The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-11
BASEBALL PLAYERS
 ARE IN SLAGTOWN
Seven of the Coal Barons Came
 in Yesterday
ANXIOUS TO GET TO WORK
Among the Early Arrivals Are Smith, Lynch, Brown, Dorn, Mcconnell, Wagner and Blackburn-All Are
 Promising Looking Fellows.

Baseball sap took an upward spurt last night. and by noon today every vein in the fans anatomy will be infused with that sensation which meaneth well for the Coal Barons
 Seven of the O'Brien colts arrived yes- terday afternoon, and within two hours baseball stock jumped to the high water mark. Men who have grown gray in the service stopped on the street corners to take look at the new boys and pass judgment As the healthy looking young fellows passed in review past sins were forgiven, and 1t was the general opinion that Birmingham would have world beater to storm the southern circuit dur ing the coming season.
 The first man to arrive was Pitcher Charles Blackburn, who came in from Galveston He is a big strapping fellow and from appearances Is fully capable Of clouting the ball on the nose on momen- tous occasions. He led the Texas league last season and thought so much of his ability to make good in this company that he purchased his own release and took chance. Besides being a crack pitcher he hits far above the 300 mark.
 Came In a Cluster.
 The other players came in in a big cluster The face of Billy Smith was among the first to appear through the iron bars at the union station and that old familiar smile was spread from ear to ear. Billy is the picture of health and says he Is anxious to get out and cavort on the green at Slagton He Is In excel lent condition and needs little training. As he jumped off the train Billy had three young fellows in tow who appeared to be a little frightened. Billy assured them that nobody here wore horns and that the coke oven wouldn't scorch if they kept in the road These youngsters are Roy Mcconnell, second baseman; Ot- to Wagner and Pete Dorm, pitchers. Billy Smith says they will all make good and if appearances count his word is good. Mcconnell is a youngster who has never played league ball. but has set the woods afire on independent teams around Tole- do. The papers of that city boost him as coming national leaguer. Mcconnell showed that he was not league man at the jump by expressing desire to get to work by sun-up this morning. The old players tell him that association will put quietus to all such industrious ideas. They can't hold him back any longer than this afternoon, however, as he Is bound to don a uniform and get busy before dark
 Wa aro hot ,,tt CTS The former played with Toledo the | latter part of last season and out of sev II games only lost one. Wagner is the larg- est man of the two, and is said to be great ball player. Tom OBrien has been after him for a long time.
 Lynch SroWn. The next two arrivals were Henry Lynch and Fred Brown, the former an outhelder and the latter a utility man.
 Both of them are over 300 hitters and will be able to deliver any class of goods desired. Lynch was the star outfelder of the Pacific coast last year and wound up the season with a batting record of 312. Brown has always hit over 300 and can play infed, outfield or catcher All the new men expressed themselves as delighted with Birmingham, though most of them were surprised at the size of the town. They had been led to believe they were coming to the sticks" but two or three of the youngsters strained their necks rubbering at the skyscrapers. The New York National league team will arrive next Tuesday and the first practice game will be played the Wednes- day following. Last year this game drew 2400 people and is expected to do fully as we'll this year.
 Johnny Duffy, Tamsett. Pat Millerick and Jimmy OBrien are expected by to- morrow and Sis Hopkins Mclaughlin and Sitton will probably arrive about the same time. Harry Vaughan will not be able to | leave Auburn before March 1S He writes
 that his team is rapidly getting In shape | and though he hates to do 1t he Is afraid his college aggregation will have to defeat | the Coal Barons in the practice game | April 2.
 FACTORY BEING DlSMANTLED.