The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-12
The Seasons Opening.


The Seasons Opening.
The opening of the sixth annual season
of the Southern Association of Baseball
clubs was an suspicious occasion yester-
day afternoon In Birmingham. June
like day, a eloudless sky a grand exhi
bition of the national pastime and an
immense eoncourse of well handled and
well behaved spectators served to make
the first game a rarely enjoyable one.
Last but not least, the local contingent
were the yictors, hence much JOY is spread
in Birmingham.
Long before the bell tapped for the
initial contest the stands were packed
with cheering thousands. Tier upon tier of
seats were overlooked until the outfield
was invaded by the lovers of the game to
an extent that made ground rules neces-
sary.
The game itself was a rare exhibition,
and after the first inning it was evident
that a pitchers duel was on; duel of
such brllliancy and strength as to COM
pei the admiration of any close student
of the game.
Pitchers Measure Steel.
Wilhelm, Birmingham's finished slab
man, with everything in his repertoire
known to pitching skill, backed up by
splendid minor league machine in perfect
working order, against Geyer, young I'M
known to select balloon, with spurs to
win supported by the game but crippled
Nashvllians. Geyer. although going down
in defeat went down with colors flying.
For seven stirring innings he pitched the
mighty Wilhelm to stand still. The
youngster showed speed, a fine break ball,
gave only two passes and allowed only
five hits He also showed gameness under
fire and fully demonstrated that he can go
the route Finn has a prize package In
Geyer.
Wilhelm, the quiet student of the game,
with an arm of steel and barrel of gray
matter, worked in his usual superb form.
He allowed but one pass and single MT
for seven innings. In the eighth single
and two Dagger were punched Off him
with no one out BY mastery exhipl-
ton of pitching skill he disposed OF the
next three batsmen. and the tribe OF flhh
had lost their golden chance to score, and
possibly tie UP the game.
The Birmingham bunch put up a fast
accurate, gingery exhibition. coupling up
two fielding stunts of stirring nature
that brought the vast crowd to its feet
with appreciation. In the first, after Gil
bert had been passed. Wiseman tore OH
a slash In "A hit and run attempt whlcn
Walters clutched and turned into light
ming double play, retiring both OF the
speedy midgets via Oyler to Elsey The
seventh brought Oyler into the spotlight
II..a I[ar oil CRpflinRIX
safe wallop from the ozone, which was
dainty bit of high diving.
Birmingham Scores.
The slagpile denizens got busy in the
finish. Montgomery soused screamer to
center. working the hit and run per-
fectly Carlos Smith slung one through
the red-topped slumbered who presides at
rare intervals over the Nashville short
field. MONTGOMERY taking third on the
jolt and Smith airily ambling down to
Mr.. Bohannons corner-another gentle
man with locks of saffron hue. Mont
gomery came in an instant later on Wal
ters long fly to Kanzler. Great, doings
were at once manifest in the stands and
the mega phone man swallowed the nipple
of his trumpet and did not discover his
loss until the game was over.
In the seventh spasm the Barons showed
another burst of speed. With one down
Walters ripped off enough of the little
round thing to annex a sack. Elseys
perfect sacrifice steered the silent one to
his home corner. He unconsciously took
In third in his wanderings on Matthews
out and romped home a second later on
Oyler's stingy bingle over second. Mike
Finn recrossed his pedals in the eighth,
thereby displaying wondrously charm
ing pair of Toledo half hose. On the
strength of this move Bob Stafford cut
20. inc nit
blood of Vikings in his indigo veins,
ripped off "A corkng double.
Nashville Gets Busy.
Things begun to open up and the mega
phone freak. in his mad anxiety, coughed
up the missing nipple of his instrument.
Reisinger hit sharply to Montgomery.
who made a low throw to Elsey which
this excellent gentleman obligingly dug
up out of the Stag and saved a run. while
Sir Robert of Carolina stood at third
watching the fates play hi mfickle tricks
instead of moving into the run column
Wilhelm used up another COB of gum and
easily disposed of Russell and Geyer.
During the Barons share of the eighth
another score was pushed over by the en-
terprising Mr.. Gear who took first on
Jansings founder, taking third on Mont
gomerys second screaming single, and
completed the circuit when Smith stung
one to deep right. which Kanzler nabbed.
but was too far back to intercept the
lawyer at the plate. The run-getting
stopped here. Gilbert dumped one TO
Monty in the final round. who made a
wide throw. The fast New Yorker clev-
erly stole second. but the shades of even
ing found him hitched to the third sta
ton, and twas all over but the shouting
Nashville played a game, consistent
article of baseball under discoura ging
conditions-a game which will win a ma
jority of battles. but yesterday the
Barons were not TO be denied.
Nashville Crippled.
With Castro out of the game with a
badly cut hand and a pitcher at short
stop, big Bob Stafford and lansing both