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Ed Sproat started his third and final game for the Whites against Minnesota. The Republican stated "the little man did well for three innings and then his strength seemed to desert him and he merely tossed the balls over the plate during the remainder of the game." Minneapolis scored seven runs in the fourth, as Burch "made a couple of muffs and a wild throw, letting in two men, and accomplished other remarkable feats." Sproat was ill all of spring training, and had arrived in St. Louis just a week earlier for the start on May first. This was his third start in seven days, and it seems he just ran out of steam. After this game, he drops off the radar for the season. There is no mention of his release, and there is no mention of what happened to him after the club disbanded. It is likely that he went back to his home in Louisville to recover. The Globe Democrat reported that Hines, who missed the game the day before, had a sore leg. Nicholson moved to right field as Crooks shifted to second and Alcott took third in that game. This game saw Crooks back to third, Nicholson to second, and Dolan taking place in right field. The outfield was a hole for the Whites for much of the season. Burch was a constant in left field, and with Hines out, Kenyon (signed as a catcher) manned centerfield. Right field while Hines was out (11 games total) was mostly a combination of Cantz and Dolan (also both catchers). When Hines returned, Kenyon vanished from the lineup, and right field still was given to Cantz as the regular. The Chicago Tribune reported that Charles Alcott was released in its game recap. Not counting Harry Lyons, who appeared in one game with the Whites in spring training, the Whites numbered fourteen different players in spring training. Three of these (Frank Weikart, Jerry McCormick and Pete Somers) were released without ever playing a game for the Whites. Jake Kenyon was put into the opening day lineup in place of McCormick, while Ed Sproat played his first game on May 1. Tug Arundel would make his first appearance on May 8, and that would set the roster for the rest of the season. With Sproat out of the picture, the Whites had 13 players under contract, with only two pitchers the rest of the season.
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Newspaper articles
St. Louis Globe Democrat |
St. Louis Republican |
Minneapolis Star Tribune |
Sporting Life |
St. Paul Globe |