The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
TONNEMAN GOES
 ID TORONTO TEAM Bernhard Has Signed Two New
 Catchers for His Team
ERL0FT IS THE LATEST
seabaugh, Pratt and ErIoft Will Make Up the Catching Force For Nash vile This Season Although
 Two May Be Enough.

Nashville. January 23-(Special IA dis patcn from Toronto, Canada, states that catcher Charles Tonneman of last years volunteer squad, and probably the most notiy sought young backsrop in minor league ranks at the close of the season has been disposed of by the Boston Amer leans to the Toronto team of the East ern league. Tonneman 1t will be recalled was sought to be drafted by the club that finally landed by lucky draw over both the Chicago Nationals and Amer icans, New York Americans, Cincinnati and Brooklyn.
 Tonnsman's early return to the minors recalls that he was the only Nashville player drafted by a big league club at the end of last season at the same time that he was the cheapest man in the squad His case has been cited by the local club authorities to prove that there Is more money to be made Tn experiment. ing with promising youngsters that may bring a good price at the end of the sea- son than in holding on at much higher salaries to players of proven efficiency in this company that have no chance of going up. Tonneman, 1t will be remem- bered, was excelled as batsman last season by Jake Daubert alone, while his ability as an all-round handy man was well established. He was a bad man to handle. however, and there was little
 
 be marketable
 Bill Viebahn is in the city from his home in Houtsdale. Pa, and will remain here until the opening of the season. He hopes to land a berth as coach for some local or neighboring college squad this spring. Though he has not signed a local contract as yet it is practically sure that he will do so
 Manager Bernhard has received the signed contract of Catcher Lester Pratt, last year farmed to Lynchburg in the Virginia league Manager Bernhard has also signed another catcher tor the com ing season in the person of Erloft of the Western association. Erloft played in "A games with Pittsburg, Kas., last sea- son and proved a good sticker with an average of PCT besides ranking fourth among the backstops of that organiza- ton with A fielding average of .97s. He was drafted from that league by the Chicago Americans at the close of the season of 1908 and turned back after being badly injured by being hit in the head with foul bah last spring.
 The local manager thought so well of getting Tonneman out of this league last season that he decided to take another chance. The new player also comes from the same town as Tonneman. Chicago.
 The acquiring of Erloft makes two catchers already signed with the old re- liahfe Seabaugh counted upon. It Is pre- dicted that the latest recruit will crowd out Pratt and doubtless constitute the second regular with seabaugh. The last named has not signed as yet-in fact, not a single regular of last years squad has a yet signed his name to a local contract. From indications very few Of last years men will be back as 1t is known that negotiations are on for the disposal of at least five of the past seasons best known players. Manager Bernhard is an- ticipating much trouble in rounding up old dependsbles, as most of them. can easily catch on in other leagues of the same class at salariss greatly in excess of that offered for the coming season here and the local manager for one is not inclined to try to force any in line when better prices are awaiting them elsewhere. in view of these conditions. several trades and sales may be expect ed before the playing season starts.