The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-06
BY BILL Ak.

1t was. as whole, excellently pitched.
1t contained no less than dozen SEN
! sationa1 exhibitions Of fielding.
1t was close and exciting throughout.
1t was played In fast time, and there
was nothing slothful to adulterate the
whole-souled enjoyment
And then it contained that element of
surprise which has made baseball the
greatest institution In the great world
of sports. The victor snatched the laurels
| from the vanquished even as the van
| pushed was leaving the park with them
tightly clutched to his bosom.
The final score was 2 to l. Atlanta
scored its run in the fourth. Birning-
ham scored its pair in the eighth.
McMurray, the dangerous little back
stop, whose accurate firing to second has
saved many games for Bill Smith, opened
the fourth with luscious bingle to left
| There followed the usual sacrifice. The
| runner went to third on an out and
scored when Jordan singled to right.
The Barons came back in the eighth
in this fashion: Johns walked Yancey
and second. Tom Raub, whose pinch hit
ting has broken up three recent games
| then walked into one of Johns fast ones
The ball flashed like a shot to right CEN
ter, and Yancey and Raftis went over
| the plate. Raub was called out on a
close decision as he attempted to steal,
| and Manuel followed with single. Man
nal u-a ont staa1ip0 oaoopd
1t looked squally in the ninth, when, as
an opener, Winters bingled to center.
sacrifice, Winters going out at second
and right here a little praise is due Roy
! ELAN. Manuefs throw to the bag was
| not any too perfect, and had the blonde
lad not gobbled it Atlanta would have
walked away with the fight McMurray
stood impatiently on first while Smith
flied out to right, an dthen attempted
steal. Raub got him. The game was
ended
/ In the first inning there were enough
thrills to last a year or two. And In
I the first Atlanta would have scored
save for a piece of Baron brilliance,
and Birmingham might have won the
| lance.
Winters, first up. was pinked with
| the ball, for George gets pinked, as
everyone knows, at least once each
game. The old gardener was sacrificed
! to second, and Smith cut loose a bfngle
to right Winters attempted to score,
| but a magnificent return to the plate
| by Yancey cut him down. The ball
was In Raub's glove as Winters
| haIf ina haf ird
and home, this fact attesting to the
! splendid throwing ability of the new
! Baron.
Then Birmingham had its opportuni-
| ty. After Henline was out, ELAN was
walked The hit and run" signal was
flashed. and Wordsworth singled
through Jordan, the Cracker captain
i being off his balance as he was pre-
! pairing to cut of what he thought was
Ellams steal. ELAN went to third. Nc.
| Gilvray then slashed one viciously to
| right, and 1t should have gone to TIL e
fence. But Walker got it--how he got
| II being another question. But he
doubled ELAN at third, and the next
opportunity the Barons had was in tn e
| eighth.
In speaking of brilliant work one
might not overlook Newton. He cut
off several hits by dashing fielding and
perfect throwing. And there were II
others who won laurels in this respect.
Both Manuel and Johns were in mag
| nifcent trim. The Baron, when tn g
points are summed up, had the better
of the argument, this being due to his
perfect control. Johns walked four
men-this proving his undoing.
Manuel famed five to Johns four, but
Manuel was guilty of hitting man
with the ball, though that is excusable
considering the fact that the man hit
was Winters. He's q. e., George) got
that down to a science.
Johns gave one the less hits and
each pitcher let hit fall when men
were perched ready to score.
An unusual feature of the game Is
shown in the box score. But % Barons
were at bat and the game was reg
ular nine-inning affair. But q Crackers
were at bat.
While the explanation is easy, the scar
city of batsmen indicates the rapidly
with which the twirlers were moving.
There was not a stolen base every mar
attempting the feat going dead, some Of
them being caught 10 feet. Henline II
the third, Wordsworth In the seventh
and Raub and Manuel in the eighth fel
victims to McMurray's accuracy. Bu
TWO Crackers were daring, SInltn III ln'
first and McMurray In the ninth, ane
they met similar and horrible fate. Nc
Murray's out in the ninth ended the game
There were two doubles Walker made
one without assistance when he Ragged
and gobbled McGilvray's drive in the f1rs
and caught ELAN off third. In the sixth
with one down McMurray hit to ELAN
and the shortstop could not throw OF
account of dab of Manuels saliva. Tnel
Smith cut one fiercely to short and Ei
lam did the rest The ball took an ugi'
bound but was held In one hand sec
ond was touched and the double com
pleted.
Why Bill Smiths team is winning i
easy. The pitchers are going finely. TIL
team is fielding brilliantly. and there i
McMurray. It's a great help when IN
catcher keeps mon of second base.
Barr the Philadelphia Athletic, wn
passed through Birmingham last sprin
with Connie Mack. Will hardly star IN IN