The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-30
BASEBALL TREAT
 FOR MOUNT SLAG
New York Giants Coming Here
 for Spring Practice
MESSAGE FROM M'GRAW
Several Good Articles of Baseball Dope Ready for SlagtoWn Fans. O'Rrien Has New Shortstop
 and Second Baseman.

A telegram was received by the Bir- mingham Baseball association last night from John J. McGraw, manager of the New York National League Baseball club, announcing that his team would do its spring practice in Birmingham.
 The New York team will arrive here March 15 and will leave during the first week in April While here several games will be played between the New York and Birmingham teams, besides several exhibitions between the members of the New York club.
 While here last spring Manager Mc- Graw became very much interested in Birmingham and made inquiries then con- corning practicing here next season. MT. McGraw says Birmingham is the best baseball town for it's size in the United States, and for this reason he desires to have his exhibition games played here. He is of the opinion that he can draw almost twice as many spectators here as in any city in the south.
 Some Great Stars.
 With the New York team will be some of the greatest stars in the world of baseball. Christy Mathewson will play with New York again and with him will be the iron man." McGinnity. Short stop Babb, who played with Memphis two years ago, will also be with the New York team.
 If the plans of the Birmingham man agement are carried out the local team will arrive here near the first of March and will begin active practice as soon as New York arrives. Manager OBrien is hard at work looking up players just now and recent letters from him indicate that he is having fair success. He has re- quested that his plans be kept quiet until later in the season, as 1t might interfere with the signing of certain men he is after.
 It Is safe to say. however, that Bir- mingham will have a new shortstop and a new second baseman next season. In fact, two men have already signified their intention of coming south with O'Brien. While the names of these men must be kept out of the papers for sev- eral weeks they are known to be as fast as any players who ever donned South
 
 probably come from the American as- sociation, and the other from the big league. They will draw salaries higher than has ever been paid any men on the Birmingham team.
 Men Who Will Return.
 Though everything is indefinite up to this time, 1t is practically certain that Jimmy OBrien, Harry Vaughan, Johnnie Duffy and Pat Millerick will return next year. Eddie Lawler, James Mcguire. Frank Smith, Billy Campbell and Jay Kanzler will not return. Smith and Campbell have been drafted into the big leagues. It Is said the others are not wanted The men in doubt seem to be Pitchers Clark, Triton and Crabill and Catcher Brown.
 Tom OBrien is determined to have a strong team next year if money and base ball sense can get one. He says he will have a. run getting and hitting team above everything else. Last season Bir- mingham had a great fielding team, in fact, the best fielding team In the league, but the Barons were little shy on hit ting.
 The coming of New York to Birming- ham for spring practice is a great com largest towns in the south had been try ing to prevail on McGraw to accept their terms.