[legendsport]

from the Sporting Way, February 23, 1905:

TEAMS REPORT TO SPRING CAMP, NEW FACES LOOK TO IMPRESS - The long, baseball-less winter is over for the fans. Teams began reporting to training camps in Arizona and California last week and the Way was there to get the straight dope on what to expect in '05.

The big news out of the Boston camp was the signing of young Saul Eisenkamp. The 21-year-old from Chicago (disappointed not to have been signed by the Colts - shame on Albert Spalding), is "raw" according to skipper Hugh Duffy (who replaced Dan Brouthers at the helm of the Minutemen this offseason). Sir Hugh expects the kid to start the season on a minor league roster, but with Boston's reserve rights firmly established, Beantowners will eventually get their look at the slick-fielding third sacker. The Beaners (aka Minutemen) also picked up a top hurler in Ed Reulbach, who immediately joins Big Six - Christy Mathewson - atop the Minutemen's rotation.

Oakland, looking to tear a page out of John McGraw's book for quick turnarounds, grabbed an established player out of the Negro barnstorming leagues - a spiffy second-baseman named Nux James. Wilbert Robinson's Oaks need James to make an immediate impact in hopes of escaping their cellar domain. Oakland also added Irv Young - also known as "Young Cy" - to the rotation. Danny Green, Patsy Dougherty and Cy Seymour head up the lineup for Oakland, with Elmer Bliss and Chappie McFarland joing Young in this year's rotation.

Seems that Philly's Johnny "Steel Arm" Taylor has a few brothers who also play some ball and one of them, "Candy" Jim Taylor - a third-baseman - is the plum signing of the Sacramento Redwoods. 21-year-old Jim is a surefire future star and the Redwoods hope that future comes very soon. Cy Young isn't getting any "young-er" (at age 38) and he'd like a taste of championship champagne before he goes back to Ohio.

The Seals inked themselves a couple of starters in Orval Overall and "Big Jeff" Pfeffer. San Francisco hopes to turn around their traditionally woeful pitching and get into the playoff hunt. "Strawberry" Bill Bernhard - the only returning starting pitcher - is talented, but prone to injury. Johnny "Crab" Evers anchors a workmanlike lineup which contended for a brief flash in the summer of '04 and hopes to do better this time around.

The maturation of Andrew "Rube" Foster has hopes high in Chicago camp. The big hurler had his best season last year and manager Sol White looks for more from the rotund righty. To help on offense, White and Spalding inked Negro League prospect Bobby Winston, a lightning-fast runner who will fit well in White's up-tempo offensive style, but starts the year hurt, following an off-season injury. With a solid starting outfield of Harry Lumley, Jimmy Slagle and Jack McCarthy, rumors of a trade to take place when Winston is back from injury are circulating through camp.

Pittsburgh, in its second season without John McGraw, grabbed knuckleball artist Homer Hillebrand to bolster the mound corps. With a lineup built around Mike Donlin and Willie Keeler, Ed Barrow's Rivermen didn't need offensive help. Barrow intimated that Hillebrand probably isn't ready and so, although reserved, he will likely start out in the Eastern League.

The big guns of both leagues added some spare parts, though New York's inking of shortstop George Wright was a surprise move that has some speculating on the possibility of incumbent Gene DeMontreville moving to a new address. Portland, whose lineup suffered a severe lack of firepower after the departure of Honus Wagner, hopes to improve with the addition of Frank "Wildfire" Schulte, a promising young outfielder. Philadelphia added pitcher King Brady and McGraw is pleased with the progress of last year's top reserve, Ned Monaghan, though the youngster is not yet ready to take Honus' spot. Columbia and San Diego added George Stone and Joe Harris, respectively. Neither is expected to much to improve these teams - but as pennant winners, they're already very good ballclubs.