The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-18
HARD-HITTINC TEAM
sr1cKNEY HAS GOOD ONES FOE
 MONTGOMERY.
Some New Players Who Have Been Signed by Local Manager-No 0meial Scorers to Be
 Appointed.

Unless something unfortunate happens within the next few weeks Bill Stickney will have for Montgomery one of the | fastest fielding and undoubtedly the hard est hitting baseball aggregation in the Southern League. As 1t stands now, and will continue un- less there Is a very radical change. ths1 Q will be at least six and possibly eight men on the local team who swing their sticks in way that indicate hitting There will be Ed Pabst on first, Krug on third, Ike Durrett and Molesworth m the outneld. while Link Stickney, Wilkie Clark, Harry Manners and Louis Pol chow are so close to 300 that the differ ence is nearly in fractions.
 The pitching stan, which a few days ago looked a bit weak, is looming up in admirable proportions. Denver, one of the most famous pitchers that ever play ed ball in the South. has affixed his sig nature to a contract and will pitch for the Montgomery team for the season of ls04. Deaver has been with Birmingham last season he became i'll and was pre- vented from getting into the game for the entire season. He Is one of the speed fest righthanders in the League. has ex- cellent judgment and change of pace. With George Stuitx and Louis Polchcw there will be three reliable pitchers, while lansing and Carter, the two pitchers whom Pabst says he has signed. are sad to be pretty fast. These two pitchers s were with Frisco in the Pacinc Coast League last summer. This will maze f1ve on the box stan. Brandt would make six if he comes up to all requirements. If fast southpaw could be secured the of any club in the Southern League thts summer.
 Krug. Pabst and Lindsey were also with Frisco in the Pacific Coast League last rrtU xyfu oe 10. thn t0naA Lindsey and Pabst in the infield. In 1852, it will. be remembered, Pabst and Krug were with Atlanta. but some disagree ment with Ed Peter caused them both to go to the Coast. where they have bean since. krug's regular position is third base and he is one of the hardest hitters in the business, his disposition alone helping to keep him down. Whether Att mains to be seen. but 1t Is thought that he is free so far as the Southern League is concerned.
 Next Tuesday morning the meeting of The peace pact with the outlaws on the Coast will be ratified then and any ex- isting troubles or questions. between them and any club now in the National Asso- c.ation will be cleared up. Montgomery has a very decided interest in this meet ing, as the question. of Pabst or any other of the California players signed by Montgomery will be settled finally.
 
 Report. here for practice not later than March 20. Shake off all hayseed before starting, and by all means don't bring along the tired feeling with you. soon as you land at Fishermen Camp work will begin,, and the routine of train- Ing that I have decided to mete out will put you in good shape for the opening. providing, of course, there Is any base
 The above is the text of the letter of notification to report for duty sent out by Manager Newt Fisher Saturday to players under contract to Nashville, says The Nashville American.
 I want my squad to get here in ample time for the spring training" Said the manager-owner, while discussing with The American the future ''doings" at Athletic Park. "The sooner get to work on them and rid the ration list of It's weak members, the better 1t will be for me, the team and the fans. I want to find out early what sort of an aggrega- ton have on hand. If 1t is strong. as 1 now think, we will go right ahead with full force; otherwise, will swing the ax on some of the heads so hard that the blow will not be forgotten soon, then fill the vacancies with sure enough base ball players and not has beens' or would bes. am going just as far as the next one to get good players and when
 s,tIe eomss SsD to So1sh,,ns up VIII give my be easily patched up. The salary limit will be the only thing will respect, and you can say that l am going to stay strictly within its bounds. Furthermore, if any of the others overreach the limit there will be something doing. think l have a pretty formidable squad from which to select the regulars and I be- we have lined up with some of the big teams in the exhibition games. As to the pennant. We'll, just say that I'll be so close to the top at the finish that the going to boost me out of first position"
 In the way of valentines contracts were sent to each player the past week and 1t Is expected that they will be re- turned to headquarters in the next few days. Players have already attached their signatures to the necessary docu- ments. but the new agreements were sent out as a matter of form. Contracts. so 1t is said, have also been forwarded to several other men for their considera- tion. Who these are has not been noised around Fisherman camp. It Is under stood, however, that they hail from the locals considerably. Answers from these players are looked for daily.
 Nothing further than what has been given out has been received from Abba a hitch somewhere. Offers were made them some ten days ago. It may be said that the "Beaneaters' desire thelr services again. still nothing to this effect AieS AOoNhCU AAaAhSGh the tone of the correspondence he has had with the men and BoSton's manager. tt was thought they would come into the local list ere this.
 "Of course l would like very much to have both "Aby and Aubrey" said Man ager Fisher. but I suppose I can get along without them should they fail to come to terms. It is natural that they would prefer to remain in the faster com pany, yet if there Is the slightest doubt in their minds that they will not make good, both will probably accept my offer, You know that Ably joined hands with Cupid down here, and for this reason he wants to come back south.
 The Nashville manager some time ago gave his opinion of the relative strength of the eight clubs in the circuit At this time he rated several ahead of Nashville. Little Rock and Shreveport were among these, but now he has chang ed his thinking a little and says Nashville is as strong as the the best of em and none of them have got the call on us
 The improvements and alterations now In progress at the park are nearing com pletion. A new bleacher has been built in place of the old one. while the grand stand has received many touches. It is expected that the work will be finish ed by March 10.
 "If you wish to see the vagaries of hu- man nature exemplihed." says Charlie Comiskey, just travel awhile with a base ha1 al,