The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-03-13
MAY HAVE CITY LEAGUE
LOCAL FANS DEVELOPING CASE
OF BASEBALL FEVER
There Will Be No Professional Ball
Here This Season, But Games
Will Be Played-other
Sporting News.


AZ this spring weather approaches the
local fans are developing a healthy case
of baseball fever as we'll as spring fever.
and the question Of city league is again
being agitated.
Last summer some of the amateur
games played at the bali park have never
been eaualled by any professional games
In Montgomery. notable instance being
the eleven inning game between the In
dependents and Falcons. The Indepen-
dents won out in an eyelash finish. but
the game was about the most intensely
exciting ever seen here. In that game
Forest Seals made his strike-out record.
eighteen Falcons frantically shatterinG
efforts to locate the balls that he sent
hurting over the plate. The Independ-
ents were never beaten last summer and
this year they will have out fully az
strong an aggregation as last. The Fall
cons ran close second to the Independ-
ents last year and this season they will
have an unusually strong team In the
field. Ed Burke had a strong aggrega-
ton with his Louisville and Nashville
team last year and this season he will
duplicate last years record as will the
Y. M. c. A. people who will have four
teams in the field this season. An effort
will be made In the next few days to get
the managers of these four teams to.
gether and organize a ci.y league with
one or more games every week. There
will be no professional ball in Montgom-
cry this season and city league COM
posed of the four crack amateur teams
mentioned above should not only pay for
itself but will be O veritable bonanza to
the amusement-loving people of Mont
gomery.
Everybody who ever attended base
ball game in Montgomery remembers Bill
Armour who held down right field on
Jack Hays Montgomery team in 1896.
There was one popularity about Bill. He
would never go to bat without first walk
ing entirely around the plate. Perhaps
1t was habit and perhaps 1t was supersti-
ton. but all the same he was one Of the
most consistent hitters and fastest sprint
ers that ever played in Montgomery. This
season he will guide the destinies of the
team and he says that he will
have the best outfield in the country this
year. His star man Is undoubtedly Ollie
Pickering. who is admitted by all critics
TO be one Of the fastest center-fielders
IN the business. With Pickering In the
middle garden and Mccarthy in left, Ar
nour has two grand ball players. He has
Ha a1s dsr right tws field
tut will not be seen in the pitchers box
again. When he signed with Cleveland
or the coming season he made 1t con-
lftion that he should never be asked to
his request, as man that batted .372
turing the six weeks he played, with
Cleveland and finished the season with a
batting average of $3.50, is far more val
liable in the outfield than he Is on the
lab. Harvey's wonderful throwing abii-
ty also makes him an exceedingly val
liable man IN right garden. Last yNar
ne nipped many a daring base-runner by
/ long throw from deep right his only
weakness being on ground balls. fault
which he was rapidly overcoming when
he season ended.
Captain Frank Bonner. the clever Sec
ind baseman who had been trained by
the Chicago National League Club and
also by Toronto of the Canadian League,
s sure to be with the Clevelands. Only
asst week he sent his measurement, wrote
% Manager Armour for his uniform also
him to notify him where and
when he Is to report. Armour answered
notifying him to report at Hannaville on
March q.
The winter meeting at .New Orleans
winds up day after tomorrow with the
running of the Brush Crescent City Der
by, the first race of any Importance on
this side of the MISS ssippi River this
season. Montgomery followers of the
races have always taken a big interest
IN this race, one reason being that IL
gives line on the 3-year-olds that will
race on up the line from Little Rock,
Louisville. Nashville, Memphis and the
Chicago tracks. Speaking of Saturdays
ace The New Orleans Picayune says:
The nearer one comes to the running of
he Crescent City Derby the more pro-
bounced the opinions that it will be won
~ Lord Juex. Furthermore, with the
snhanolrg OF the chances OF this colt
zones the knowledge that the field will
De small one. six starters being really
| liberal estimate of the number which
will do battle for the rich prize. This
IN assurance Of a true-run race, with
he victory for the best horse. With a
OF of forlorn hopes bidding for the prize.
'r any part of 1t. 1t would almost GER
ainly bring some disappointment in the
handling of those that rate as the dan
.erous division. The defeat of Lord Quex
IN Friday gives the admirers of that colt
10 possible chance TO lose faith in his
lowers. 1t Is true, he was beaten by
ONE of those he will meet on Saturday.
IMPLY atone for their outrunning him.
borrower, 1t was plain to see that he was
ot at top notch. All through the race he
an as IL he had been INDUCED some.
eels of the first three as he passed the
nish tells what may be expected OF him
yhen he meets them at something like
ven weights and when fitted to the hour.
O he certainly will be next Saturday.
Positive predictions as to the result of
ny race are, at best, unwfse; sun one
5 well warranted in saying that If this
olt does not win this Derby, IL will
rove one of the surprises of the meeting.
Iictory for him will not mean any grea
for the reason that the lot
hat will oppose him is at best decidedly
If 1t is, as stated that some
me offered $4,000 for this colt the other
lay, his owner should have accepted 1t.
lie went East last year with quite a rep
me purse, and that in an overnight af
air at Gravesend during the fall meet
ng, Otis. Port Royal, Tribes Hill and
flora Pomona were among those that
lie beat. and none would be daring
enough to say that any of these four has
right to classification as a stake per-
ormer. Even allowing that he has I'M
proved, as it certainly appears he has,
here Is little to justify the belief that he
8 more than a useful colt. Ten thousand
Iollars will buy pretty useful sort of
horse these days. and perhaps Mr..
Unions will have reasons to regret that
lie did not accept the offer. WINFIELD
will come on to pilot him on Saturday.
which assures at least the best perform
nee that he is capable of. This rider Is
clever horseman, in fact, the one real
Y first class jockey among the negro
iders.
Kaffir looks to be the contender. He will
,s ridden by McJoynt, who rode in
france last year for W. x. Vanderbilt.
his colt has shown Improvement in
ach of his races. and If Lord QueX IS
o be beaten. this one will be his con-
,ueror. In each of his three starts he
las been piloted by Young, very inferior
ider. The change to competent hands
a. mo 70