The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-20
COLLEGE BOYS PLAY BIRMINGHAM TODAY Regular League Season Will
 Begin Tomorrow GAMES TO BE CALLED 3:30 This Afternoon Will Be Last oppor- tunlty of Witnessing Barons In
 Action Before Facing Their
 Old Rivals Tomorrow.

The last practice game of the season will be played between Birmingham and the college team from the University of Nashville this afternoon. The game will be called at 3:30 o'clock and promises to be an interesting contest Manager O'Brien will probably try out one of the young pitchers and not take a chance on the few men whom he regards as cer- tainues. The college boys are said to have a good club and recently gave the Nashville professional team a hard brush. This game will give the fans an excellent opportunity to get final look at the Coal Barons before they begin the regular league season with Nashville tomorrow.
 The gates of slagtown will be thrown open to the suffering public tomorrow af- ternoon and soon thereafter there win be a rattling and shaking of dry bones such as has not been witnessed in the village Of West End since the "triumphal" finish af the Coal Barons when they started westward, ho last season.
 Noise-making tools have been in demand TOT two days past and hundreds of root CTS have been working diligently on their thoraxes to have them in shape when MT. Palmer of Nashville deftly chunks the first ball over the plate when Nash vile and Birmingham face each other on the diamond. The natives out in that territory have been fuming and fretting With impatience for many long months and when the button is pressed a iowl VIII rise from Willow swamp that will ha of
 Great Day for Slagtown.
 It will be great day for Birmingham, and the ITO ami citizens of Slagtown pro- pose to show their interest in the oc- casion. After talking over the situation and trying to pick the winner during to- morrow morning, fandom will assemble down town at noon, and at 2 o'clock, headed by brass band and the ball play CTS, will parade through the streets and thence to the smoky heights of Mount Slag. On account of the danger of be- coming engulfed in molten metal nobody but policeman will be allowed to wit ness tho clash at arms between the tribe of Fisher and the clan of O. Brien from the lofty summits of the mount. It Is very likely that Piatt, the former Bostonian, will pitch for Nashville, and that Minnehan will do similar tricks for Birmingham. Newt Fisher has already announced that he comes to Birmingham with the sole intent and purpose of winning the first game regardless of the | result in the other two. He swears by the limpid waters of the Cumberland that he shall snatch q scalp from Mount Slsg | and comes to Jones valley with blood in both eyes. It Is said that Tommie O Brien fears him not and has an equal amount of gore in each eye, and Is ready to do business at the drop of the flag. These two generals of the eastern division of the baseball army both feel their oats just now, and honestly believe that they have all the goods necessary to do the things expected. Sadness and joy depend upon their ability to make good.
 Birmingham Hits Hard. There seems to be no question that Birmingham has the best hitting team of the two but local rooters are evidently worried somewhat over the appearance of Piatt in the box. He is looked upon as a stumbling block which Birmingham will have difficulty in surmounting. The Rarons themselves simply smile when in- formed of the dilemma and rub their bats affectionately.
 If this Piatt can get off with any thing around here," said one of the play CTS yesterday, The Is still good enough to remain in the big league. You can say that If he beats us 1t is because he has the goods for not one of us are going in the game the least bit frightened or nervous
 The Barons were out practicing yester- day and did some nice team work They worked hard on bunting and base run ming. Mullaney, the new infielder, con tinues to show up in nice style and hits the ball hard. He is lightning fast on handling ground balls and can scoop them up as well as Wekart of Shreve- port. who is considered one of the best scoopers in the business.
 Harry Vaughans hand has been taken out of splints and his physician says he will be able to go in the game within week. It is probable that he will play in one of the games at Montgomery. Mullaney will play first in the tree games with Nashville.
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