletic club has been endeavoring to arrange a general field day between the universities of Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri to be held here on Decoration day. It was also the intention to have boxing contests for the college championship in some opera house or public hall on the evening of that day. Each College was to send twenty men, and the events were to be running, jumping, pole vaulting, shot putting, and others customary, the college winning the most points to be presented with a magnificent trophy. Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa agreed several weeks ago to send teams, and exhibited much enthusiasm and interest, but not a word of definite action has been obtained
from Missouri, although many letters have been written. Lieutenant Smoke, erstwhile of foot-ball fame, writes in his characteristic letter: "Our Athletic Association is apparently dead, and I do not think that you will hear any more of the matter."
In the meanwhile the Iowa State Intercollegiate field day meet has been scheduled for Decoration day, and so the present plan seems to have been nipped in the bud by Missouri, for any other day is hardly feasible. It has been suggested that a field meet between Kansas and Missouri be arranged, but as the Missouri boys seem to be in a Rip Van Winkle trance since the foot-ball season, a meeting does not seem within the range of possibilities. Kansas is more than willing to enter into such an arrangement. - Kansas City World.
OF ALL CONCEITED people under the sun, we think that the little hamlet, on a jerk-water branch of the Southern Kansas, holds the majority. If ever mortal man gazed upon gall so unadulterated we have missed the recuting of it. When a second edition of a Kansas high school takes it upon itself to require that we go out of our way to give our ball team practice by playing games with them, we think that they ought to be in a class by themselves. We presume that on account of their good showing in foot-ball last year, they have become egotistical. They are therefore not at all anxious to have us wipe up the ground with them in base-ball.
In the last issue of the Students' Journal we were treated to the very unusual and unsportsmanlike assertion that certain members of last year's ball team would again play their old positions on the team the coming season. Probably the writer of the article was not aware of the influence of such a statement in the columns of a college paper, but common sense should show one how unfair it is to make an assertion that certain men will play certain positions long before a final selection of the team had been thought of or even before all candidates had presented themselves. The fact of the matter is that no one is assured of his position and it is even probable that superior men may turn up. The result of an article of that kind is exceedingly damaging and only serves the end of keeping good material from presenting itself while of itself it is wholly unreliable and inexcusable.
NOTES.
Regular practice game Wednesday.
Regular practice game Wednesday.
Kelsey has decided to try for field.
The Western League season opens April 25th.
Fox wants to be manager of the Pharmacy team.
Paul Arkman played short-stop on the West Point team.
Zimmerman has decided to become a professional rider.
Mackey, the Indian Pitcher, is said to have signed with Memphis.
Coleman, captain of the Athletic team, organized his team Tuesday.
The Senior and Junior Laws will cross bats at McCook field Saturday morning.
A nine picked from the candidates will play the Indian School team Saturday.
It is said that all they do down to Baldwin is to take a ball and bat and go out on the campus and tell each other how they would defeat K. U. if they were to play her.
We hope Mr. Cowan will take hold of the Athletic team and make a good team a permanent thing at K. U.
The Students' Journal was mistaken when it said that any schedule was published in the COURIER last week.
There is some probability of Gear, pitcher for last year's team, entering the University the first of April.
Nebraska writes that her athletic team is willing to meet us in Kansas City Decoration day, even if Missouri does not come in the contest.
The Young Men's Era of February 15, has a write up of the foot hall at Baker with half-tone cuts of team and manager.
Kelsey has decided to try for field.
The Western League season opens April 25th.
Fox wants to be manager of the Pharmacy team.
Paul Arkman played short-stop on the West Point team.
Zimmerman has decided to become a professional rider.
Mackey, the Indian Pitcher, is said to have signed with Memphis. Coleman, captain of the Athletic team, organized his team Tuesday.
The Senior and Junior Laws will cross bats at McCook field Saturday morning.
A nine picked from the candidates will play the Indian School team Saturday.
It is said that all they do down to Baldwin is to take a ball and bat and go out on the campus and tell each other how they would defeat K. U. if they were to play her.
We hope Mr. Cowan will take hold of the Athletic team and make a good team a permanent thing at K. U.
The Students' Journal was mistaken when it said that any schedule was published in the COURIER last week.
There is some probability of Gear, pitcher for last year's team entering the University the first of April.
Nebraska writes that her athletic team is willing to meet us in Kansas City Decoration day, even if Missouri does not come in the contest.
The Young Men's Era of February 15, has a write up of the football at Baker with half-tone cuts of team and manager.