The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-15


 in fielding. His strength, however, is with the willow. He batted the wadding of the ball last season, and there is no doubt but that he will do as well again. Walters for several seasons has been the fastest secondbaseman in the league. If Walters could hit as hard as 300 he would be ca vorting around the keystone for PittsourS or New York, or the Chicago Cubs. De- montreville is considered a star fielder, and a better than the average batter lie is one of the smartest players Tn ths league, using his noddle in the plnehes' and after getting on base will score II single chance presents itselt. lie IS one O. the players of the league who doesn't wait twice for opportunity to knock.
 Very Fine outfield.
 Birmingham has been fortunate for ssv- era1 seasons in having first rate outfield. This season the chances are that this de- partment will be stronger than ever be- fore, stronger in fact than when Gear, Moesworth and Carlos Smith aided ma terially in the winning of the pennant.
 Fred Houtz, last season With Mont gomery, will play right Houtz is well known to Southern league fans. lie is an excellent fielder, | aard hitter, anu more, for two, geavs has been reckoned one of the fastest base runners ol the
 
 along with, is clever in lis dealings and is popular. af5 s-
 Carlton Molesworth is beginning his third year with Birmingham. Last season he was field captain. He returns just as
 he left. He Is the best centerfielder in
 the league, and each season pulls off catches that are impossible. that electrify
 the spectators. He is good at the stick, too, will hit harder than .2S0, is an ex-
 cellent bunter, and uses his head. His weakness is in his throwing arm and his inability to set upa great speed about the paths. Molesworth, taking him altogether, is an excellent man.
 The rightfelder comes from Toledo of the American association. His name IS Steve Reagan. Last season he hit .2l3 He
 has one of the greatest throwing arms in baseball today, and his friends predict
 that he will rank easily with the best all- round outfeders In Dixie. He will prob
 ably hit harder than .2S0 in the Southern league. Season before last he led the Three r league, establishing the spen-
 did record of $40.
 Birmingham seems solid, too, when catchers are concerned. The catching de-
 partment will be thousand times better than that of last season, when GarVin and Latimer starred behind 9.ne willow. Bill Douglass well-known to every South ern league fan, and Charlie Raub, last season with Lancaster of the Tri-State league, will be the chief eatehers. In addition, Catcher Mahon, youngster, is signed. He halls from Brooklyn, and Manager Ebbetts states that he has the goods. Douglass, season before last fell two decimal points behind the leading |, hitter of the league. Last season he had a falling out with Michael Angoro Finn and jumped" He has always expressed an anxiety to come to Birmingham, and his terms are perfectly satisfactory to both parties to the deal. Manager Vaughn believes he has a most valuable
 man in Douglass
 Raub has been a leading catcher in ! the Tri-State league for a number of sea
 sons His value is shown in the efforts of
 all the clubs in that league to get him
 away from Birmingham. He is fine
 catcher, has a good head, clever throw
 ing arm, and hits better than the average He is a young man, has ambition to eX- ceed, and will doubtless prove a very i valuable asset this season.
 The Baron Pitchers.
 | Critics have expressed fear concerning l Birmingham's pitching staff. This criti- | cism is an expression of fear, not an ex- ! pression of Iact. If the hopes of the fans
 pan out, then Birmingham will have the | best pitching staff in the league. It is q certainty that the corps will be better l than the average, whether the hopes are ] realized or not.
 The star of last years staff, wilhelm, 1 will not be returned, unless faint hope l blossoms into a beautiful flower of re- ] alization. The remaining members, how ! ever, Clarke, Ragan and Turner, will be 4 returned. That trio, it must be admitted 1 is not overly popular in Birmingham, al l though it has a chance of getting into popular favor and remaining there. Every
 one admits that Turner has ability. How { 1ao foil fn olDl nd
 He needs training in fielding his position and controlling his temper. Ragan, when i in shape, is one of the best in the league. i Season before last he took 20 victories and l suffered but eight defeats. His downfall | last season was due to his inability or ] unwillingness to keep in condition. Dur ] ing the winter Ragan was married, and 1 the local association depends on his wife | Q furnish Birmingham very valuable l pitcher. Clarke, when he tries to play ball. is one of the best twirlerS in the ! league. This season, at any rate, he may i be counted upon to win more than half 1 of his games This is a good bet.
 | In new material 1t is believed that Bir- | mingham has drawn three excellent cards i in Robertaile, McNeal and Ables. The ] first named played for two years with Co., 1 lumbus, the pennant winner of the Amer | ican association, and during that time won 60 per cent of his games. Before /! going to Columbus he pitched IS games l fer Pittsburg, of which he won eight. | McNeal comes from the Eastern league, where he has done exceedingly well. Play
 CTS who know him state that there is no | doubt but that he will make good. He
 has great speed and has starred as a
 strike-out artist. Ables comes from the | Texas league. His best recommenda- | ton comes from "Dad'' Laroque who last
 season was a manager in that circuit. 1 Laroque states that he is one of the very
 best. He is a tall strappling fellow, has
 a southpaw, great speed and curve. In addition Birmingham has signed | Mack Robinson, last years star of the l Cotton States. He is youngster, but a
 man of unquestioned ability. Too, Man
 ager Ebbetts of Brooklyn. whose team
 will be here April 4. promises to leave a l twirler with Manager Vaughn, either a l youngster, or Wilhelm. He will bring all l his men south. Birmingham will look 1 Wilhelm over, but it is hardly probable
 that youngster will be employed. 1 And now it is up to the fan to make his
 own prediction. The facts are before him. | The sporting editor of The Age-Herald | has made so many erroneous predictions | that it is a cinch that he is not going to
 attempt the impossible any more.
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 THE AKTA TETTDC