OCR Text |
Show Hopes to Pilot Zion Into Bigger League Owner Gooley of Salt 'Lake Union Team Has Been in Organized Ball 17 Years,-' " ' Seventeen yearB in organized base-; ball, twelve of which were. Bpent in the big leagues and -the other five in the minora, iB the brilliant record of .Bieh-ard .Bieh-ard G. Cooley, affectionately known to thousands as plain "DicTc'1 Cooley, tho. man who will direct tho destinies of the Salt Lake club in tho Union baseball league for tho season of 1911 and possibly pos-sibly lead Salt Lake City .into tho Western or tho Coast league. Here is Cooley 's big brush record: St. Louis Nationals, three and one-half one-half years. Philadelphia Nationals, two and one-half one-half years. Pittsburg Pirates, one year. Boston Nationals, four years. Detroit Americans, pno year. Topeka Western association and league team, five years.t Was Swell Hitter. Boside8i being some fielder Cooloy, was a swell hitter in his balmiest days. In Spalding's official baseball record, under un-der the legend of "nurfor loaguo batsmen bats-men who have made a battiug. record of .300 or better for four years from 1876, to 1910 four years after Cooley quit bjg league company Coole3''s name is given a placo of - honor along with the names of twenty-three others. Cooley mado this romarknble poling record, with tho St. Louis Nationals. Hero' is his batting avcrago for the four years: 1895340. 1800301. 1897327. 189S 317. This is an average percentage of a little .better than 321. Cooloy is a near colonel. Born close to Louisvillo in the blue grass Btato thirty-seven years ago ho early migrated migrat-ed from Kentucky to Kansas. Like many other youths that afterwards became be-came baseball stars, he made his start for big brush company on the town lot. Thoro wore no minor bushes for Cooley. And after-he got into the major leagues it took no less a personage than tho great Tiger, CyruH Cobbt to got him out. Tn 1893. when Cooley jumped over the minors, from'iudcpendent and semi-pro-cssi6nal ball, to the majors, he wont to tlio St. Louis Nationals as utility mnn. Most of -tho first j-car he spent in the outfield. Tho second yyir ho was given a regular-.plaee-in-tho outer trarden. He remained with St. Louis until the niid-dlo niid-dlo of tho season of 1806. Is Traded to Phillies. Then the Philadelphia Nationals traded Shortstop Sullivan and "Tuck" Turner, crack outfielder, ,-who became a star at the initial sack, for Cooley, giving a sum of monoy to boot, and Cooloy plavcd center fiold for the Phillies Phil-lies with Delehanty and Thompson in right and left. This was one of tho greatest hitting teams ever got together. to-gether. Cooley remained with the Phillies until un-til the close of 1899, when he was sold to Pittsburg and wont to first base for tho Pirates. In tho fall of that year he was sold to Boston, for which ho played the outfield almost four years. In 1904 Cooley broke into the ranks of tho American league. . going to tho Tigers as outfielder. At the close of the 1905 season he was released, "Ty" Cobb supplanting him in tho Tigers' outer garden. Cooley then bought the Topeka franchise fran-chise in what at that time was the I Western association, and ran tho team from the initial sack. At the end of the second year Topeka went into the Western league. Cooley won two pennants pen-nants for Topeka in five years, landod in third placo onco and 'fourth place another time, and finished last in 1910, but there was a reason. Ho intended in-tended to get out of the leaguo and sold off most of his good pla3'ers. A stock eomoany bought the Topeka team at the end of tho 1910 season and Cooley Coo-ley cnific farther west. Cooley 'played- almost ' continuously right up'to closo-to the end of last season.' sea-son.' He sprained his ankle sliding at Denver and ; ho has plavcd little sinco. In 1908 Cooley was the' leading first baseman in tho circuit, despite his ownership own-ership cares. His batting was close to tho .300 mark most of J.he time. Believes in Salt Lake. Cooley says that ho likes the looks of. Salt Lake City was fascinated with the town tho first time he ever saw it and intends to make it his home the rest of his days. Most of the money he obtained from tho sale of his Topeka team ho has invested in tho Salt Lake franchise of the Union league, and he believes that his investment is a wise one. His ambition is to break into tho Western or tho Coast league with Salt Lake City, and there arc many who be-liove be-liove his hope will be realized soon. Seven years In organized baseball Is tho record of Cliff Blankenshlp. who will run Salt Lake's team In the Union association for tho season of 1911. Almost two of theso seven years wero passed In the big leagues. Blankenshlp twlco has been with the outlaws, but each time has been reinstated. rein-stated. The last time It cost him $200 to get back. The first time tho Pacific Coast league, with the Seattle team of which he was playing, when It went back under protection took all Its players with It. This sunny southerner, who discovered Walter Johnson, tho Nationals' star twlrler, holding the world's season strikeout strike-out record (313). Is only 31 years old and may be seen In big brush company again. Besides being a shrewd team runner, quick to discern and take advantage of the weaknesses of his opponents. Blankenshlp Blanken-shlp Is a good backstop, having a whip that is s terror to base runnors; fields woll and bats above 300 Jn the minors all tho time. Athough his batting average while . he was with the majors was not so high, his fielding was excellent. In 1907, when he was with the Washington club, ho led the American league catchers catch-ers In fielding, with a percentage of 991. In twenty-two games he got eighty-seven putouts, twenty-five assists, made only ono error and had no passed ba1l3. Nclth- cr la - there any record of bases stolen on him. Is Southerner. Blankenshlp was born at Columbus, Ga7, thirty-one" years ugo. For tlireo years, ho ran .an Independent team at Columbus. Then he broke Into organized ball as backstop for Atlanta, , In tho . Southern league. In 1903 ho went to Toledo in the American association as one of the guardians guard-ians of ,the outer garden. In, 1904 Blankenshlp became an outlaw, Jumping to Seattle, in tho Coast league, but when the league went back under protection a .few months later It took all its players with It. In 1905 Blankenshlp went ' to Cincinnati as guardian of the Initial sack. Towards the end of the season sea-son he was sold backto Seattle. From thoro he went to tho Nationals, for whom he did so much when ha discovered the former Idaho star. In 190S "Blank," as he popularly Is known, managed tho Fresno, Cal., club, an outlaw, and this cost him 5200 for reinstatement. In 1909 he went buck to Washington as catcher, and In 1910 he managed the Taconia club In the Northwestern league, from which ho camo to Salt Lake City. Cooley relics lmpllcity In Blankenshlp to run tho team. Blank, while being firm with his men, Is kind and Is popular popu-lar with tho players. Tho fans bellove that Blankenshlp will bring the rag to Salt Lako City. j |