The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-17
OUR FANS ARE HAPPY
GREAT APPROPRIATIONS OF BASE BALL NEXT SEASON.
Mahager stickney is Gathering To- Eether Good Team to Hol1 Up the Standard of
 Montgomery.

Not since the Black Sox whipped Ab Poweils Crackers to standstiil in three straight games at the opening of last season has there been such complete joy n the hearts of the local fans as there with the tidings of Montgomery's base hall future.
 Just as when a man after being on terrible neryoFs strain for some time whs s asSlasFy sSs asnI.s ,ss Ss th# they would be able to ''cuss the um- pire," ad libitum this summer
 Baseball politics as a rule Is a selfish Kind of thing. but 1t is interesting. It less winter season as the glorious national game Is in tho good old summer time.
 The Southern League meeting just over was most radical departure in many respects from the usual midwiner base ball meeting. There was absolutely not the faintest scintilla of anything selfish in the meeting. From the time that Clark Miller called the roll until a motion was made to adjourn, everything was harmo- nious. Led by Charley Frank. who wears the purple fur New Orleans, there was a disposition all through the meeting to take care rsof the smaller clubs of the league. to prevent any advantage in the matter of finances. or otherwise being taken of them. Not a discordant note was heard in the meeting. Nobody antagonised anybody else and an under current of harmony and good fellowship made the anual 1903 meeting of the South ern League remarkable.
 All attention will be turned locally to the preparations which are rapidly mak- ing for next season, and interest will be keen from now until the entire team is signed and ready to report for spring practice
 With few holes the team is about in shape now, Harry Mannefs and wilkie Clarke are t0 be ii the backstop depart nent. And the local jaens know what snsy ,.s, are. aot senly.. witl Enc init. but in
 H Herck Burnett goes to first base there will be no fear of that bag not be- ing played in jam up shape. He is a heavy hitter, sure fielder and one of the very best base runners that the Southern
 Fred Moore on second is one of the fastest and at times most sensational helders in this section. True he can't hit much. but he can be gotten over that ,n, ana With the proper coaching he may de- ming of the championship race.
 Strings are ont for a third baseInan that hits over 800 and is fast on the paths and who yses excellent Judgment as we'll as speedf in running bases
 Kid Busch issso well known in Mont goInery and such q universal favorite as to scarcely need any mention. He makes erors in blocks of ten, but he takes desperate chances in getting himself those errors. chances that nine ball paly- CTS out of ten with one eye on the of- ficial averages and the other eye on the red hot line ball would stick to the aver age side of the question and let tho bat ter be sure of a clean hit. The Kid. however. never seemed for one moment to think of how his errors would stack up in the averages. If 1t was not a fly ball to the outiield he swung his 1.-the body into motion the moment that the crash Enk ma~ua A AsaA than not he got that ball.
 But errors with Kid Busch did not put such a en-persimmon-taste in the mouths of the fans as those little mis- takes by other members of the infield. They knew that the earnest little short stop was giving them the best that. he had In the shop. There was no grand stand business about him and the patrons of the game knew it.
 Toward the end of last season the im- provement in the stick work and base running of Busch was remarkable and the indications are that during 1904 he will be more valuable in every way. z
 George Stultz and Louis Polchow are the only members of last years pitching staff on the local reserve list for the coming season. Polchow had unques- tionably more speed than any right-hand- ed pitcher In the Southern League last year. very few southpaws being able to show the steam that he did. But towards the end of the season his arm gave out on hinn and he lost the dazzling speed that made hts name such terror to visiting clubs. He may Do all right this season and if he does round into shape thls winter 1t Is a safe assertion that there will not be as speedy fight-hander in the league during the season of 1904.
 George Stultz was the most reliable pitcher on the local staff Issst year, most of his games scintilating with brilllancy. His marvellous control is shown by the fact that all during the season his aver age Of bases on halls was two a game. He was just as good towards the end of the season as he was when he set the grand stand on fire in the early spring. and he promises to be just as valuable during the coming season.
 s These two pitchers will report for work next March, Otis Stockdale and Oscar Street not being on the loca1 reserve list. There is chance of course that both of them may come back to Montgomery. but only chance, as they may be landed by other clubs any minute.
 Frank Wilson goes with Charlie Frank and will wear Pelican uniform during the coming season. so the locals are so far without a soutipaw.
 As to the outfield there is Link Stick ne and Carleton Molesworth, both sure, heavy hitters. Molesworth hitting over 300 and next to Whistler. If Burnett is to be a fixture on the initial bag-as looks likely now-another man will have to be signed for tho outfield. With the excep- tion therefore of a third baseman. an out fielder and two fast pitchers, the local team is complete.
 Bill Spratt is an earnest hardworkin1