The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-03
HAPPY FANS AT PARK
SAT ON BLEACHERS AND WATCHED
 GRIFFITH'S BUNCH.
New York Players Limbering Up on the Montgomery Diamond-Ffrst
 Exhibition Game on March 11th.

 Rockyfellar would give to be in our lplaces now?'
 "Aw. quit yer kiddin'. Wat yer try in ter git troo yerself. wouldn't lchange places wid no Rockyfellar CT Vanderbilt dat ever lived, I wouldn't.
 They sat on the bleachers out at Attn lletic Park yesterday afternoon watch ing stars of the baseball world chase the ball. and they were happy.
 Bathed in the glorious sunshine of the first typically spring day of 1905. a number of fans were watching the first practice game of the season. hearts of the dyed in the-wooi rooter 1.-the .bleachers--they leaned back with a great sigh of supreme contentment, pulled the good old sunshine over their lheads and faces and bodies, and were at peace with the world.
 Clark Grifnth's cluster of Yankee Itwirlers were out on the field engaged in the somewhat painful performance of endeavoring to untangie the numer- lous kinks and knots which in sur prisingly large degree were discovered tucked away in the remote places of their anatomies. In the box young Jim Whitley, the Indiana boy. who is "touted" as a conner this season. was Ishooting some speedy ones-speedy for this early in the season-over the plate with big Al Orth smashing 'em out. lGrifith. the astute. good-natured man lager, cola Fox" Sam Crane calls him) l-Putman, Metcalf and Duff were also doing stunts and finding joints in their several bodies that they had never dreamed were there.
 Trainer Mike Martin turned himself loose for a few while over on the bench at the east end of the grand stand Sam Crane. Walter St. Denis and William Hanna, New York newspaper men, basked in the sunlight:
 Out in the field W. H. Tebbs glided lgracefully about and mixed up with a Ibig camera catching snapshots of the Yankees"
 Reclining on the bench at the right ger and Arthur James, also newspaper men. Bulger had been limbering up a little. the pitiful, agonizing expression on his Graeco-Roman countenance tell ling the fact. =.
 "Oh, but this is heavenly. gloriousr' cried newspapermen and ball tossers alike as they revelled in the brilliant sunshine that like a benediction covered | everything. Snow filled New York streets when these men left there Tuesday.
 It seemed as If Colonel Chaffee of the Weather Bureau was using his best ef- ites into the Southland suspicious.
 Why, when I left home there was a foot or so of snow banked in front of my door. while here-wel."
 | This was the way one of the big fel- lows expressed his delight.
 When the start was made from New York Ed Metcalf and Duff were the only members of the 1905 Yankees to cross the ferry and head for the South with Griffith and the shining lights of metropolitan newspaperdom. The oth- CTS joined the bunch at different sta tions between Washington and Atlanta Holycross and Whitley dropping In on them in Montgomery.
 bod Newton, a southpaw, William IHogg, pitcher, and Halchase, candi- date for the initial bag. will probably l bro and Willie Keeler are still working with the Crimson squad at Cambridge while Clarkson has charge of the sol dier squad at West Point. These three will be l9 Mo1Stgdmsrg& & py MarHh @i1i he b. in Montgomery by next Wednesday or | Thursday, and the first exhibition game | of the season will be pulled off at Athle- | tic Park on Saturday March 11th. It Is probable that most of the Pretzels will be in Montgomery by that time. but big Jack Brandt will be so far ahead of any of them, when it comes to be- l ing. in condition, that it will be anus ing. He is working hard every day. 1 Yesterday he put in his most stren- uous days work.
 youngster by name, Smith Boyd ting 'em out. This young fellow Che is a schoolboy) has all the earmarks of pitcher if he keeps on in the way that he is going.
 Improvements at Park.
 Visitors to the ball park yesterday l were not chary of saying good things about the improvements being made 1 in stand and grounds.
 The fences have been moved back | twenty feet and even Lew Whistler will find it hard proposition to drop a ball over the top of the center fence board walk passageway has been open- ed under the grandstand and to the right of the gate. This passageway | extends to the center of the grandstand l where 1t Is joined by another passage way leading from the street entrance in the rear and center of the stand | where another large entrance has been opened. From this entrance a board walk leads to the center of the stand where the passageway from the gate joins it, broad flight of double stairs leading up into the stand proper, the steps divided at the top, one flight on each side.
 Directly under the center of the stand and in the rear of the plate a neat l press and scorers box has been built. The opening from the street in the rear | only as an exit and will be thrown open only after, the game is over.
 Grandstand tickets will be sold at the box office near the main gate and patrons of the stand can enter that | structure by way of the present en- | trance at the right wing or the pass | ageway under the stand. When the game is over all exits will be thrown open and there will be three places to leave precluding any chance of a crush | or congestion.
 Whiskerless MT. Crane.
 When Sam Cranes picture is sent to | New York and published the people l will think that game of some kind is being put up on them.
 Instead of looking at the moustach- ed, dignified likeness of the veteran l who left New York with Clark Griffith they will see the smiling, jovial feat ures of a man shaven as clean about the lips as babe. The Crane mous- tache has gone the way of all flesh or hair He did 1t yesterday morning with malice aforethought and his own keen razor. The moustache that has done as much to identify Sam Crane as Snyder" did to identify dear. shift less old Rip has been sacrificed.
 To tell the truth, the whiskerIess Crane is a big improvement over Crane with the moustache. The vete- ran now looks ten years younger. The humorous twinkle of the kindly eyes and the laughing twitch of the hand. some mouth are enhanced.
 SACRED CONCERT SUNDAY.