The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-03
MANAGER WORDSWORTH BOOKS
 MAJOR STARS FOR STUNTS

1 known. With the Cubs, for instance, it
 is said that Charles Murphy, the trouble maker of the majors, will come along. l Charlie last season attained a national
 reputation by referring to the rabid Rajah
 Bresnahan as an Irish policeman. J.
 Evers, a former star; Miner Brown.
 wonder with three digits. and Frank
 Chance, with. cracked bean,. have prom
 ised 10 cavort right merrly for the en- tertainment of local fandom.
 The IIighlanders of New York will bring Hall Chase, the greatest living exponent of the manly art of playing first base; Russell Ford, finger of the saliva dip, who was graduated by the Southern, and Catcher Sweeney, who has attained fair reputation in spite of his former enforced residence in Atlanta.
 Cincinnati will bring to Birmingham several old Baron stars among the num- Der being Thomas Downey. B. Clifton
 Trough and Artie Phelan. The former worked for Birmingham several seasons ago. and starred at third and second bases Trough and Phelan were members of the bold Baron band last year, and Trough on the hill and Phelan on third did yoemanlike service. It is probable that while in Birmingham Trough will transfer his signature from Red con- tract to one of this little old hamlet, It. self.
 When the Giants come. March 90, the Barons will be face to face again with Bert He joined Birmingham last Nsea- son, and by his efforts materially aided the local bunch in finishing high as the eye brow. Towards the conclusion of the season Bert dreamed so long and SO well of the little road of Broadway, paved like a path which leads to a climate where snowballs and cellulod collars do not prosper, that he lost interest in mere local affairs. But Bert is all right. and still popular in Birmingham In addition there is Muggsy, himself,
 who has swallowed more umpires and personal abuse than any other individual since the veteran Cheops. Arlie Latham, who formerly heard the hlsses of local fans when he was giving decisions as a Southern league arbiter, will come along | as the official funmaker. Then there will
 pc musty Merkle, who lost a pennant' ny l failing to touch base and who is al | legged to have had, as a result a narrow escape from the nut factory" And last and not least, the renowned Chrlsty Matn-
 ewson will be along, the poor chap who
 was treated so rudely last fall by John
 Franklin Baker and other students of the renowned McGillcurdy.
 
 l Although 1t is not our intention to pro-
 long this intimate discussion. it would be apparently unfair to close without refer | ring to the approaching visit of Tyrus Cobb. Cobb himself would be dsappoint- | ed. And it would be manifestly unjust i simply to relate that he is coming and that he will bring along his mild man.. ners and bloodthrsty spikes.
 | Cobb, as Is remembered, was in Bir
 mingham some months ago as the timid lover of the College Widow" Before the calcium his batting average slumped al- most to zero As an actor the renowned
 baseball star was a cabbage. But to his credit he realized that fact, and made a nasty and precipitate escape from the footlights.
 And now we have said in many words that the baseball season is nearly here. Therefore, throw you hat in the air and do those other stunts which combine to make the bugs" more strenuous than the colonel. lH II. w. R.