The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-18
SEASON WILL OPEN AT PARK TOMORROW How the BaronS Look the Day
 Before First Game OTHER TEAMS COMPARED Seems As if New Orleans, Shreveport, Birmingham and Memphis Will
 Occupy the First
 Division.
OTHER TEAMS COMPARED

Picking winners in baseball race Is very much like picking winners In a horse race But performances before the season opens should indicate something, just as daylight try outs show the feel ing of a horse on the day of the race. Tomorrow the fans will have their trst look at any Southern league team except the Barons and in two weeks general estimate can be secured. However, the ante-season form sheets shows that the Barons should be in the money when the season closes. From the first to the last she should never be below the 500 mark unless some streak of ill luck falls from the clear sky.
 The personnel of the Barons calls Tor the strongest team the city has ever had' That is the first reason why success can be predicted. Then again the Barons have the pest manager that has ever headed a Bil nlngham team. Therein lies the second reason. Inc third cause why" Is that there is a perfect under standing between the manager, the stockholders and the public as to this years performances.
 Players Content.
 The team will be given every oppor- tunity to show what there is in it before a knocker is heard. The other three eastern division teams have already heard the sound of the hammer. Every player on the team is content, despite rumors that have been circulated to the contrary. l. there are two better backstops In the league they are yet to be produced Matthews stands head and shoulders over any other in the league on the coach ing line and in his training of young pitchers He keeps a pitcher from go- ing in the air, and is a steady, heady ball player.
 Wilkle Clarke is stopping everything that comes anywhere around the base. I-e is quick as d flash, the best i1 the league on catching foul flies and throws to second In great form. Both catchers have had their batting eyes at work all during the practice season.
 In the box the team appears to be strong. Some believe that seasoned pitcher Is needed. If that is true the fact will soon develop and he can be se- cured Ra gan lead the league last year. Ilt dlWdyS tHltlS lllt DOA lttllHB Nhtit hN will win. Ginger" Clarne IS living up to expectations, and Cowboy" Clarke Is showing improved form over last year. Sallee and Fitzpatrick promise to be two of the finds of the Southern league this year and Pyiant is improving rapidly. He pitched winning ball last year and should be better this year.
 Around the Bags.
 A first Father Vaughan needs no rec- ommenda tions. He lead the league first basemen last season, and Ward at sec ond topped everything in the league with ,- willow. While not the gastest second baseman in the league still his hitting makes him more than the equal of any os them.
 At short the Barons have Moore and Schiap. The former Is the fastest fielding shortstop in the league and the latter has been hitting the ball hard and often. Moore will cut off many an infield hit by his speed, and he gives promise of bat ting better than ever before. He plays hard ball all the time. Schiap is not as fast in the field but he hits with a ven geance and runs bases well.
 Hafford seems to have every requirc- ment for a third baseman. He is hard hitter nearly always getting more than one base on his hits On the path Jimmy
 
 their records, and in the field he covers large squares of territory.
 In the Gardens.
 The outfield cannot be topped in the league. In the gardens Delehanty will play much better ball than he did last year, which should place him on an equal with any other fielder in the eight clubs, Miller was one of the best in the league last year, and should continue to be one of the best this year. Murdock has a record on the coast that shows that he is equal to anything in this league. and his playing here verified the showing.
 New Orleans Is claiming the pennant al- ready, and Memphis and Shreveport are but little behind in their claims. The Pelicans seem to have some title to the rag, and they will have to beat the Pi- rates and the Barons to win it. But if they ever loose a few games in that town, their chances fade away just as they did last year In other words they are liable to show little yellow.
 Memphis may be stronger than last year, but that is doubtful Shreveport cer- tainly is stronger. The Memphi lost their best pennant winning card when Vaughan bought Miller. Duffy is not as valuable a man for the team as Dusty. He plays a one-man game and plays it well, but
 
 tie who wins as long as he plays his game. Tamsett is fast but was never known to do any stunts with a bat.
 Uncertain, Quantities.
 Atlanta and Little Rock are uncertain quantities. Manager Jordan Is getting in- structions from the newspapers to strengthen his team He Is tryout him self as manager, and he may not make good. He has many new players who are in the same boat. The combination of new manager and new players may work all right, and again it may not.
 Little Rock is just being touted as a strong team. Dale Gear has said little, but President Kavanaugh spoke recently, and he seems to think that Little Rock has a title to first division honors That may or may not be.
 Montgomery is slated for the booby end of the pennant column. Her only rival should be Nashville, unless Manager Fisher has really picked some black berries the size of which no one has yet been able to determine
 It is generally admitted all over the circuit that New Orleans. Shreveport and Birmingham have the call on the first three places. Last year New Orleans was picked to win, but she did not Things are yet apt to happen which will change the entire face of things.