The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-15
BY BILL AK.

You should hear them. They are crazy. The fans are talking baseball on the corners. The bankers are finding base hits and errors in their figures. The merchants, tying up sugar and spice, hes itate in the operation to tell of what Jimmy Ryan did in 1883. 1 mention this state of affairs because this city, in which the bugs busy, is sleepy Montgomery, on the banks of the Alabama, the home of the Pretzels and the "die-eases.' If the Barons are beaten tomorrow aft ernoon, then the merchants will declare a legal holiday. If the Barons win, how ever-well, I can go no further!
 The attendance at the opening game will be enormous considering this city is Montgomery. Sam Weems, one of the local pitchers returned from trip to - his hefne, Union Springs, yesterday Sam tells me that everybody from South Ala bama will be seated about the park when the first ball is thrown. That assures the attendance being representative. for I know by experience that the baseball bugs of South Alabama are among the most enthusiastic in the world. And they are tooth and nail for Montgomery, even as the rural districts of North Alabama are hearty supporters of our Barons.
 Birmingham Crowd Expected. Of course, everybody in Montgomery l will witness the opening game. The fans here are excellent. They have experi- l enced more disappointments than those of any other city and hope has never de- 1 serted them. Their enthusiasm blooms | with the budding trees, and withers when | the winds of autumn whisper around. I have told the people about the great crowd that is coming from Birmingham. If the fans will excuse this personal ref erence, as Colonel McCorvey of the Uni versity of Alabama, when prefacing his remarks concerning the excellence of the Scotch-Irish, is wont to say, 1 will be exceedingly happy when the Birmingham train rolls in. To think that l will soon see man who is wide awake, is alive and not too enthusiastic, and too busy to worry you to death with stories of Jimmy Ryan and other celebrities of the sos. Montgomery is all right, but I long to hear a street car and see an elevator.
 Fine Game Promised.
 If the Birmingham visitors desire to wager some coin of the realm, they will find plenty of takers. It is utterly im- possible to argue with any success that there is just possibility or Montgomery losing the opener.
 The roofing at the park tomorrow aft ernoon should be strenuous. The major ity, of course inasmuch as Ryan has offered railroad transportation and free admission to everyone who agrees to holler for the Pretzels, will favor Mont gomery, but from what 1 know of the ag- gressiveness of the Birmingham fan, the Baron support should be able to make it. self heard.
 But, seriously, the game promises to be a rip-snorter We Birmingham people know that Manager Vaughn has fine team, which can hit the ball, run bases play from the inside and ably support a pitcher. And Montgomery has fine team, too. 1 saw the boys work this aft ernoon, and was favorably impressed.
 The Montgomery Team.
 Baxter promises to excel himself at first. He is hitting the ball exceedingly hard Everybody knows his fielding abil- ity and that he understands the art of playing the game.
 do not like the switching of Perry from third to second, although Clayton is doing himself proud at the keystone. Greminger at third is touted as hard hitter and a man of fine all-round abil- ity
 Pepe last season with Macon, and now the Pretzel shortstop, is the weakest man in the diamond.
 Ryan is the star of the outield, Ryan alleges. The old man has many seasons left no doubt but he is mistaken if he thinks he will hit as hard in Dixie as he did last season in Evansville. There are two other valuable in the outfeld- Pearson and Henline.
 Shannon and Messitt are two valuable catchers. Stackpole. Weems, Merryman, Helm Van Anda and Cristall the principal pitchers.
 stackpole will pitch the opening game unless the cold that he is carrying in his chest forces Merryman to the hill. To tell the truth, I hope his cold will improve, for Merryman impresses me more favorably than does Stackpole.
 Ryan's Little Joke.
 Speaking of Stackpole reminds me that Ryan has pet joke about the pitcher that he springs on him every opportunity. If sounds like this-Stackpole is the only poll from which you can procure just returns.
 If took me 15 minutes to get to the depth of this conundrum, but finally sue ceeded with the aid of the indispensable "Fuzzy'' Woodruff. Then I bethought me that I heard it before. Ask Harry Yost about it.
 Returning however, to our beefsteak th to promises to be an inter-
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