The age-herald., 1902-03-30
Players VIII Don Uniforms This
 Week and Limbef up PITCHERS SHOWING UP WELL
McKenna and Smith Highly Praised By Their Associates-Other Play CTS Will Be Coming In
 Every Day Now.
BY HOMER GEORGE.

With the coming or Suisiihe anu S"" sequent dry grounds this week the word of baseball players, writers and cranks will begin the various varieties Of lim- berng-up practice, all of which go to make life worth enduring while waiting for the regular season of play to open. In Birmingham the date is April 2S when chattanooga will be the first lamb
 Tn the meantime the players who will haul up the pennant at West Bend, will form their team They will give exhiol- tons of their fitness to hole the positions for which they were signed; and also In practice games with sundry teams give the fans a chance to get proper idea of their ability
 Throughout the league in every city practice games will be played The first will be in New Orleans today when Ab- ner Powells pelicans go against the big fellows who will represent Cleveland in the America League. The latter are training in the cresent-shaped city; and will show the Southerners several points about the game. The game will be the first of the season and will be watched with interest as affording chance to get a line on the pelcans.
 Members of the local team were at practice in the quarters of the Birming- ham Athletic club yesterday morning, l This practice was, of course, limited to gymnastic work, nd the lmbering of the arm. No chances to do much batting or running were afforded, and the men confined themselves to catching, throw l ing and doing such athletic work as will have a tendency to make the muscles hard and knotty. After working in the gymnasium they went to Lakeview where they had their first outdoor practice in game with Howard College.
 HOWARD COLLEGE DEFEATED.
 The result of the game was 1T to in favor of the Coal Barons. The score does not in any way represent the strength of the team for at no time were special efforts made to add up the total. The professionals chased about the bags and made runs at will The amateurs were always at their mercy.
 Pitchers Lipp, McKenna and Smith were all tried during the game. Neither was allowed to let himself out All were trifle wild, due more to desire not to injure their arms than inability
 In the field some good work was done. Waller at third showed up especially fast. He proved good with the stick also. Moss was as fast as last season. Taylor and Sorber in the outfield also showed up well. The catching of Brown and Haller was sufficient to prove their ability.
 A large crowd of fans were at Lakeview during the game, and all came away feel ing confident of Birmingham's ability. The players on the Howard nine showed up to fair advantage considering the fact of their being pitted against professionals.
 Of the men who have been working the pitchers have perhaps made the best showing MeKenna, Lipp and Smith work together in this practice Moss and others have also done much work and assisted the pitchers to warm up. Of the trio signed for the box work, Smith and Me Kenna have shown themselves to be mas ters in twisting the sphere. They have also exhibited fair control in the prelim- mary practice.
 McKenna is a left-hander. He Is speedy and is said to have any amount of con trol, a quality often lacking in the best of men in this class. Smith has given some exceedingly pleasing examples of speed and control. The men who have worked with him have been especially loud in their boasts about what he will do
 LlPP IN GOOD CONDITION.
 Lipp is already known here. He is in fair condition, and only wants a week In the sunshine to make him fit for hard season. Of the other pitchers. Wilhelm Is at Auburn coaching the college team. He is at the same time getting in condition to win his percentage of games this sea- son. Campbell Is getting in condition in Pittsburg gymnasiums, but will reach here during the present week. He Is ex- pected to make good with the fans upon sight.
 Joe veitch, the long, lank second base man who won the home run suit of clothes last season, is expected to reach Birmingham Tuesday. He writes he is In | excellent condition and will be able to do the best work of his career. Others whose contracts the management hold will put in their appearance during the next few days.
 Practice games with various teams will be played, beginning with a series at Tuscaloosa this week. These games will place the managers in good spirits, lim- Der up the men and afford a chance for the fans to enthuse. They will also show to the outside just what Birmingham possesses in the way of pennant bs ggers The work of organizing the Hooters Club" started by The Age-Herald will | continue. The names of such cranks as | will send in their entitlements will be | published, and they should not limit | themselves to sending names. They should | write letters. This invitation Is not linn tied to newspaper fun-graphers, but is | open to the good, wide public. A letter | just received from a negro states a coon club is being organized to yell for the Iron Barons. The writer says no In- dians or razor-backs will be in the run ming when this coon gang gets to doing business. He says the members will l leave even all thoroughbreds way back in the ruck and pass the wire lengths in ad- vance.