The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-01
VAUGHAN SIGNING
 THIS YEARS TEAM Local Manager May Have Trou-
 bic About Woodruff PLAYER LIKED BIRMINGHAM Hoped to Get Away From Louisville and Come to SIagple With
 Vaughan, His Relative.
 Baseball Gossip.
PLAYER LIKED BIRMINGHAM


 friend in Birmingham. says that he is shaping up the lineup of the Coal Barons for the season of 1905 Harry is spending the winter in Cincinnati. from whence cometh the army of ball players when the ice in the Ohio river commences to thaw. The local association will be able within a short while, it is said to make some pleasing announcements to the local fans. There are several deals pending, and for this reason the lineup for next sea- son has not been announced officially.
 Orville Woodruff Is just at present oc- cupying the center of the stage so far as Birmingham Is concerned. Woodruff Is the fast player secured by Harry Vaughan recently for Birmingham Louis- vile, however. Is making claims on him, and the Coal Barons may have some little trouble in bringing him to Dixie.
 Not Talking Much.
 "Orville Woodruff is not saying much but he Is doing a lot of thinking these days" said the Cincinnati Enquirer sev- eral days ago. "Woodys objection to playing for George Tebeau in Louisville is just strong as it was last fall. In fact, it is much stronger, for he is very desirous of going to Birmingham to play ball for Harry Vaughan. his uncle. Woodruff has arranged to meet Tebeau next week, when the latter comes on to attend the meeting of the national board, and he hopes to be able to come to an amicable agreement with nim. Under baseball law Woodruff must go to Louis vile if Tebeau insists, or else retire from any diamond which is run under the rules of the national agreement lie was tx faII I.. for Arndt. and Tebeau can demand his services and go so far as to prevent his playing with any other club.
 Woody, however, hopes m some way to be released from this obligation. In ad- dition to dislike to playing in Louis- vile he and Vaughan are planning to open a wet goods emporium in Birmingham, which will require all their time and at tention not devoted to the national game. Both intend to make their permanent home in that hustling city, where Wood ruff feels that he will be happier and will have a greater chance of financial suc- cess in Louisville. If Tebeau refuses to give him any leeway he will present his case to the national ccInm-ssion and ar que for a decision like that granted to O'Neill last fall, who was given his ab- solute release after his protest had been heard"
 Trouble With Arndt.
 Fridays Enquirer contains the follow ing:
 It has developed that Harry Arndt, the thrd-sacker secured from Louisville in exchange for Orville Woodruff and a bunch of coin, Is holIing out until MT. Hermann opens still wider his already generous purse-strings Arndt has not yet signed, and it was supposed that he waswaiting until he returned from a ba a he is hunting for something more than the elusive rabbit and the foxy quail
 Arndt was asked by a prominent base ball man whether he had signed with Cincinnati.
 "No," he replied. Not yet The con- tract doesn't look good enough.
 Questioning brought out the fact that 1t calls for the same sum that Bridwell is to get.
 Arndt was told that the amount looked pretty good in the estimation of an ex- perienced baseball man.
 He replied that he was coming to Gin cinnati on trial and wanted to get all that he could both ways, that is, in case of success or failure. Then he gave his terms as $500 more than had been of fered.
 Of course, Arndt will ultimately sign at the original figures, which are cer- tainly generous enough. The story sim ply illustrates the fact that some players seem to think that MT. Hermann Is made to order. The president of the Gin cinnati club Is generosity itself but he Is through paying extravagant salaries to experiments before they have given sign that they can make good.
 Knoll May Return.
 'It is said that Punch Knoll may be a Fisherman alf ha haa been drafted, and if this is the case Fisher will have another good utility man." says a Nashville specIaI.
 Punch was drafted by Washington for an outfielder. He is smart, however and 1t Is said that he has refused to play in the outfield for Washington, be- cause he does not feel that he can hit heavily enough to make good.
 Punch wants to go behind the bat, where he knows he can hold down the Job. Washington has all the catchers the club needs, and it is probable that Punch may wind up next spring by wearing Nashville uniform.
 Harry Nickens has also been drafted by one of the big leagues. but 1t Is not be- lieved he will make good in such company at this time on account of his lack of experience.
 Half of the drafting price for these men, 1875 for each, has been paid Fisher, and the other half may not be forthcom- ing.
 Another utility man who will doubt less wear a Nashville uniform next sea- son will be War Sanders, who Is ex- pected to come to the Rock City in 1905. Sanders, in addition to being fast pitch CT, a hard hitter and a twirler who fields his position well, is also an outfielder of ability. He handles himself gracefully in the field and gets everything that is 'smitten his way.
 time has the following men: Russell Frickie. Herman, Bennett and Feldhaus. He has signed Big Injun Norcum of Shreveport, lansing of Montgomery, and in all probability Sanders will be Fish erman.
 Newt is still dickering with western manager for nearly an entire team, and goes to Chicago shortly for conference. The western magnate wants to sell the Nashville manager about fourteen men, but Newt wants only seven. Should he buy the latter number he will have fif- teen men, counting Sanders and will have to get rid of one. Should Nickens and Knoll return, he will have to dis pose of three men to keep within his list of fourteen. He will try them all out. and of course keep the men he thinks will make the best ones.
 PuIiam at Nashville.
 President Harry Pulliam of the Ma tional league. who has been spending the Christmas holidays in Nashville with relatives, says the past year has been prosperous. and that the prospects for next season are better than ever before.