The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-10
POINTERS ID RANDOM
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS.

BY HUGH w. ROBERTS.
 When a man loses he generally looks around fo1 excuses.
 Charlie Frank, having lost the lead of the Southern league. is accusing the um- pres of robbing him.
 The real reason for the "Dutchman's' slump is the tearing to pieces of his orig nal team.
 However, in Franks story, published in another column, there is much that de- mands attention
 There are, and have been, some very incompetent umpires figuring in the southern league.
 And it is our opinion that the most in competent is 0Brien. against whom Frank has raised his hue and cry It is also true, in spite of the foreg oing, that no umpire, save Buckley, has ever been dismissed.
 President Kavanaugh has made it d rule to Lack up his umpires against every charge and every complaint.
 This rule is obviously bad, because 1t gives the man in blue too much latitude. However, it is a question as to whether
  port the umpire on all occasions, the game would be benefited. It must be admitted that the umpire is more often correct in close decisions than the man who hollers. O'Bren has pleased very few cities in which he has appeared.
 He started off on the wrong foot when he struck the first blow in his recent diff culty with Baxter, then of Montgomery, of New Orleans.
 As Frank states, O Brien, having admit ted striking the first blow, should have been dismissed, and Baxter also severely punished
 And this is not the only charge that might be brought against O'Bren He Is the man who is alleged to have stated to McNeal, when the pitcher was pro- testing against a bad decision, that as Birmingham was on the bottom an erron- eous ruling would have little effect. This statement was enough to disqualify any man attempting to umpire baseball games
 But here is the point we can't under stand
 Why, if O'Brien is odious to Pelican fans. does Kavanaugh inflict Mobile with his presence?
 In case Mobile protests as strenuously against the pugilist-of will he be sent to Memphis. Little Rock?
 Why not get rid of him. rather than see him tossed about so promiscuously? And, furthermore. if Carpenter Is the hest umpire of the league, why does New Orleans enjoy his services more often than any other city about the circuit? All of these things are passing strange. Franks criticism of President kav- anaugh is severe.
 Men have been known to die for less
 In olden days a duel would have been necessary. In Kentucky two pistols would have flashed at the same moment, and the slower man would have been followed on the following afternoon by slow music and soft pedaling.
 What will happen in this instance re- mains to be seen but as stated no other manager or other official has so severely criticised a league president in the mem- ory of living man.
 But when you cold-bloodedly sift the matter to the dregs Franks outburst Is probably due to his recent defeats at the hands of Nashville and his defeat or yesterday which cost him the lead.
 The Pelican fans are exceedingly sore, and Frank, having torn his great ma chine to pieces, is reaping the harvest of threats and curses.
 And Memphis is In the lead.
 Nashville is so close to the heels of the panting "Dutchman" that BernhaId d breath is blistering his neck.
 If the Pelicans continue losing at home they will slump surely when they come east again.
 It Is then barely possible that the Feli- cans will fall into the second division. Atlanta is just behind Nashville, while Mobile and Little Rock must be reckoned with.
 The fans are sound asleep in Montgom- cry.
 They occasionally open their mouths long enough to casually hurl shout of derision at Jimmy Ryan and sheer at the sporting writers of the Capital City.
 Baseball may be off color in Birming ham, but it is dead in Montgomery
 There / is more knocking in Montgom- cry than in Birmingham.
 They are more sore in Montgomery than in Birmingham.
 The attendance in Birmingham is bet ter than in Montgomery.
 And 1t Is all because Ryan failed 10 do the impossible--win the pennant with that brush team of his.
 As we have stated on other occasions, considering the material with which Ryan had to work and the people for whom he had to work, he has acquitted himself in a splendid manner.
 In every game some little thing hap pens to bring about New York's defeat. It Is the same in the case of Birming ham.
 Both teams are on the bottom. the nat ural place for those who continually lose.
 The Barons have done fairly we'll to date. considering the fact that they are on the road.
 Two victories and three defeats is not so bad as it would appear at first blush. In these five games Molesworth has won one game less than Harry Vaughn captured on the first western trip this season
 We have not heard recently just what success Manager Molesworth has encoun- tered in his efforts to acquire new twirl- CTS.
 But the fact still remains that he can not hope to get off the bottom unless he lands new twrlng material
 McNeal has become the joke of local fans. who are under the impression that in addition to his inability to field his po- siton and do those things which a pitch CT with cool head always does, he is one of those individuals who find safety in flight when the battle grows bitter
 And Turner is little better.
 The Cubs are again in the lead in the Nrot;o,,I oiro,iit and Pittshurp is pattip0