The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-15

I much of nuisance he would disorganlze | the club.
 Well" said Nesbit that wouldn't be | much worse than the club is now
 It looked like dsorganization for a few | days. The other players simply hated Dobbs His love of fiattery. his exces- l sively high opinion of himself, hls posing
 and his eagerness to be in the hmelight l disgusted them, and they would have re- joiced in his discomfiture. So would the l players of opposing teams, hut Dobbs l thrived on opposition. He fieldod every
 thin gthat came his way. He threw beau | tifuIly and his hitting was a revelation | He had a choppy clip. and the way he
 streaked to first at the crack of the bat
 was a marvel. On the bases he was torment to pitchers and catcEers.
 Within a week the newspapers had dis covered him not only as a great player but character. When a ball player be- comes national character he is a me asset to a club Dobbs fed on fame The more he was joshed. lampooned or ridiculed the more he was pleased. me more times his name was in the paper the more Joyous he became. Fine fielding fast running and sharp batting did not sum up all his qualifications as player
 He had that rarest of attributes-a brain that worked in complete accord with his 1 muscles He seemed to know exactly | when to do thing. He could get into
 motion in a flash and the chances he took l in sliding into bases made him an ob- ! ject of constant attention once he reached | first base.
 What the other members of his tearl 1 thought of him did not concern Dobbs so long as he was in the spotlight. Grudg- | ingly they acknowledged he was a real
 ball player. Reluctantly they confessed i he was the fastest thing they ever had | a Then fyradt1a1lV they began to feel q bit proud of him. Then, | without approaching 1t, they were stirred
 to better work by the example he was
 showing, and next they were surprised | by having a string of victories. When the
 Leopards started climbing the critics said 1t was all due to Dobhs. Maybe 1t was.
 Any how the crowds hoclSed to the ball ! grounds to see the wonderful player. He 1 showed off like a pampered boy, but he ! played ball ard the public was pleased. ! So was Nesbit. The Leopards were mas- ing money. It was more than welcome.
 The Leopards finished third that year l The town went wild over the club, and especially over Dobbs.
 Nesbit spent the winter in Chicago, hut was frightfully lonesome. In the spring
 he went south with the team. Dobbs
 was on hand early. His coaceit had not
 diminished a particle during the cold
 spell, but no one took offense now. The
 Leopards started well. Never in the first three months were they worse than third. In late July they were first. From then
 on the fisht was fierce one. No cluu drew better on the road than the Leop-
 ards, and the attendance at home
 was record breaking. When the Leopards
 won the pennant Dobbs could have. had envthing in the gift of, the city.
 | There is some money for iile players In the worlds championship games. There
 is more for the club owners. Nesbit
 protited largely through that series of | games.
 | For three successive years the Leop-
 ards won the pennant, and once they
 won the worlds championship. It was
 in their second championship year that Neshit came home. There had been an
 election and the reformers. having
 ceased to be reformers after being ir