The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-18
POINTERS ID RANDOM
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS.

that Cincinnati has signed contract to train in Atlanta next spring reminds that 1t might be well for Birmingham to step out and invite such a bargain. Establishing an intimacy with ma1or teams is often beneficial to minors
 Each season finds a great number or major league players Harmed out Tn the south. These men are "farmed Wth those teams the managers of whom are known to the majors.
 Atlanta has always arranged it's con tract so that the major league team tram ing in the Gate City would leave Valu- able man each season.
 Tom Hughes and Roy Castleton both or whom pitched many a successful battle for the Crackers, were both the prop erty of the New York Highlanders. Bill Bernhard of Nashville has Cleveland rom which to draw material, and furthermore big Sarah" from an intimacy of many years standing, is enabled to step out and get aid from almost any club In the American league. Charlie Frank has al- ways managed to drag the majors TOT valuable stars and 1t almost 1nvarlaply happens that these men with pulls are found near the front when the year end rolls around.
 It Is time that Birmingham makes of itself farm for major recruits. Pre- liminary moves in forming friendship with Cincinnati have already been made, and this step will probably result Tn good Now, Birmingham should step out and invite some major to train In BIT rungham next spring, and make such ar rangements that the team using Birming- ham as a training camp will leave one ar more of it's best men for the folloW- ing season.
 The local association, in preparing Tor the invasion of the majors, should step out and build a new grandstand.
 Other improvements should be ordered, too.
 The local park, it is true, is one of the most unattractive in the leasue' anu IL should not be.
 Wtth a winning team, Birmingham IS tho hest baseball town in consideration Of poulation, in Dixie.
 All money expended in the good cause will be restored many fold.
 In 1906 Birmingham won the pennant of the Southern league by such neat mar gin that excitement was not intense on the last day of play.
 Last season while Memphis, until the las week. was a contestant, during the last seven days of the season Atlanta had the pennant fairly well cinched.
 At this time it appears that the race Ill Dixie this season will be the closest in
  may settle the differences between Nash vile and New Orleans.
 Yesterday the Pelicans by defeating Mobile and profiting from Nashvile defeat at the hands of the Montgomery Sleepers. again took the lead-by per centage points.
 The chances are that New Orleans will hold the lead by practically the same margin until the western invasion, begin ming Sunday
 Nashville in the west will most prob ab1v lose more games than 1t wins, and will return home several percentage points to the rear of the Pelicans
 Then the Pelicans come east, and 1T Nashville plays the game for all 1t IS worth the Volunteers have a chance to ragain lost ground and cop the rag.
 Nashville and New Orleans are about even today.
 Nashville has a bunch of games to play on foreign soil.
 New Orleans has practically the same number on foreign soil.
 Therefore these two strong aggrega- tions in the words of the immortal John Paul Jones, have just begun to fight.
 And Memphis must not be overlooked. If Nashville drops several games in the west, Memphis will, in all probabil- itv he as near the top as the Volun- teers. Memphis may VIII tHc ldB dltoi oii' Stranger things have happened.
 Since Ed Greminger assumed charge Of the Pretzels they have been playing an excellent brand of baseball. Today they are tied for Mobile for the tail-end position of the first division.
 Nashville, New Orleans and Memphis are practical certainties for the hrst d. vision.
 Birmingham, Little Rock and Atlanta ho,-e herths reserved in the second.
 Montgomery and Mobile, therefore, have q little scrap of their own. At the pres emf writing 1t looks as if the Pretzels will win the position, and Tom Fisher, after a gallant effort with an inferior team. will conclude the season in com many not the most polite. Gene Ford was up against hard luck proposition yesterday.
 While viebahn pitched a better game there was no reason why his defeat should have been so overwhelming Atlanta made more runs than hits. and Birmingham, while getting as many nlts as the Crackers, made no runs at all Ford yielded four hits, one base on balls hit two men and suffered from the { effects of four miserable errors, TWO or | which fell to Downey.
 In the second game the Barons smashed out a victory. Robinson was not as ef- 1 fective as Ford, and in addition to yield ing seven hits walked five men. i, But with Downey, Molesworth ana Meek smashing the ball as they aid, 1t was practically impossible for the Barons to lose.
 Downey. right at this time, IS smash | ing the cover off the ball. If he keeps up his present pace he will l conclude the season near the 300 mark.