The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-12
Eight ot 0'Brien's Colts Prac-
 tice at West End
BLACKBURN IS IN PRACTICE
Public Requested Not to Witness the Practice-Tackc Parrott Will Tour the League With
 Long Black Whiskers.

Six and thirty fans bubbling over with the joys of spring, hied themselves to West End park yesterday to see the boys in action, and ere the sun had taken it's last squint the crack of the willow could be heard throughout the suburbs of Slagtown Like unto the ground hog eight trim little fellows came out on the green, saw their shadows and went back to the hay. It was not an omen of bad luck, however for the youngsters exposed all kinds of goods in the limbering up Of joints well stiffened by the hard winter in the north.
 The boys who came out of their holes in plain view of the crowd were Lynch, Brown, Blackburn, Smith, Dorn, McCon- nell, Wheeler and Wagner. Some of them are a little small of stature but their familiarity with the stick made up Tor the shortness of flesh. With the eXcep- tion of Blackburn and Wheeler all the men were very stiff and many of them were nursing kinks in various parts of their anatomy last night. Blackburn evidently has been at it out in Calves ton as he chunked balls around the diamond with as much ease as If in the middle of a close game in July. He has good speed and plenty of curves, and used bat like a maui. It was the general opinion of the cranks that he would be. Wheeler, the Alabama boy from Eutaw, was also in fine trim and showed no bad effects of the winter It will be remem- bered that he was given trial against work, but no place could be found on the team for him at that time.
 Mcconnell Is Fast.
 Mcconnell, the kid, cavorted around for knew the bag. He is fast on his feet and handles a ground ball in veteran style If he can use the stick with as much ease as he plays second base Tom O'Brien will not need another man to work for the job.
 Lynch looks every inch a ball player, and he Is. He is an old timer and goes at the business like a man who is not afraid of his job He is a heavy batter and an excellent outflelder. By way of parenthesis he came in and did some tricks at short that would make many crack inhelders look to their laurels Billy Smith did comparatively little work but convinced the fans that he was still there. He drew a kink in his back the first crack out of the box and soon re- tired to the shower bath The other fel- lows all took turn at the bat and as quaintance got the friendship of them that root Dorn is almost a sure shot as a pitcher. and Blackburn and Wagner show up almost as well, though both of them are in need of work.
 Duffy. Tamsett. Millerick. Clarke and Jimmy oBrien are expected on almost any train now and will probably be at practice before Monday night It is pos sible, though, that Jimmy will be late on account of the illness of his mother at Hopknton, Mass.
 Public Not Invited.
 The baseball management announces that herafter no visitors will be allowed at the park during practice except when games are played. They especially re- quest their friends not to seek admission to the park as it is very difficult to train in team work while spectators are pres- ent. This rule has been adopted through out the league and has been found to be of a great benefit to the teams as it enables them to get in condition quicker and keeps the players from attempting work that will make hit with the fans. Manager OBrien is very anxious that none of the fans apply for admission as he does not want to offend them or be embarrassed by enforcing the rule.
 Parrott's Whiskers.
 An announcement of great interest to the baseball public comes from Nashville and is to the effect that Tacks Parrott will make his first tour of the circuit with lonk whskers reaching to his first stud button. Tacks has used great care in growing this set of whlskers and his friends say they are coal black and very profuse. He looks to be sixty years old and wants to earn the sobriquet of grand daddy of the league. He has requested that all nails and base supporters be se- curely fastened as he fears an entangle- ment with his whiskers that might be embarrassing. On windy days it is his purpose to tie his whiskers to his belt forming an Aeolian harp that will play Hot time in the old town tonight as he goes around on three base hits. He has invented an apparatus that he can adjust while running and prevent dust tt,,o from bie hirctItp age On his first arrival in Birmingham he will exhibit his whskers for the bene- fit of the small boys at the corner of Nineteenth street and Second aYenun