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Show 111 UNION BASEBALL league managers are optimistic '9. BL ANKEN SHIP. I "We are going out for tho bunting," declared Cliff Blankenshlp, Blan-kenshlp, captain and manager of the Salt Lake team, "and I think we'll got it,, but If wo don't the" otjier fellows will know that they havo been In a battle royRl. "Our team lookB well balanced. Youngnters for the most part comprise tho pitching staff, but don't believe iur corps of hurlors :an be beat In a minor league. Be- iMjKh, Mntl the bat wu aro yng OR nn other club in the think. Tho infield and oullleld Wmf , we'l ha lanced. All aro speedy Vhey can hit to got on tho bases JKrean run some after they get on. jflHP.two old men on cither extremity Wnfleld the youngsters in the mid-.-'BtuW receive all the steadying 'yBTn tho outfield at center will be jKhead and this ought to help fVfhe younger mon in left and In MKthoy need any steadying. BBrcaux, the peppery coast man, I 'mKT" d a lot to 8trensthen the JyMjPy Biving It steadiness, besides VEtehlSCr into tl0 whole aqund by 'Kst' Th a,ki,tlon of 11,0 ct ajKs my team look mighty uood mMK&H. I don't think a better nine Kjgot together for the money." "SOEAPPY" BILL JOYCE. Special io Tho Tribune. OGDEN. April 22. "I have tho utmost ut-most confidence In the players I havo got together to form the Missoula team of tho Union association, asso-ciation, and I bc-Ilovo bc-Ilovo that my club will capture the pennant In the new longui.'," said Manager Man-ager William Joyce, w h c n interviewed regarding tho pros-poets pros-poets of his club which has been In training Ihcro for tho past week. Continuing Con-tinuing he said: "In McCafferty I have ouq of tho best pitchers In the Union association, as he hns shown In his ooven yenrn' leaguo experience that ho not only has tho arm. but the baseball head. Bert Garbcr Is another pitcher with considerable minor league experience. The other three mombprs of my pitching squad are younger men and look Men comers. Ap-plegoto Ap-plegoto has shown that he has everything every-thing and la all my baseball experience 1 have novor seen a more promising youngster. "The Infield Is somewhal iinsottlud yot, but before wo leavo Salt Lake after the first scries the fans will know that Missoula Mis-soula has a pennant-winning ball club. I will have the team In fjood condition and my boys will prab a majority of tho Karnes in that opening series in Salt Lake. "Wu havo been somewhat handicapped horo by tho weather and from tho fact thnt the team was obliged to train on poor grounds, they bolng little more than pasture lots, but plnnly or road work and tho exhibition garnet; today and tomorrow to-morrow will put tho. club in flno condition condi-tion for tho opening game- next Tuesday." HUGH KBLLACKEY. Special to Tho Tribune. BOISE, April 22. "I. havo kept close tab on tho teams signed by other clubs In tho Union association," Bald Manager Kcllnckoy of tho Boise club, when Interviewed by Tho Tribune correspondent, corre-spondent, "and I am confldont . that the Boise team will show well with the others. "I do not. believe the BoIhc Infield could ho Improved on under tho Union league salary limit. The mm have all demonstrated that they have tho goods nnd the team work Is all that could bo desired. "I think wo will have a heavy hitting outfield. Tho llelrlors ar getting under tho long ones at tho proper tlmo nnd place. Wc have thrco excellent backstops, back-stops, nnd I bolevo thoy will deliver tho goods In great shape. "Until tho soaspn opens It will bo Impossible Im-possible to tell for a certainty what tho pitching staff will do. but the twlrlors have shown up well-"In the preliminary work nnd 1 bollovo thoy' will compare favorably wth the artists of any other team In tho association. We may not capturo tho bunting, but tho manner In which my men have been working encourages en-courages me to think that wo have as good a chance as bns any othnr team In tho circuit, nnd If wo don't all tho others will know that they have boon in tt battle." bat-tle." i HONEST JOHN M'OLOSKEY. j Special to The Tribune. BUTTE, April 22. "The Butto base-bnll base-bnll team will be on hand at the tap of the gong, both at Boise April 25 and when wc open In Butto May 16," snld John McCIoskey, discussing dis-cussing tho bosoball sltuntlon as regards the Mountmen. "Wc have an inside in-side park and we have a bnll team. Tho only thing thnt bothered mo was being so long away from tho squad training at Caldwell. Cald-well. If tho Butte team doesn't .show up well enough to suit tlio Butto fans tho llrst of the season It will bu because a fow knockers In Butte have provontod me from going ahoad with the erection of my park and allowing me to glvo the attention to tho nine In the preliminary pre-liminary practice that any team needs. "Those who havo seen the team thus far picked In action bollovo we will be able to develop as fast a Molding team hh thoro Is In tho league. Tho hitting ability of the tonm Is something that cannot be accurately determined now, as not enough exhibition games with teams of any caliber havo boon played that would glvo a linn on Hip. efficiency of tho team In the sticking 'department. I have a bunch of f.'ist. strong youngsters and my lnflcld looks llko a stone wall. In the outflold I havo still moro young material, but all havu had more than primor experience In tho gamo. My pitching staff seems in early season form right now and most of the tllngors are able to go the wholo route. In tho catching catch-ing department I think I huvu a tlnd In big Hannah, find Nelson will make a good i-liango catcher with a HtUo more experience. GEORGE REED. Special to The Tribune. GREAT FALLS. April 21'. "While I don't wish to make any rash promises to tho fans or glvo out any wild declarations," declar-ations," says George Reed, manogcr of tho Great .Falls club, "I am of tho opinion that, given an even break In baseball luck, tho Great Falls team will be ono of the select three. "There Is ono thing certain nbout our team, and that Is every player will be on tho move and hustling tho mo ment the bell rings, and tho game will never bo over until the Inst man Is out. "Wo shall conduct our games at home and on the road In the samo manner as contests aro conducted In tho higher class leagues. We will play ball ovcry minute. "I have selected players whom I know will work hard, and every man on the-Groat the-Groat Falls team will possess a thorough knowledgo of tho game and bo a lighter and a sticker. "I have been In baseball twenty-one years, seventeen as manager, and 1 have won Boven pennants and landed in second sec-ond place several times. 3 novor yet havo had an unsuccessful year, and I don't bollovo tho goddess of luck will dosert mo now. With an oven break on the luck wo'U take care of tho rest." CHARLES IRBY. Special to The Tribune. HELENA, April 22 "I nm confident," confi-dent," says Charles Irby. manager of tho Helena team in tho Union association, "thnt if tho snlary limit Is observed the Union league pennant pen-nant will lloat from Helena's flagstaff at the end of the season. sea-son. . x "Two weeks of hard practice has put tho boys who will represent Helena Hel-ena In tho Union league In flno shape and I am confident my players, will give the other tennis in the association a battle royal for the rag. "I am satisfied with my infield, which, some critics say, compares favorably with that of any other organization In the league. My outfielders will rank high in tho batting column 1 think. My twlrlors aro young In years, but some of thorn havo scon considerable good, hard experience. ex-perience. In the practice and exhibition games they have acquitted themselves in such a manner an to give rise to the belief that Helena will not be weak In tho box. "In the two weeks that they havo been together my boys havo perfected team work woll and In exhibition games easily outclassed their opponents. "Look out for us. That's all I've got to say," |