The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-15
BASEBALL BOOMING;
 ENTHUSIASM RUNS HIGH
End of Fight Thought to be in Sight--GOSsip of Interest to Local FanS--Manager
 Whistler Coming.

| first of next. he having virtually com- pleted signing of his team. He wrote that he had signed fourteen men, five pitchers. two catchers, four Infelders and three outfielders Whether this includes the list turned over by Chattanooga to Mont gomery is not known, but if 1t does Whist Ter will have material to pick from that should make an unusually swift aggrega- ton. The bunch turned over by Chatta- | nooga Includes Durett, Molesworth, Long, ley and Miller, outfielders; Meyers, Spratt and Bush. infelders; Hopkins, Brennan and Bruner, pitchers, and Roth, catcher. ''Sis" Hopkins was one of the most reli- | able pitchers in the Southern League last year and Campau of New Orleans Is hot | after him this summer. Judge Kavanaugh has stated. however that Hopkins must play in Montgomery this summer or not at all. Andy Roth, the best backstop in l the league, Is another player that all Of them are trying to land, Fischer of Nashville especially. Whistler writes here l that he certainly wants Roth on the local team and dnless he traiss or sells him the catcher will wear a Montgomery uniform this summer. Dusty Miller, the out fielder who had charge of the Chattanoo- ga team for a part of last season, has | been traded by Whistler to Charlie Frank | Of Memphis. Harry Swacina, one of the Memphis outfielders, coming to Montgom- cry.
 | The opening of the Southern League | season has been set for the Nth of April but between now and that time the To- 1 cal fans will have some of the fastest baseball in the country to whet their appetites for the championship race. The | Toledo club of the American Association, | haf nha last summer, will do their spring training In Montgomery. coming down about the | middle of March. Beginning about the | 1st Of April the following teams will fol- | low each other in exhibition games in Montgomery: New York Natio aals, Bos- l ton Americans, Milwaukee American As l sociation, Cleveland Americaas-the team that Bill Armour, a popular Montgomery | player. is iR charge of-Cincinnati Ma l tionals, St. Paul American Association and the American League team of New l York This latter aggregation will do | their spring training with Ab Powells Atlanta team and is possibly the swift est bunch of ball players in the world. Willie Keeler. the National Leagues | brightest star, who has signed twoAyear | contract to play with this team, will get | $lOOO year, the largest salary ever paid | to ball player. But this is not all. By | the terms of the contract Keeler is ab- | solved from all fines and suspensions, l and Is to draw his stipend regularly on | the 1st and 14th of each month during the playing season, even should he be un- able to take part in the game, says l New York special
 Under no circumstances is any portion of Keeer's salary to be withheld from | him. Sick or well. his pay is to go on. | The contract, according to a close friend | Of Keeler, is one of the most liberal even drawn, from a players view point, as Keeler has absoh ely nothing 10 lose no matter what turn affairs may take.
 Keeler returned from California on Sai- urday, and in speaking of his American League contract, said that 1t calls for more money than he ever expects to com- mand again for playing ball. At the time he would not say what the figures were but to-day it was learned from good au- thority that the contract stipulates the payment of S10.000 in equal semi-monthy installments during the playing season. Hence, If the American League schedule calls for the usual number of games-140-- next season. Keeler will receive about $1.50 for each game, whether he plays or not.
 At the close of the playing season of 1902 Keeler promised Hanlon that hs I for 1903. but 1t appears that Eanlon, af- ter having all the time Keeler thought necessary, did not take advantage of the | opportunity, Keeler joined the All-Na- l tional team which started est on a transforming tour late in October and on the way stopped in Chicago. There he sought out Johnson. and. being as sured that the American League would place team In New York. expressed a | desire to sign with that club.
 No time was lost in closing the deal Johnson knew that Keeler. besides being | one of the greatest ball players in the | country, would prove to be as big draw l ing card in his circuit as Lajoie, and promptly named $100O0 a year salary and a contract based on any lines that Keel CT might suggest In less than Is min utes the document was drawn and Keeler placed his signature to it.
 The far famed aurora borealis is not l, S. 3, with the rosk flush that is creep ing over Southern baseball skies. and the outlook Is for the most phenomenally successful season ever known in baseball annals in this section. Tom Smith, Presi- dent of the defunct Mobile club, scattered all kinds of red ink and vitrioHc threats of the awful things that he was going to do with the Southern League this sum
 
 tended to attach the gate receipts of ev- cry ball game played in Montgomery or Birmingham during the coming season. Somebody has evidently put him wise, however. and the announcement Is now made that no legal steps whatsoever will be taken against the Southern League by the Mobile club. During the past few days telegrams have been sent out from Chat tanooga that that club intended to re- strain the Southern League from giving the Chattanooga franchise to Montgom- cry. and that the matter was already in the hands of an attorney. Now the writer of this has seen a personal letter from Mims Hightower. President of the late Chattanooga club, to Mir. Ragland, in which he assures the latter that he has dropped all idea of making a fight and states emphatically that Montgomery or the Southern League will not be troubled in any manner by Chattanooga. MT. High tower will hardly go back on this asser- ton, but even if he does he cannot pos sibly do any damage.
 Never has the history of baseball shown so many leagues in existence. In order to get an adequate idea of how many men are needed to keep the clubs going only a look at the numerous leagues is neces-