The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-22
WITH THE SCRIBES.

WITH THE SCRlBES. The delayed steal is one of the modern wrinkles of baseball, though some old timer may come along and tell how It was tried years and years ago. The New York Nationals first worked it several seasons back and Sammy Strang was it's originator McGraw improved on 1t and developed it for use with a man on first and one on third-New Orleans Pica- yune.
 A while ago down in Irontown the wall was, We have batters, but not pitchers enough" Now it hath changed to a crav- ing for thinkers" Irong of fate. Just think how much larger salary Aristotle and Plato could have gotten had they been living now when the Barons need thinkers Nashville American.
 The brightest youngster, that in the league.
 Harry Matthews lost his love for fishing when he heard there was 8 fight tap for last night. He didn't go with the bunch to the Chef staying at home and betting a few beans on Fitzgerald Orleans Times-Democrat.
 Joe Connolly, who objected to going to Columbia in the South Atlantic league, where he had been sold, finally succeeded in getting back to the Central league, where he wanted to go Joe took the mat ter up with the Zanesville team of that 1 league, where he played after leaving I 1o learned that he was on the market they promptly met Columbia's offer-Arkansas |, Gazette.
 | The announcement that the Argenta team has signed "Cy'' Watt will bring reminiscent smile to the face of many Little Rock fan.
 'Cy' Watt was a member of the Little Rock team in the days when Dale Gear was piloting the fortunes of the Tray elers. Cy was a great pitcher In those days and hero with the fans. He also held all local records for chewing tobacco, both in point of continuance and the quantity consumed.-Arkansas Gazette. Theodore Breitenstein, ancient Pelican southpaw, fondly known to Pelican root CTS as the Grand Old Man." has in- vented something new under the sun. It's a curved spitball
 Ever hear of such thing? We'll, It's so, and 1t was this ball that Brett used in his elast game against Mobile and which victory broke the Pels' losing streak.
 The e. O. M" would say nothing about the new ball until he had tried it and found it O. K. Then he told the news confidentially. Brett says he has been practicing on it all spring long, The operation is thusly: First the ball is duly moistened, in such manner as all saliva balls are mostened But the ball Is then thrown like a curve ball instead of the straight spitball.
 The moisture and the curve make the ball approach the plate like "floater" but it has a great deal of speed Herein it is quite deceptive. Then 1t has a pe- culiar break when it gets near the plate that causes the unwary batsman to do the Mighty Casey act to perfection Brett is now teaching Pruitt how to use , this curved spitter.-New Orleans Times Democrat. The fielding of Scott Walker in the game Wednesday was of the sensational order. The way he handled short bunt by Benson in the eighth inning was the
 
 has been seen at Ponce, de Leon in many a day. He picked up the ball while on the dead run and shot it to first while in reclining position Benson was much surprised when he noticed that the ball had beaten him to the 7oag.-Atlanta Jour nal.
 Big Ed Keiber declares pudgy Walter Morris will be as good a shortstop as there is in the league. Keber was pitching for Savannah last year which club was man. aged by Morris The new Turtle is not yet in better than fair condition, having been late in reporting to Birmingham but he has done well with the hickory as g Baron and has also stolen a few bags which will help the Turtles some. Morris was used at third by Birmingham, and didn't look good at that corner. but that is not his natural position and if Keiber l and other South Atlantic players are any judges he'll be mighty valuable man at short.-Memphis News-Scmitar. Bill Smith, manager of the Atlanta team has stolen march on Birming- ham, and other Southern league clubs, by practically closing for Ralph Savidge who worked fo MemNis last year. The deal for Savidge has not been wound up yet, but after Ralphs miser- | able showing for Cincinnati yesterday | when he relieved Dubec, and allowed the l Giants seven tallies in one inning Smith | expects to hear from the Reds at al- 1 most any minute. .Savidge Is a hot | weather pitcher, and cant do good xup | in the north He'll have to come south | to win any games,' said Smith today | Meantime Birmingham, Little Rock and f other clubs which were after Savidge | appear to have abandoned hope of get | ting him.
 | Smith declares the sale of Southpaw | Roy Castleton to Cincinnati was outright | and that Savidge did not figure. He says | the Savidse deal is entirely separate | Memphis News-Scimitar