The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-15
BASEBALL SEASON
IS CLOSEAT HAND
All the Players viii be Here
Before Sunday
OEAvER RAISES A PROTEST
Does Not Want to Play In Birmingham,
But Management VIII Not Release
Him-Already Selecting
the Pennant.
OEAvER RAISES A PROTEST

Within ten days the baseball wrappers
will be broken and the long whetted ap-
petite of the fans will be satisfied. The
Birmingham baseball team will arrive on
or before next Friday. and practice VIII
begin Immediately. The players who are
expected on Friday are Millerick. Brown,
Campbell, Frank Smith. Deaver Mcclure
Duffy, Lavender, LAWYER and Millar. Tne
two OBriens are already in the CITY, anu
this will complete the club.
A letter was received from Deaver
few days ago in which he said he would
not return to Birmingham and wanted to
secure his release. 1t Is understood he
has heen offered a little better salary by
some other team In the Southern league,
though he does not say so, and he wants
to be released from his contract with the
Coal Barons.
Secretary Jackson and Manager O'Brien
say they will not give Beaver his contract
and he must play with Birmingham or
not play at all.
Gave Advance In Salary.
They say he signed contract to play
Win BlTIQlnBndHl diih was 6+'oAA
vance In salary; that they carried him all
through last season when he kept up
losing gait. Now that they nave an OPP
portunity Of developing him, he wants to
back out. Mr.. Jackson insists that under
no consideration will Beaver be given a
release.
throughout the league the teams are
getting ready to begin spring practice,
and practically every city in the circuit
is claiming the pennant. Atlanta sees no
chance for anybody else to get off with
the flag, while Shreveport is absolutely
confident. Nashville and Little Rock still
consider themselves as leaders, while
Count Campau promises to bring New
Orleans out at the top. Montgomery
though new in the business, expects to
make monkeys out of the rest OF the
gang, and Whistler says he has the goods
on hand to do 1t with.
So far as Birmingham Is concerned
there is absolutely no chance for any
other team. In fact Mr.. Jackson and
Manager O'Brien have drawn plans of the
pennant and have been writing to sport
ing houses for their best prices on PEN
nants A nice long pole has been secured
and the flag will float in the far corner
of the park or, perhaps, on top of the
Stag pile where 1t can be seen for miles
around
New Workers. Come First.
The first big game of the season will
be played March 81 with the New York
National League club. Mathewson, the
great pitcher, will do the twirling for
the big leaguers while 1t is probable that
Frank Smith will be put in the box for
the locals. Prior to this game 1t is pos
sible that O'Brien will take his club to
Selma for two games with King Bailey's
amateurs This will give the boys little
taste of real game before going against
the fast company from the east
After New York come several of the
big league teams and the Coal Barons
will be kept busy for fifteen days taking
the fasteners in tow. After that they
will have about eight days to themselves
and the flag will fall for the race in the
south Now il there is anybody, be he
fan or be he rooter, who has any doubt
about Birmingham finishing in the top
notch all he has to do Is to consult Root
err Brown and he can get all necessary
information to show us that the other
teams will look like selling platers before
the end of the first round.
Following is schedule of practice
games:
Practice Games.
March 27-New York Nationals.
April 1.-Boston Americans.
April milwaukee american associa-
tom.
April g. 7 and 8-Cleveland Americans.
April 9, 10 and 11-Cincinnati Nationals.
April 10 and 14-St. Paul american as
sociation.)
April II and 1S-Toledo american as
sociation).