The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-22
GROUNDS GETTING IN SHAPE
 PARK PROGRESSING RAPIDLY Y
Grand Stand is Modern in Every Detail, 60000 Feet Lumber Being Required to Complete It--BaSe-
 ball Gossip in General.

watched by the fans of every city with feverish anxiety from the South, day after day. will come reports of how Goo gan is soaking the ball and is certain to be a grand addition to the team; how Spulps is letting out his right arm, and shooting them in so fast they are burning holes in the frightened atmosphere. how Moxby is the fastest young catcher and surest thrower to bases ever seen in the speedy company, and how the whole club is imbued with fire and ginger to such an extent that 1t cannot fail to yank the flag.
 The same old reports, the same old tales told by the big-eyed correspondents who accompany the clubs! Since the custom of spring training trips began, it is not within the memory of man that any cor respondent ever reported i'll of any player. Never yet was 1t announced that even the scrubbiest amateur was other than a great batsman and a sure fielder. Never was it said by any scribe that this, that or the other man was showing signs of
 having long passed his prime, or that any
 younger boy wasn't ripe for the fast me- nnagerie. 1t is always the best and noth-
 ing but the best, according to the corres-
 pondents. Every training place, too, ac-
 cording to the reporters, is always the
 best the club ever struck-a curious thing,
 considering how rarely the players can be
 coaxed to take a whirl at any training
 ground two years in succession.
 Spring practice. of course, is essential to the proper preparation of the men, and
 without 1t no team that had in any way changed Its membership from the pre- vious season could be whipped into ma chne-like playing form. Yet the spring practice is unreliable so far as furnishing any line upon the players Is concerned. Some men do not let themselves out in youngsters are wild, Hurried and uncer- tain. Others are too confident. try to show off and spoil their arms. Some. Of the veterans appear to vast disadvantage. overweight and listless, and this condi- tion. may prove permanent or may wear off by the first of June.
 One thing sure-there is, right now. the grandest collection of sore arms and tired legs in the world at each of the training grounds. When man has talk en life easy for several months, the first throw of a ball is going to make that man feel as if somebody had stepped on his f1exor muscles and the first run for
 long fly will make the legs feel worse than the arms.
 The Detroit American Leaguers are not the only things that ever happened when ! it comes to big men, Bobby Gilks having some on his list. A Shreveport paper says of them:
 with the exception of Wee Willie Prout and little Hennessy the average | weight of the team will be in the neigh borhood of 200 pounds.
 "Hulseman, Weikart, Gilks, Norcum Hughey, Fisher Kelb, Beck. Brouthers | Graffius, Keenan, Swann and Kuhn are all Dig men. and the name of Giants can well be used.
 Kuhn, the new pitcher from Pennsyl- vania. measures the unusual height of feet inches. Hulse is the next largest
 man, 6 feet inches. The team has now been completed by the signing of Kelly | and Swann, two left-handers, and as a l deal is on for the sensational little south paw. Brownie Foreman, the team will be well fixed as for pitchers and no team in the league Is so formidable arrayed as | the Giants
 Fisher. Kuhn. Hughey and Pipes arc right handlers, and Kelb, Swann, Fore
 man and Fricke are left handlers. Eact | man will be given a thorough tryout and | the best will be kept, as the team hal | the promise of Persons and two pitcher! | from St. Paul the fans may rest easy
 now and await results"
 1.------- ftasr
 A good many months ago when tn Memphis outfit with their outlaw leagu
 were fighting the Southern League, Vel don Henley, the crack pitcher on las
 years Atlanta team, signed Montgom 1 cry contract for the outlaw league. A
 the time 1t seems that he was still re
 served by the Atlapta Southern League
 club but what did that matter to Hen | ley. Now he has sign ed up with the Ath letics. the Philadelphia American Leagu' l champions, and it is problematical wheth | CT Ban Johnston will pay Alb Powell fo | the pitcher or not. How many nor,
 contracts Henley has signed or how mucl 1 advance money he has received remains | to be seen. There is another catcher wht | Is somewhat of a bone of contention ~ ~ zzzxxw @ wwxu> - w