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Show I SALT LAKE HAS SPLENDIDLIIUP PORTERV1LLE, Cal., March 25. I have seen the Bee squad in only two practice games and a morning workout work-out to date, but even this early I am going to hazard the opinion, fans, that you may well smack your lips because on April 16th you are going to see the best looking ball club, all things considered, con-sidered, that ever started a -season for our good little city. I have already been able to satisfy myself on what Walter McCredie meant when he made a recent statement state-ment in these columns to the effect that he has the best squad he has ever o worked with in a spring training camp. It is natural for a manager to say that things look good, as they always do in tho springtime. McCredie is not a bit overenthusiantic, however, and he is not exaggerating matters. There are twenty-five men in camp and an extra candidate for every position. po-sition. From what I havo seen thus far I am Inclined to think that none of the supposed regulars 'had better lay their gloves 'down in any of their positions. If they do, another ambitious ambi-tious young man will grab it, and that goes for the three popular athletes, Earl Sheely, Bill Orr and Buddy Ryan, just as it does for any of tho newcomers. new-comers. There isn't a raw-looking ball player on the squad, and Smith, Sands and Feurborn are going to take the fans at home by storm unless I miss my guess. This fellow Sands is absolutely one of the sweetest little shortstops I havo ever seen, and how he can lay against that old baseball. He is only a bush-or, bush-or, but one of the willing kind, with promise "sticking out" in all directions. direc-tions. He is "built close to the ground," as the oldtime managers say, and shoots the ball from any position without with-out straightening up. McCredie has gone "daffy" about bim, and you know the reputation the said McCredie has for packing future great shortstops out of the rough. This lad Smith is another phenom, and someone is going to have a hard time keeping him off, from the ball club. There isn't a flashier or surer fiy-chaser in tho leaguo than this boy. He can sting the ball hard and is just such a thrower as Johnny Tobin. If anything, just a triilo more accurate. Bill Feurborn, tho highly-touted all-around all-around athlote from St. Louis, appar-entlv appar-entlv is everything that has been said of him. He plays the first .bag for the yannigans in grand style, is fast, has sizo and can hit. Dick Cox is another likely chap. Ho is a second Ray Schalk in build&one of tho cocky, noisy-style of players, and a wicked clouter. His inexperience-as inexperience-as a catcher may keep him off the club for a year, however. Several others of tho new men look good, notably Pitcher Morton, who worked a few innings at Bakersficld yesterday; Pitcher Arkenberg. Pitcher Pitch-er Congwright, tho Utah boy, and Outfielder Out-fielder Sullivan. Walter Leverenz, Buddy Ryan and Jack Firmer aro In grand condition. Earl Sheely has been a little slow in rounding to, but Earl never does get started until ho roaches the home lot. The injury to Ken Penner and Jean j Dubuc last night has upset McCredio's plans considerably, as the former was slated to pitch tho opening game. Hp-will Hp-will be out of tho game most of the summer. Dubuc should be out of tho hospital in about a week, but since he has done practically no training at all thus far, he will probably not be ready for at least two weeks. Tho very sad accident which occurred occur-red last night has cast grief over tho entire Bee camp, as well as tho little city. Yesterday's game was played at Bakersfleld, about sixty miles south, on the beautiful auto highway, and tho trip was made in machines which had been supplied by the good boosters of the place. One of tho cars was furnished, fur-nished, by a Mrs. Emma Abbey, and her daughter Hester was at the wheel. When within twenty miles of the city the machine swerved and blew a tiro. The big car turned over and all of the occupants were pinned underneath. under-neath. No one in the party was injured in-jured seriously, however, except Mrs. Abbey and Pitcher Penner. Mrs. Abbey Ab-bey suffered a concussion of the brain and a fractured skull, so that she Is now hovering between life and death. Penner sustained broken ribs and a cracked collar bone. Outfielder Ward Miller and Catcher Joe Dunn reported this morning and handled themselves so nicely that they merely added to tho grief which Mc-Credio Mc-Credio will surely have when he is confronted with the task of cutting down. The first slashing on tho dinner-bell roster occurred today, when McCredio released Catchers Squires Hinkle and Gomes. Manager McCredie and President Lane are holding a conference con-ference tonight with Bill Fishor, leader lead-er of the Portland club, to determine what players will be sent to Judge McCredie's new team. |