OCR Text |
Show 'BUCK' WEAVER HAS GflSSIPJ0 PEDDLE Foxy Old Backstop Tells Home Folks About Union Association Boys. A recent issue of the Rocky Mountain News contains an eyeful of Interesting gossip about well-known Union association asso-ciation players. The sourco of tho News's information is "Buck" Weaver, in 1912 manager of the Snlt Lako team, and this year catcher for the Great Falls band. The News adds some guesses of Its own to the things "Buck" took home with him. For example, the News says the Salt Lake grandstand was sot on Are by local fans as a manifestation of their Indignation at losing the pennant. Some of the gossip the News haa followB: "Buck" Weaver returned home last week from Great Falls, Mont. MIb team won the pennant in the, Union association under the management of "Sid" Hester. Three of "Buck's1' pitchers went to the majors Williams Wil-liams Duffy and Delhi. Tho best outfielder In the league was also sent to Pittsburg by Great Falls. Ho was Fred Kelly, Jack Hendricks's recruit that he farmed to Great Falls at the beginning of this season. Under "Buck's" tuition Kelly changed his stylo of hitting and Boon began to Improve. Kelly hit about .U76 until "Buck" rejolnod the team last June, after a trip to Denver for his health, asthma beginning to trouble him in the Union association towns. After Weaver rejoined the Great Falls team. Kelly began to increase his hitting percentage and tho pitchers pitch-ers began to steady down and develop. de-velop. Boon the big league scouts began to notice the success of the Great Falls pitchers and in a short time they wore grabbed up like hot cakes. Kelly became the best outfielder out-fielder in the league, boating out infield in-field binglcs with great sprinting; In fact, he was tho best man to get on in the Union association. His hitting increased from .275 to between .35o and .400, and ho became the pick of tho Union association. Kelly's Mentor. Hendricks paid considerable atten-, atten-, tlon to Kelly during tho fore part of the season, but the outfielder waa not showing any improvement ovor the form displayed on the spring training trip and the Bears' manager lost track of him, failing to exerciso the option at tho proper time, thus enabling tho Pittsburg scout to grab the promising young outfielder. Of course, Weaver's coaching had a great deal to do with the remarkablo improvement of the thrco pitchers and Kelly and they will miss I1I3 genial good judgment and advice In higher company. "Buck" la wanted to manage several sev-eral teams In tho Union, but ho prefers to draw a good salary as a player and slough tho onerous responsibilities respon-sibilities of the managerial end. There aro quite a few good ball players who believe "Buck" shows good Judgment in Bloughing tho managerial end so long as ho is in good demand as a player. Woolum's Record. Bart Woolums returned home from Ogden last week. Bart was sold by Sioux City to Ogden several months ago and made a great record for himself In the Union association. He may go to tho Pacific coast to play winter ball and has a good chance to start next season with "Happy" Hogan's Venice team in the Paclflo Coast league. The Ogden management manage-ment Is now dickering with Hogan for Woolum's services. Bart had Jimmy Moorehead, Bandy Balllnger and Al Itustenhavcn for teammates this season at Ogden. Bal-llngor Bal-llngor Is now In Glenwood Springs and will bo in Dohver soma time next week. Rustenhaven Js dated to go to the Northwestern league next year and has been going fine. Moorehead has secured a position in Ogden and will likely stay ther0 this winter. Bart says Paul Cobb didn't set the Union association afire any more than he did the Western, and lacked tho "pep" necessary for a promising out-flolder. out-flolder. Next Year's Prospects. While Ogden finished in the cellar, the team was well supported and the outlook is good for a better showing next year. Salt Lake, whllo considered consid-ered tho best team in tho leaguo, allowed al-lowed Great Falls to noso them out, , and the fans were 30 angered that they are supposed to have burnt down the grandstand at Salt Lake at the finish of tho season. Billy Davis had a bad finish and Incurred tho ire of tho betting contingent, but will Journey Jour-ney to tho coast and forgot his trials and tribulations until next season. Great Falls, while It won the flag, would have finished with a considerable consid-erable financial deficit but for tho sale of four players. "SUV Hester, outside out-side of his Bftlary of ?S00 per month, received a percentage of the money-secured money-secured by tho sale of tho players, and 13 said to hav0 ,'cleaned up 34000 on the season. Not so bad for a class D managor. "Shorty" Galena, the old Cheyenne Indian outfielder who played the outfield out-field for Great Falls' pennant winners win-ners in tho Union nBSoclatlon this season, Is In town on a visit with relatives here. Ho will bo here threo weeks. Galena has boon tronblod with a bad leg this year and did not do so well ns ho expected. He was ono of the fastest of tho old Indian tribe, and was sold to Great Falls by Topoka last spring, Topeka also selling Rustenhaven to Ogden at' the samo time |