The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-30

Standing on the brink of an awful hole with two men out and the last half of the tenth inning rapidly dwindling away, blast from Mount Slag shot Pitcher Smith forty feet in the air, and his next choice curve swooped past the catcher while Minahan came loping across the plate and the day was done. The score was Birmingham 2. Atlanta, 1.
 That wild pitched ball was not recover ed until the sun had set and Dad Cook, the ground keeper, is now having it framed as a warning to pitchers who can't stick close to the earth. It was an awful calamity that befell poor Abner Powell, for be it truly said that his team had played magnificent ball. Smith, who for nine innings had proved a healthy enigma to the Barons lost a beautiful record by chunlsing his chances away and the Barons scampered away victor ious. For one time streak of hard luck certainly struck Uncle Abner square in the face and no permanent disgrace can attach itself to his inglorious defeat
 Remarkable Finish.
 Yesterdays proceedings are remarka- ble in the baseball history of Slagtown. Never before has a game been won when with two men out a pitcher went to the bat and, without ball being struck, scored the winning run of a long drawn out tie. But such was the case After two were out Minahan came up to save the day. Pitcher Smith, for one time loosened up his hardened heart and allow ed his opponent free walk to first. As Duffy came up Mlnnehan cut loose his fieetness and pifered second base with ease. Clarke attempted to stop him at second but Mckay let the ball get past him while Minahan dashed on to third. In the meantime only one ball had been pitched to Duffy Smith then wound him self up with snake-like precision and fired the ball towards the plate With a wild swoop this fatal curve shot past Catcher Clarke and the game was lost forever. As the ball shot by him Duffy made a bluff at attempting to bunt and gave short rendition of the Indian war dance while Minahan came under the wire winning by several lengths. It was awful on Smith, but happy for Nina han, whose lahors had not been lost
 Now, that is the real story of how Ab- ner fell
 Pitchers Battle.
 
 finish and t can not be said that smith was bested This twrler from Atarta had Sunern control Of the ball and was always a puzzle to Birmingham. Nina han, on the other hand, was a second edition of this same puzzle and kept the visitors continually guessing The few hits made by Powells mon were dis counted by the magnificent fielding of Minahan and the team behind him. Nina han is easily the best fielding pitcher In the league and few of them have him bested in any other department of the game. With these two invincibles ptted against each other the contest grew spirited and soon proved nerve racker to the onookers.
 Feeling the importance of fast work the infield and outfleld of both clubs were on their mettle and hits were cut down in large we'll arranged clusters. Tamsett. O'Brien and Lynch of Birmingham and Hollingsworth of Atlanta distinguished themselves, and the fielding of Crozier Duffy and Smith was just as good
 Both Scored in Second.
 Both teams scored in the second in ming and from then until the finish the record was clean and blank. Koehler was the first man up for Atlanta in the sec ond and he went to first on a base on balls. Hollingsworth advanced him on neat bunt Luskey then sent grounder which Tamsett let by and Koehler
 ------------- - --------=