The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-27
BARONS NARROWLY ESCAPE A LICKING Ferguson Undid What Clark
 Had Done ABLES FINE SUCCESS Bill AK Says Ferguson Has "Nothing" and RidicuIes the Sporting Ed itors-The Story of the
 Game.
ABLES' FINE SUCCESS

By the introduction of his amateur star. Ferguson, Manager Vaughn came near as peas losing the first game to the White Ribboners of Meridian yesterday after noon.
 Clark worked through five innings, and the visitors were as dough in his fingers. In the sixth inning Ferguson was sent to the slab and was batted from the box be- fore the conclusion of the seventh. Abes finished the game and the visitors became dough again. The game ended with the score standing to 6.
 The White Ribboners. if they did noth- ing else, exploded a 'phenom."
 Do you remember how bravely the sporting editors of Birmingham described Ferguson when he first arrived on the scene? One man declared that he must certainly be reckoned with and comment ed on the speed and general ability of the Cincinnati Avondales and Shamrocks. An other wrote an entire story descriptive of Ferguson's speed-how the grass burns as the ball speeds along. I was dubious all the time, and yesterday afternoon l saw my, fears materialized.
 Ferguson has absolutely nothing-no curve, no speed, no headwork. He is the greenest man I have ever seen attempt to make professional ballplayer. Alcock was not a circumstance.
 "Fergy,' as one of the scribes affec- tionately dubbed him when he ''burned up the grass etc., is lucky if he has the price of a ticket to Cincinnati in his jeans. He will need it.
 Clark rushed the visitors. Ginger was in rare form, although he could have done what he did had his form been less per feet. During his term of office the White Ribboners had no chance whatever. AS stated the Ribboners Tit on to" Ferguson like the proverbial chicken on the pro verbal June bug. They slapped him to the left and to the right; they slapped him over Molesworth's head. and to every corner of the diamond. They sent him 4000 feet in the air. He stood with the ball in his hand and let men steal bases. I heard Downey imploring him to throw the ball to head a runner stealing third. E back up a catcher, or that he should even cover home plate in times of emergency
 Well, the Ribboners made their first run in the sixth, the first run of Ferguson's administration. In the seventh they sent five men over the plate, and tied the score. Before the conclusion of the in- ming, when man stood on third ready to score as soon as the batter got the double that he most assuredly would have got Vaughn sent Ables to the slab and substituted Raub for Mahon. Had the batter hit safely the RobboneIs would have run ahead of the Barons. But Ables struck him out.
 Ables throughout the remainder of the game was invincible. Had Ferguson kept off the slab yesterday afternoon the pan would have been virgin save for the tally ing of the Barons.
 But the game was interesting enough True, the boys from Meridian struck at the second strike when there were three balls to their credit and did other things that a professional would not have done, but they fought gamely throughout. Yount pitched well. considering, and Baisden's curves were fair.
 The game was far more interesting than the fans thought it would be, and Man. ager Schmidt is determined to land the battle of this afternoon.
 In the third inning Meek's long single to center scored Molesworth and Houtz. This work broke the ice. In the second hits by Downey. Walters and Clark scored the first named. In the sixth three hits, couple of errors and base on balls netted the locals three more runs
 It was in the sixth, as has been stated, that the visitors tied the score. The Barons united it in the seventh. With two down Downey laced a screaming triple to center and scored when Geiser made an imperfect return to third.
 There was no more scoring during the afternoon. The Rbboners were at the mercy of Ables, and the Barons gave the appearance of loafng.
 A completer story of the game is in
 The Offi~iaI Scare