The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-23
BY BILL AK.

bY BILL AK.
 Until the last man in the last inning is dead and gone under the sod no team has won a baseball game.
 After which it might as well be stated that the Barons were defeated yesterday afternoon, in spite of the fact that they had the Crackers on the ground breath ing heavily in their last throes.
 Directly responsible for the loss of the game with which the Barons were walk ing away is Henry Meek, the Barons' first sacker and "buttermik' fend In the ninth the big fellow was guilty of two successive errors that undid all that Fleharty had done. which tore down the little play house that he had erected for his own.
 Then, following these miscues of the first baseman, Manager Vaughns judgment in relieving Fleharty and substituting Clark, when neither man was agree able' is questionable. True. had Gin ger" retired the Crackers with no hits and no runs, the populace would have cried:
 Great is Vaughn"
 However, just the opposite obtained. and when the twenty-seventh Cracker was down and out the visitors had cinched the game
 The final score was to 4, Birmingham holding the "bobtail'
 lnasmuch as the Barons had won the previous game, Bill Smith decided to send his invincibe "spftball" artist. Russell Ford. to the little hill.
 Russell went to the hill but fared badly. With alacrity the Barons took to his benders, and whenever a hit was sorely needed. 10! that hit was forthcoming.
 On the other hand. Earl Fleharty the youngster recently purchased from Gin cinnati, was practically nvincble. He had everything in the world, and even at tempted the "spitball" He clearly out pitched his more famous opponent, and held him up to the laughing gaze of the people In yesterdays game there was no comparison between the relative ability of the two twirlers. F'leharty simply tied Ford in a sack, walked to the railing and tossed 'him overheard.
 And Ford was no sicker than Billy Smith.
 Considering all these facts, it was deucedly hard to. lose that game. But it might have been worse at that. At any rate, it is gone beyond recall. and to grieve is tragic frivolity." Excuse usD
 The third game will be played this aft ernoon. Manager Smith will use Grant Schopp unless his work in the ninth in- ming yesterday served him badly After Grant, Bill will serve Castleton if neces- sary.
 For the Barons. either Harry Ables. the big Texan southpaw. or Chick Rober- taille, the old American association star, will work for the Barons.
 The game will be called at the usual hour, S:30 o'clock
 In yesterdays affair the Crackers drew first blood. Fox started off the second inning with double to deep right He took third on an infield out and scored on Castro's hit to left
 After the first the Crackers scored no more until the coming of the ninth, in which inning they won the game.
 The Barons tied the score in the second Raub started the ball rolling with a single to left, was sacrificed to the keystone by Downey. and scored with ease when De- mont unloosed a luscious bngle to cen ter.
 In the fourth the Barons ran ahead of the visitors Raub started this inning with a double to right and took third when Becker erred in handling the drive Gene Demont was again on the scratch and again hit the single that scored the catcher.
 In the seventh the Barons got another. ! DpD1Onf first fam h caf h ba ;of ,i hit which Dyer mangled and struck out of Castros way. Demont pulled off his delayed steal and scored on Walters long single to right center.
 In the eighth the Barons further in- l creased their lead. With one down Meek 1 smashed a triple to deep right and scored on Raub's third hit of the afternoon 1 This in short, was the offensive work l of the Barons. 1 If we could draw curtain right here | everything would be all right But we cannot, for the general story has already l leaked out
 In the ninth James Fox started off with | a single to right to later die at second to which bag Hurlburts short, infieId hi, forced him.
 Castro was safe on Meeks error
 Wilkes, hitting for Ford, was safe or
 Meek error
 With the bases full and sagging. Man ming hit easily and neatly over third scoring Hurlburt.
 l. At this point Fleharty was relieved ant l Clark occupied the hill. WintersAfied to left and Houtz took z fall. letting the drive fall safe. Castro | tailed.
 1 Then Jesse Becker hit safely to right l scoring Wilkes and Manning, and win. | ning the game. In their half of the ninth the Barons went out in regular order Reagan how