The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-02


 Brilliant in every particular except in the final score of the game was the open ing of the Southern League season of 1903 in Montgomery yesterday afternoon. when the Birmingham team defeated the Montgomery team. The game was wit messed by 1.2S6 persons and the score was to 3.
 The weather was ideal. It was just bit coolish, perhaps, but the hint of frostiness in the air was tempered by sparkling sunshine.
 Shortly after 1 o'clock a parade left the Capitola Hotel on Commerce Street headed by Police Captain W. il. Taylor and a platoon of mounted policemen fol- horses, members of a brass band being seated on top of the vehicle. Then came carriages bearing Mayor E. B. Joseph and members of the City Council follow ed by a carriage in which rode Charley. Morgan, vice-president and Coffee Jack son secretary of the Birmingham Base- ball Association and Bozeman c. Bulger, Sporting Editor of The Birmingham Age Herald. Following this carriage came automobiles bearing members of the Montgomery Baseball Association. follow ed by six carriages containing Manager O'Brien and Whistler and the members of the Birmingham and Montgomery teams.
 From Court Square the parade moved up Dexter Avenue to Lawrence, up Law renee to Washington, down Washington to Court. down Court to the Square and up Dexter Avenue to the State Capitol Then doubling 1t came down the opposite side of the beautiful thoroughfare to Court Square and down Court Street to Monroe out Monroe to North Hull, up Hull to the Lower Wetumpka pike and thence to the ball grounds
 By the time the ball grounds were reached 1t was growing late and instead of the two teams marching around the field as was the original program both teams msnd thA ahnrf tfna t,, warming up, while from corner of the big grand stand the music of the band kept the crowd In a good humor.
 At 3:30 o'clock Mayor Joseph was escorted to the pitchers box where Um- pire Harry Mace met him and rendered him brand new, glossy ball. The spirit of the good old days when he was a youngster rushed 10 the mind of Mont- gomery's Chief Executive and taking the ball he stepped into the box and shot one over the plate. Kanzler swung his stick and swiping viciously shattered and shat tered and shivered about seventeen cubic was heard from Millerick's init, and the first championship game of the season in Montgomery was on.
 With both right and left bleachers packed and the big stand pretty well filled it was decidedly the largest week day crowd that ever attended a ball game in Montgomery and considering the fact that it was the first day of the month, IluuuIt0S Ol DuSlHeSS men DelnR prevented from going to the game, the large attend ance was a surprise.
 To the game itself. Birmingham won if and we'll did they deserve 1t for never on the local grounds has a lot of ball players worked harder for a game than Tom OBrien and the entire gang from the Magic City did yesterday Incident ally. it may be said that this Birming- ham outfit Is an unusually strong combi- nation. The outfield is fast and just about the hardest hitting proposition that the Black SoX nave yet gone up against. With the patching up of some leaks in the infield, the team will stack Up well with anything in this league.
 Frank Smith, of course Is mainly re- sponsible for the dose of defeat that was administered to the locals. He pitched great baseball, only five small hits be- Ing made off him, the hits being so wide ly scattered as to be Lnrecognizable He struck out seven men and sent three nen to bases on balls
 Brennan pitched ball that would win almost any ordinary game He gave only seven hits, four bases on balls and struck out five men. But the pace cut out for him by Frank Smith was too swift. And there IS the whole story.
 The Black Sox played a lightning field ing game, the only errors being made hv Kid Busch and Brennan. and one charg- ed 10 Busch being entirely excusable,. but 1t was an error, nevertheless.
 smith began to get busy in the very way. he struck out Spratt. Molesworth stepped to the plate, received a big bunch of flowers and retired the side
 In the last half, Brennan started the fans to roofing by striking out the first man up, who happened to be the hard hitting Duffy. Lawler and Mitchell were then disposed of in easy fashion, and the first inning had gone glimmering, with no runs for either side.
 In the second. Whistler was up. A big oox or cut-howers was presented him and he was out. Good old Ike Durett then got walk, Stickney also walked, and both of them scored on Wilkie Slarks long hit. Busch struck out and Brennan files out,
 The last half of the second was when Montgomery lost the game for keeps Brennan had bunch of bad nights.