“Now, at the first sack we need somebody to take Penny’s place, and I must confess that I did not notice any likely candidate, unless it was Dill.” “We are going to have a hard time, I think, to find some one at short in place of our good friend Joe Brinker.” “Did you notice the bowlegged and awkward-looking German named Hagner in the cage to-day?” broke in Everson. “If he wasn’t so big and awkward looking, he might be able to bat and we could play him in the outer gardens, but I hardly think he would ever make a shortstop.” “I hardly think so either,” said Jenkins, “but I had a talk with him and he said he could play short. I have also had a report from Texas, where he came from, that he is a perfect terror at bat. I can hardly hope though that he will be able to fill Brinker’s place. I think if we could figure out some scheme to remodel his anatomy we might be able to make something out of him. Still he may be a diamond in the rough. I don’t think you can tell anything about any of them until you see them work in the open air for a week or two.” “What do you think about right field?” asked Johnny. “If I am not mistaken,” answered Hughie, “we have the real prize package in that young chap from Georgia, Robb (a regular cracker name, isn’t it)? Did you notice him at all? Did you ever see more speed? I am knocking on wood when I talk about him, because I don’t want to fool myself, but if I was a scout for a professional team, and saw this fellow Robb playing ball on some back lot, I think I’d buy him without instructions from headquarters.” “Lots of them look like stars the first few days of spring,” said Johnny. “I noticed Robb particularly, too. I was thinking that while he is a clean-cut looking fellow, I’d hate to get into a fight with him, because he looks like a chap who has no fear of anything.” “Besides Robb there were half a dozen others who looked like they might be made into fielders,” said Hughie. “There was Talkington, McKee, Raymur, Oakley, Lunley, and Flack. If any of them know how to swing a bat, I think we will be able to teach them what they need to know about catching flies.” “As usual most of the candidates want to pitch and if Miner is all right this year we won’t need any one to help him, except, perhaps, a left-hander. Did you notice anything promising along this line? I was so busy looking over the fielders and possible first basemen that I didn’t pay much attention to the pitchers. I rather liked the delivery of Crossley the short time he was throwing. He looked promising for a rich man’s son.”