The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-22
INTERSTATE LEAGUE
BURNETTs MONTGOMERY
 BUNCH READY TO PLAY.
Splendid Grand Stand at Oak Park Nearing Completion and Locals are Practiing Daily Season Opens Monday.

 A caDacious, modern grand stand. capa- ble of accommodating 1.S00 people Is nearing completion at the Oak Park base ball grounds.
 With the sound of the saw and ham Burnett and nine of his active young sters have been putting fin three hours day of steady work on the diamond for the past week, to be in readiness for the opening of the Interstate League season next week.
 The marked Improvements of the ap- | pearance of the old park will surprise the visitors who have not seen. 1t since last bleachers have been torn away. In their stead grand stand as convenient and | up-to-date as any in the State has risen. The grand stand is in. the form of a horseshoe, its outer edges tapping the home plate at some distance The center section will be equipped with 400 chairs ! for the accommodations of the lady pa- irons Of the game. The bleachers will be erected to the | south of the site of the old bleachers. | They will be nearer first base than was l the old 'roost' for the fans.
 club room for the players is being built. This will be equipped with lockers and 1 with hot and cold baths.
 | A force of hands Is being rushed to finish their work. By Saturday the fin- ishirg touches will be put upon the stand and bleachers. The old park will then be in better conditio nthan ever before in l its history.
 Manager Burnett is proud of the team he has collected. Burnett is himself one | of the most popular players with the Montgomery fans that ever wore a uni- | form on Q local diamond. He ia one of the most. famous hitters that the game ever produced and with Evansville, De-
 troit and other big League clubs. he was | a star in days not far gone. In the fast
 games between independent teams here
 last summer. Burnett was sure of a round
 of applause when his smiling face ap- peared in the batters box.
 It is not generally known that Burnett perhaps holds the worlds record for the
 number of home runs in one season. In
 1895 while he was with Evansville, Bur
 nett had thirty-seven marked down to his credit.
 Montgomery's Interstate League team
 VIII line up as follows: Ramp. catcher;
 Akers, Burtel and Matthews, pitchers;
 Burnett first base; Langsford second
 base: Green or Steel. third base; Dugan, ] left field; Fisher, center field; Steel or
 Green, right field; Lane. short stop, and
 Snodgrass, utility man.
 It's fast bunch." said Manager Bur.
 nett yesterday afternoon as he cast his eye admfringly over the diamond when
 the youngsters were bestirring them
 CTS, and we are going to give the other
 fellows a lot of trouble. We've got a
 number of youngsters here, but there are enough old heads to steady 'em if it's
 needed. What like about the crowd is
 the way they can hit. I know a hitter
 when l see one. and you can take my word for 1t, there's world of trouble ahead for the Interstate slab man who
 goes up against this crowd"
 Ed Lane of Let 'em-run' fame was out in the short garden in a bright red sweat or scooping up grounders
 | You can just say for me-" said Burnett
 that Lane won't play on any Southern League team. He has signed a contract with us and he's going to play with MonssomsfyI sass astfyIed in the Interstate League.
 This was confirmed by Lane who said that he was going to stay with Burnett's s bunch; He said he had been offered a gomery Southern League team, but he intended to stay where his contract was.
 Manager Burnett recently returned from Louisville where he went on still hunt for players; While on the trip he signed Ramp and Langsford. old Southern League players, and Burtel, Fisher. Akers, Green an Dugan. who have been promi- nent In Kentucky interstate leagues. All of them have reported except Green who is expected to arrive today
 Burnett secured three fast college play CTS from st Albsns at Rockford, Va. He drew on the college team for Mathews Lane and Steel, all well known in Alaba- ma.
 Lane has played with Auburn and Greensboro and with several Independent teams. He was with Sylacauga here last summer. fs a1o,f E
 Mathews was at one time with the State University nine. He pitched for An niston during the summer. He was in the box for Anniston in the fast game here between Brewton and Anniston that ended with a score of to l. Steel was also with the Anniston team. Burtel.. one of the other twirlers, was at one time with Char ley Franks Memphis aggregation, In 1 Akers, Burnett believes he has about the best curve artist in the league. .sf The new uniforms for Montgomery are | expected by every express. The uniforms | will be white with maroon trimmings. The league season opens in Montgomery l monday next. Montgomery will be pitted against Brewton for three games here | and from here tte teams will go to Brew | ton for three games.
 Joe Leighton, the promising Birming- ham amateur, was here for several days | working with the team, but Burnet finally | released him. The Montgomery manage | ment said that he was not fast enough | for the local crowd.