The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-04
BASEBALL GOSSIP.


 While Frank Hafford, who has been signed to play third base for the Barons, was with Lowell last year an effort was made by James Callahan, manager of the Chicgo Americans, to secure him. Chi l cago made a good offer for the third l baseman, and for that reason it is to be 1 supposed that he must be pretty fast l company, and that all the balls going down the third base line this summer will be eaten up. Following is an article which appeared in the Lowell papers con- cerning the deal at the time that Calla- han attempted to buy Hafford:
 Frank Hafford, third baseman of the l Lowell team, Is wanted by the Chicago Americans The following letter from James Callahan, manager of the Chi cago club, was received last week by Manager Lake of the Lowell team:
 Boston, June 3. Dear Fred:
 Have been watching your third base man. Hafford. P lease tip me off concern ing him, for old times sake. I need a good infielder badly, and if he is good enough and you want to sell him, let ! | day night I had Patterson, my pitcher, look h;m over today, and he thinks we'll 1 of him. Give me first chance if you can | and If you think he will do. Your old 1 pal JIMMY CALLAHAN.
 Answer quick
 1 Manager Lake went to Boston Sat urday morning and had a talk with Man | ager Callahan, as a result of which the Lowell man agreed to let Hafford go to Chicago at the end of the New England league season. Callahan wanted Hafford immediately. and offered a good figure for him, but the offer was passed by for the reason that good men are needed in Lowell as well as in Chicago at the pres ent stage of the game"
 Another clipping from the same paper concerning the batting average of the va rious members of the team gives Half ford .sal, and the next man in the league was .333
 Manager Harry Vaughan has received a letter from Long Bil' Miller, who eamped in the left garden for the Barons last season, and who is exceedingly anxious to occupy similar place this | the jumping game and settle down and do business for the Barons this season. If they will only let him come back. He is at present holding sway in Cleveland. The letter is as follows:
 Cleveland, O., January 31, 1905. "Frend Harry:
 Yours to hand and I was very glad to hear from you In reply I would say | hot rl frnr, M pard up to date. so he has not done any business with me. Let me hear from you at once In regard to this season, and also what you can pay me. Have good offer from the Tri-State league and they pay good money. We'll old boy, if we can come 10 terms yor will find me o. K. The jumping Is out of my system for good. so let me hear from you at once. Yours truly, WILLIAM MILLER"
 Last season Miller wound up with Zanesville. and independent team, and was fielding fast as lightning and hitting at a 316 clip. Harry has had a couple of friends who watched Miller last sea son state that he certainly was playing ball, so it is probable that Miller will wear a Baron uniform this season Bir- mingham has him under contract and he |. cannot play with any other team with out he Is reinstated.
 Those who are to be Barons this year are scattered to the four winds of the earth, but a letter has been sent to them instructing them to report in Birming- ham not later than March to commence the spring practice Birmingham will be about the second team to commence. as | lt. about the last of February.
 "Pigge" Ward will have to blow south from Scranton, Pa.; Joe Hennessy and Wagner are due to come from Cincin- natl; Harry Matthews ticket will read from Newport. Ky, while Arthur Rea- gan will have the breath of cyclones in his hair and some of the silver tongue of William Jennings Bryan with which . to jolly the umpires. He is in Cherry RI vile, Kan, and says there are no blos- \ sons on the trees there at present. Gin ger" Clark is in Worcester O., where he is presiding in billiard parlor. and Billie Smith Is doing likewise in Toledo. These two can arrive together. Richard , Clarke. better known as Cowboy" will lI have to leave Coffeyville. Kan. within ! about three weeks or month if he ex- & poets to arrive on time, and Wilkie 1l Clarke, who comes from Montgomery by exchange for Millerick, is camping in Tennessee. where he is coaching the M University of Nashville. Miller will have VI to come from Cleveland, but Hafford will be on the train for about three days, ar T irving from Sommervile, Mass Pylant II Is in Petersburg, Tenn, and Sitton and 1 Moore are somewhere in the southland.
 Birmingham was very unlucky in not getting Donahue, who will shortstop for Indianapolis this season Vaughan had a letter from President w. J. Shettline of the Phillies stating that he would I probably sell Donahue to the Barons provided that deal he had with Indian sI apois did not go through. The morning that the letter arrived Harry read in the T papers with a sinking heart that Dona- hue was traded for Kahoe.
 What! You haven't heard about the Ouartertone? Gall