The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-06-04
BY BILL AK.

When "Chick' Robe1 table encountered
Otis Stockdale yesterday afternoon it was
vertically a case of Greek meeting
Greek
There is no man in the league harder
10 down than tie dean o. Fishers pitching
staff. Not only is he an effective twirlef.
but he understands the game from be-
ginning to end. and knows what to do
with that long. gray head that caps his
shoulders.
And yesterday he was in exceptionally
fine form.
Considering all these points, Rob
ertaille's victory brings him more credit
than had he defeated a Whitley Guese or
a Russell Ford.
The Birmingham twirler was in mag
nificent fettle. His famous @spitball"
was breaking splendidy, and for the first
time this season he used effectively his
high and speedy straight one. He was
master of the situation from the first to
the last inning. He kept the visitors hit
ting gently to the intield, this being il
Illustrated in the fact that the Barons are
credited with % assists and Douglass
with II put-outs.
Although Birminghams single run was
fathered by an error it is true that both
pitchers received magnificent support,
Fast work by Thornton in centerheld
saved Stockdale on more than one oc-
casion, and spectacular fielding all about
the diamond continually robbed the Bar
ons of hits And Robertailles support
was of the sparkling variety. one
handed stab by Lew Walters in the ninth
was perhaps the brilliant feature from
a local viewpoint, although Dement'S fin
ished work at short did much toward
winning the game.
The score was 1 to o.
In the second inning Demont led off
with a luscious double to deep left Hen
line sacrificed the runner to the next
base.
Lew Walters stung one to third and De-
mont was caught in chase, wild
throw by Benson. which landed on the
runners arm scored Demont, giving the
Barons the game.
This was the single score of the after
noon. On numerous other occasions the
Barons were in striking distance, but al
ways the effective work of Stockdale, as
sisted by a bit of brilliant fielding, kept
the locals from the plate.
In the fourth. after Demont had struck
out. Henline singled to left and Walters
was walked. A passed ball by Massing
advanced the runners. Robertaille, next
up, stung one viciously to center, and
the fans arose to their feet with a deaf
ening cheer But the applause was frozen
in thousand threats, for Thornton, with
remarkable speed and remarkable cool
ness, had taken it with a shoestring
catch Wordsworth. following. stung one
to the same territory. and Thornton re-
peated his performance of a second pre-
vous
In the third and fifth Manning led off
with single, and each time Douglass put
him TO second In each case, however,
Meek and Downey failed to deliver the
needed hit
The best chance the Gulls had to tally
was in the second, but when Robertaile
caught two men off first. that chance
&ithered and passed away.
Thornton led off with a single.
On first, he dozed for a moment, and
Robertaille caught him several feet from
the sack There Immediately followed d
chase. Thornton. while looking back at
Bill Douglass, outran him to second. But
Bill whipped the sphere to Downey, and
With the ball in the hand of the speed
merchant, it was all up with Thornton.
Hart then flied out to Wordsworth but
Benson hit juicly to center The hitter
however, shared Thorntons fate, for a
auick throw to first by Robertaille, knock.
ed him into cooked hat
It is deucedly hard to catch a runner
off first, and for Robertaille to turn
that trick twice in the same inning, was
something decidedly out of the ordinary
Dne was reminded of Billy Campbell.
In the third inning, after two were
Gown, the Gulls managed to get a mar
as far as third. McIver started the bal
to rolling with a single was sacrificed tc