The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-04
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considered the Baron fingers and cathers, and have reached the conclu- sion that the former are very good and the latter better than the average.
 It is now appropriate to consider the infield, for there, it seems is to be the rub" At the present writing, the in field is the "uncertainty' 1t might prove the sensation of the league and again 1t might be the cause of the Ba . rons dropping a pennant which at the present writing seems almost 'cinch,' in which there is as much logic as in the conclusion of the mistress of a boarding house who because she gave you a Sunday drumstick on which to ''F1etcherize' at dinner. holds that there will be no necessity for the preparation of supper.
 The best all round infield in the Southern league last season drew its salary from the local association. In fielding, the Volunteers had the locals bested, but when everything Is consid- cred. McGilvray, Marcan, Ellam and Phelan ranked heads and shoulders above any other quartette in Dixie.
  Ian, perhaps the star of all the stars of the league in 1911. Is gone beyond re- call, and the odds are that Marcan is destined to go the route of the tin can" Ellam, at short, is certainty, and the same is true as concerns Large William" McGilvray.
 Marcan is an excellent infielder Last season, marvellous to relate, he accept ed 100 more chances than Derrin Pratt and 200 more than Otto Jordan. Marcan's weakness. however, is in his inability to clout when cloutng counts, and this weakness will probaly lead to his down. fall from Baronial pedestal.
 We stated above that McGilvray has a dinch on his job. Technically this is true for the large and bald eagle from Colorado is perhaps the best hitter In the league, year in and year out, Is good base runer, and during every sea son, scores a large number of juicy runs. Theoretically, however, Bill has no cinch. for a young man, yclept Ems is also candidate for the initial cor ner.
 Last season, Ems played first base for Galesburg in the Central association In that league he hit .275 as against Me Cilvray's .3O1 in the Southern, and fielded for a record of .973 as against McGilvray"s .9SS.
 Ems is a youngster, however, and Is said to be fast and aggressive with keen desire to learn. Unquestionably he will make valuable material for future development.
 For the other infield positions, Mana ger Molesworth has in stock Marcan and E,llam of the aggregation of 1911, and the following youngsters, Carroll from Greensboro of the Carolina league, with d wallop of .2S7, Wall from Ot- tumwa of the Central association, with 8 swatting average of .3O1, Midkif1 from Akron of the Ohio and PennsSl- vania league, with a hitting record Of .302, and Rap from Frankfort of the Blue Grass association, who hammered the sphere for an average of .232
 With the exception of Rapp, each of the youngsters has a healthier punch than Marcan. and all are apparently better hitters than Ellam. The fielding record of each of the youngsters is bet ter than that of the flaXen haired short stop, but each falls far below the field ing average of Marcan In fielding the youngsters ranked last season as follows. Carroll. .926; Wall, 1925; Mid kiff, .939; Rappe, .Sss; Marcan's field ing average was .969.
 The hitting strength of the Barons last season reposed in McGilvray, El- liott. Phelan and Johnston, Elliott and Phelan have been disposed off, and it is an uncertainty as yet whether or not Johnston will be able to sting the ball as fiercely as last season.
 If. however, we grant that Johnston will hit the ball as hard as last season, 1t will still remain true that no man in the Baron outfield in 1912 will hit as hard as BOO.
 Therefore, it is a practical certainty that if the two youngsters who stung the ball in their respective leagues last season at 300 clips, show well in the fielding department of the game, Mana ger Molesworth will find it necessary to retain them on the list.
 The older we get, more convinced we become that hitters are more valuable than fielders. that is fine htters and fair fielders are more to be desired than fine fielders and poor hitters.
 Should Manager Molesworths pitch ing staff be composed of FoXen, Trough, Boyd, Chaput and Kent, 1t will be certainty that no weakness will be de- yeloped among the sharpshooters.
 As for hitters, Molesworth will have McGilvray, 300; Messenger, .2S0; John ston, 270; Lemon, .299 TeXas), and McBride, 240 As can be readily ob served, additional hitting strength is essential.
 In all the foregoing we failed to men eion young Bell. a local amateur, said