The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-18
POINTERS ID RANDOM
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS.

There comes a time in the life of every man when he would fain run to cover, or yield to overwhelming odds
 Few men enjoy continual fighting when the chance of ultimate victory are ob scured by the densest clouds.
 But when the bayonets of the enemy press at the throat and the stern. relent- less command of duty prevents a sur render, it is best to remain calmly, dog gedly fghtlng-because there is just d single simmer of hope that by calmly, doggedly fighting, something might after all be achieved.
 The situation in Birmingham is gloomy that is, the baseball situation.
 The team continues losing.
 The fans are exceedingly sore.
 The anarchists, those men without thought, are abroad in the land. and we must admit that closed shop, with q possibility of forgetting, appeals, each day, with redoubled force.
 1t would be pleasant were the season ever and we were preparing to start anew with brighter hope.
 When the team is winning team, no man can pick a flaw.
 When the team is a losing team. no man finds any place in which pleasure turks. The fans in Birmingham, for instance, can see no single redeeming feature in the seasons work.
 They clamored for the head of Vaughn, and obtained it.
 With the team losing, they are begin ming to believe they made an error in be- heading the veteran Red"
 Had Vaughn remained in charge, and had the team continued losing, they would still be crying for the head of Vaughn.
 Now they are finding fault with every one.
 At the matinee yesterday Molesworth was censured for something he had done, and something he had left undone. Someone suggested the firing of Doug lass. and the reinstatement of Meek on first. ct was only short time ago that they rejoiced over the downfall of Meek and the success of Dougiass)
 Someone wanted Demont released on the spot because he failed to score on the hit of Douglass.
 Another censured Lew Walters because a Volunteer hit safely over third. Because Downey failed to hit in a pinch yesterday someone suggested his removal. Because Manning failed to smash the ball over the fence the rabble clamored for the head of Manning.
 And thus the dissatisfaction is ex- pressed, and puerile wisdom overflows. With the exception of the manager of the team, and the stockholders, that mar who suffers more in a disastrous season is he who is compelled to narrate it's history.
 The sporting writer is expected to keep interest in the game live and green.
 He is expected to keep the team, as a whole, and its members, encouraged and satisfied.
 To accomplish this feat certain dipio- macy is required, this being especially true when the team is in the hole.
 It is easy enough to write pert para graphs when every game is victory.
 It is easy enough to sting the team of our neghbor and hold up other writers to ridicule when we are on top.
 But delivering the goods when the team is in the cellar Is that task which no one desires, ard from which everyone, no doubt, would heartily rejoice to flee.
 Keeping the fans going with the team in the cellar and the players encouraged to q certain degree is necessary for this reason.
 If such a thing is possible We want to get Birmingham trhe higher in the standing.
 We all know that we need pitchers
 While the team otherwise is defective in certain spots, the great majority of the many games that we have lost arc traceable to inferior work in the slab mans box.
 It therefore behooves the management to acquire other pitchers.
 The understanding is that efforts to ae- quire other pitchers are being made
 It is a physical impossibility to fire the entire team and get new men within a space of "A hours
 It would be wiser, therefore, to keep the players on their feet until assistance can be brought. The criticize them un- necessarily and often unfairly tends to make them dissatisfied, and puts them higher in the air
 The wise thing to do is to sit easily in the boat, do the best we can until new pitchers come. and delay as short time as possible in landing those new pitchers.
 The writer does not believe the Barons are outclassed. It has simply been d case of inferior pitchers, the dssatisfac- ton and dissention that innumerable de- feats produce and spirit of lethargy, in- difference and listlessness that too often characterizes the work of a badly beaten Individual.
 Changing the subject on the spur of the moment, we desire to remove our hat to Montgomery.
 The Pretzels began the season with team that could not hope to finish high.
 Since that beginning they have plugged their weak spots and squelched without d moments hesitation that dissention which presages certain destruction.
 It is now quite possible that Montgom- cry will take that final post in the first division.
 in this mornings dispatches it will be found that Moose" Baxter has been given his unconditional release. this ac.