The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-29

With the great contest which Is to set tie the worlds baseball championship almost upon us, there is little else talked of among fans. Each man on the op- posing teams is gone over carefully from every angle. in comparison with the fel- low who plays in the same position against him and then hundreds of thou- sands of good Americans throughout the length and breadth of the land can tell just exactly what is bound to happen when the Giants and SoX meet, and why 1t is bound to happen.
 Then, wnen the clash of battle has sub sided the baseball world will be divided into two great camps of q told you sos" ]" and If it hadn't becns.' one man s guess is as good as another's as to wheth- CT the Giants or Red Sox rooters will be in the one camp or the other.
 With the other fans l have studied the dope on the two teams carefully, and 1 give it as my frank opinion that when the National and American league cham pions meet it's going to be great base ball battle and the result is about as even a gamble any betting man would ask for
 It is no place for sure thing man. for there is no sure thing about this series, except that it is sure to bring out about the greatest crowds that ever saw a baseball series
 l understand that the national comms- sion is preparing a plan which will, II is hoped, give the fans an opportunity to see the games without paying two or three prices for tickets to speeulators. That is, as many of the fans as pos slble. for only a certain number can be squeezed Into the grouNis and many must therefore be disappointed.
 It is a good thing that the national commission intends to take over the sale of the tickets Ender the old condl- tions authority was divided and it was hard to place the blame for whatever went wrong. This year. if things don't go smoothly 1t is up to the national com mission.
 Brooklyn Star
 Tom Burns rode up to Washington park in his automobile recently and passed in- side to talk over old times with the old timers. There many Tom Burnses. but this one was famous as Brooklyn s right fielder when that team won the American Association pennant back in 1888 and the National League champion ship the following year. Burns was a great hitter in those days, also q noisy coacher. Because he hailed from Mary land he was nick-named oyster and the fans called him that all over the circuit On the same team were Dave Foutz, Bobby Caruthers, Hub Collins, Darby O'Brien. Doc Bushong, Germany Smith, George Pinkney, Pop Corkhill Adonis Terry, Tom Daly. Con Daley and others long since forgotten. When Burns left the Brooklyns he played with the Giants and then drifted out of baseball He owns a cafe in Brooklyn. also real estate and is well known sporting man. He still follows the national game and loves to talk about it.
 Another old-timer who has been in our midst recently is Frank Bancroft, bus mess manager of the Cincinnati Reds. IHe is one of baseball's oldest veterans Banny managed the Providence team in 1883 when a pennant was won by such star players as Radbourne, Sweeney Gross. Maya, Start. Farrell. Denny, lr- win, Carroll. Hines. Ward and Radford Bancroft became business manager of the Reds so many years ago that he hates to discuss the date. He Is known all over the United States and has friends in all the big cities. Bancroft is the soul of honor, good mixer, a baseball politician and diplomat. Without him the Reds would feel lost, no doubt. for his good hunsor and countless stories of the good old game have made him pop ular with the players and fans wherever he goes.
 Football Waking Up
 The pigskin soon will take the place of the horsahide in the sporting columns, and If all signs are not astray this is going to be a mighty fine season for foot ball The rules have been so changed that the oifense has been strengthened and is now really on an equality with the defense. This is good and makes for better games.
 It seems to be the conviction at Prince ton that the game this year will bs an