The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-22
HITS FOR BARONS CAME
 WHEN HITS WERE NEEDED
Piatt Pitched Nice Game But His Team Couldn't Hit Behind Him And That's the Whole Story.
 Attendance 25o0.
LEAGUE STANDING.

| Birmingham. ...... . loo0 | Atlanta. .......... loVV 1 NashVllle ......,... O ,Vo | Montgomery .. :. ........Q .OOO | ldttle ROCK ...... U .uVo | Memphis ...... .oOo l New Orleans. .. .. .,....O Q .0Oo Shreveport O o .OOO
 With something like 250O baseball mad dened fans making things hot enough to | turn a drizzling rain into hssing steam Newt Fisher jumped in the middle of nasty snag yesterday afternoon on Slagtown green and his sef-inhated team was gnominiously shut out by the un- tried and unassuming Barons And thus the historical hoodoo was broken.
 With a score of 2 to o against this proud and naughty team it is estimated that 2090 of the Nashville faithful retired last night with feelings of unrest and disappointment. The newspapers in that | far away town had told the public too much and the rude awakening will be hard of digestion.
 In cold drizzling rain the game began and in raw bone chilling breeze it end- | ed More than two thousand fans had 1 journeyed to Mount Slag to see the sea son properly opened, however, and de- spite the icy breeze they were happy. For four long years they had made this | journey only to return humiliated and | disappointed. No stone was left un- 1 turned to break the hoodoo and the result was inspiring. The frowns and sad lines of years were completely erased and on every Birmingham face that left the i park a sunny smile was implanted. Jim Dumps had given away to Sunny Jim and l sadness was in the extreme minority.
 Fisher a Study in Blue.
 The face of Newt Fisher was a study study in blue. Frequently he switched l his tobacco for a pleasant effect, but the l happy look was not forthcoming. He had | told his people of the easy thing in yon i distant Slagtown. and To and behold 1t had been found that he Is not a prophet. For l thirteen seasons this same Newt Fisher , had never lost an opening game until tEe | ramparts of the Coal Barons were vic- ! iously attacked on yesterday After two | fierce onslaughts the mighty Fishermen l fell back utterly routed sore in mind and 1 body.
 The game in itself was battle between the arms of Wiley Piatt. the much her aided twirer. formerly of the National ] league, and an athletic young stripling fresh from the college field and known to the baseball world as Minnehan. | Facing this veteran pitcher, who draws | salary of $500 per, the youngster was expected to quail and trcmble. But lie feared not. With a composure which soon won him home in the hearts of the spec tstors. he stuck to his work like a vet eran. always cool and never disconcerted. He displayed a wonderful burst of speed and a marvellous curve which strained many a Fishermans back
 Wood Put to Piatt. It was nip and tuck for several in. nipgs, but finally a large cluster of will lows were brought out from the club house and the wood was put to Mir. Piatt when timber counted. In justice to this visiting twrler it must be said, how ever that he did some wonderful work. With anybody but Minnehan against him the result might have been in doubt. The young colegian performed the re- markable feat of allowing only three safe cracks to the field. Outside of these three singles Nashville hit only one ball outside of the diamond On the contrary the Barons clouted the ball good and hard and fast work in the field alone saved the Nashville tourists from Wa terloo Birmingham got away with just an even half dozen safeties. one of which was two-bagger by Pat Milleriek. which came near making splinters out or the left field fence
 Minnehan Is a beautiful fielding pitcher and though several attempts were made to advance a runner on bunts he nvaria- bly threw the man out at second and on one occasion hustled the ball so fast to Tamsett that neat double play was ac- complished. Into several bad holes he went. but his wonderful control and steady nerve always pulled him out and there was nothing doing for the Fisher men.
 umnires Need Practice.
 The game was umpired under the joint system by Lem Bailey and George Wood and these two old-timers did not bring smiles from the grandstand. The work of both bore slight yellow streak and it is to be sincerely hoped that they will have improved ere this afternoon. Gm- pires like others. are only human and are liable to err. Two better fellows never lived than Bailey and Wood and the fans have decided to give them few days trial before passing final judg- ment
 At the beginning of the game Scopec the bat boy. appeared with Ginger" the goat and it was back to the mines with the visiting fleet.
 For three innings things rocked along with the rooters strung up to a high ten sion but neither side was able to score About this time the drizzling rain let up and a ray of sunshine struck the dia- mond This was what the Barons were looking for and they jumped on Piatt with both feet
 The Real Article.
 After Smith had been robbed of line drive in right field Pat Millerick damned one against left field fence for two bags and fandom was crazy. Lynch tried hard but was unable to land and it was all left to Hanley, the big boy from Oswego This fellow who in size somewhat re- sembles the Woodward building smash ed one of Piatt's choice twists on the