The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-18
SLAGPILE NOTES.

SLAGPILE NOTES. ]
 Delehanty received a letter yesterday from his brother. Jim, who is playing outfield with the Boston Nationals stat ing that his injury was not broken ankle as was first reported, but bad sprain which will keep him out of the game for some time.
 Del was cheered up considerably by the news, for a broken ankle would have kept his brother out of the game prac- tically all season, while a sprained ankle will only keep him out a couple of months at the outside
 Matthews would not take the risk of hurting his finger again by playing in the game yesterday. The finger is almost well now, but Matty is not taking chance. The cold weather tends to stiffen the joint slightly and bad ball would injure the finger severely.
 Pylant and Sallee. the two left-handers on the Birmingham pitching staff faced each other yesterday afternoon, and they broke almost even in the number of hits allowed The hits off Sallee were bunch- ed better than those off Pylant. The loiiiiti gave up elBHJ Ills, iWO Ol WHICH were two baggers, and the latter seven hits.
 If the Barons show as much ginger in all the league games as they showed |, yesterday in the exhibition game, 1t will aio them to win many close contest The men on the coaching line kept up i constant battle of words. Ginger In team and good coaching always helps to win, and the Barons have several men who are full of both
 With Matthews, Miller and Ward on the coaching line, life will be none to easy for young pitcher on an opposing team, or a pitcher that is easily rat tied. Father Vaughan and Murdock are also lively ones on the lines, and Ragan has good bunch of converse tion when- ever he gets started.
 With the exception of Matthews, ev- cry member of the Baron team Is in fine shape, Matthews finger is about well With a pretty day today and to- morrow, and warmer weather, the men should get rid of the soreness and stiff ness oceasioned by the cool weather of the past few days
 The Memphis team will start the sea- son with about the following lineup: Catchers-Hulburt and Rafter. Pitchers-Brown Thatcher. Suees. Streit, Herr and Stockdale. First base-Whstler Second base-Walters Shortstop-Tamsett Third base-Collins Left held-Gannon and Alexander. Center fleld-Duffy Right feld-Dungan When Dusty Miller came to Baronville. Memphis lost the best player on last years pennant winning lineup-the best because he Is always in the game, knows the game Is a fast fielder, a heavy hit ter and a good base runner.
 Shreveport will lineup about as follows when the umpire tells her to play ball' against New Orleans Thursday in the lat ter city:
 Catchers- -Graffius. Leslie and Fritz.
 Pitchers-Bartlet. Swann, Fisher. Brett enstein and Walker. First base-Weikart.
 Second-Abstein or Evans Shortstop-Morris or Abstein
 Third base-Hess
 Left feld-Haney Center-Kennedy Right-Al Miller
 There is also Jimmy Smith to be reck- oned with for the infield, for he Is in Shreveport
 The Shreveport Times says:
 There are seven other teams in the league, however, and the majority of those seven will have to be seriously reckoned with before the season Is many more moons old. As a whole the leagues Is evenly balanced and no team has any license to make a runaway race at any stage of the game. It appears that the most dangerous rivals of the Pirates, however, will be the Birmingham and the New Orleans clans, with Memphis and Little Rock not far removed. If there is one team that looks a shade-a mere shade too-stronger than the Pirate it is that same bunch that Is presidede over by genial Harry Vaughan.
 New Orleans Is much stronger this year in it's fielding ability than last sea- son, but suffers correspondingly in the hitting department. As a general propo- sition, the Pelicans a whole appear to be weaker. The same thing applies U Memphis. where hitting has been sac rificed to a gain in fielding material. Lit tic Rock, is still more or less of a prob lem, but indications point to a hustling lot of scrappers who are liable to be heard from.
 Over in the east Harry Vaughan's bunch seems to stand head and shoulders and half the body above every and any thing that can be seen. Atlanta is weak, and the grumbling already started among the local people promises to have it's effect on the team. It will not be sur prising if the Atlanta team developes into dangerous road team and an easy mark at home.
 Newt Fisher is either badly fooled about his aggregation or is playing some deep game that does not appear on the sur face. His team Is of about six-seven caliber compared with the others in the league. Poor old Tom O'Brlen over in Montgomery, appears to have gathered another bunch of misfits and is already endeavoring to secure stronger material. May he succeed, for he is a clever fel- low personally, with all his misfortune and experience in the fast Southern League.
 NEGRO IS SHOT.
 Mystery Surrounds Shooting of Henry