The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-11
R|CKEY WILL CARRY
81 PLAYERS SOUTH
ON TRAINING TRIP
Brown Pilot to Have Large
Collection From Which
to Select a Team
SHOULD HAVE LEAST
WORRY WITH HURLERS
Eleven Fingers Will Be Given Trial in
Spring-Derrill Pratt to Have
Hot Competition for the
First Base Job

St Louis, December 10.-Manager
Branch Hickey of the Browns will have
to select his team for 1914 from 10 men
who were on the team the greater part
of last season, and "a newcomers, a total
of 81 athletes. From this collection the
leader of the local club of the American
league Will try to mold a winning COM
bination.
The leader of the Browns should have
the least trouble with his pitching staff,
as five of the fingers from last year
again will be on hand. There also are
six newcomers, who might aid in
strengthening the team.
Sam Agnew and Bill McAllester are the
old catchers, while Del Pratt, Jim Austin
and Bobby Wallace are the oldtime in
fielders. The outfielders are the three
regulars of last year-Bert Shotton, Clar-
ence Walker and Gus Williams.
Several of the recruits have been seen
in action in uniforms of the local Amer
lean League club before, but still they
cannot be called veterans. In other words,
they need a more thorough trial. This
they will get when the Browns get into
shape at the training camp at st. Peters,
burg, Fla, about the middle of Feb
ruary.
Hurlers Look Good
Roy Mitchell Earl Hamilton, Walter
Leverenz George Baumgardner and Carl
Weilman form the quintet of hurlers who
will form the backbone of Manager
Branch Rickey's staff next season. Among
the six new men are some promising
looking athletes. One of them is Taylor,
the right-hander, who was here at the
fag end of the 1913 season, and did fairly
well.
He is not the only one from whom much
is expected. Two others are Bill James,
who halls from the Pacific Coast league,
and Manning, the right-hander secured
from the Montgomery club of the South
ern league. James has had trial in
the big leagues before, with Cleveland. ~
good campaign in the Pacific Coast league
caused Manager Hickey to draft him.
Maybe on his second trial he will make
good. The other newcomers are Witte
who comes from the Three e-Eye; Ashley,
from the South Michigan, and Hoch, New
York State.
Derrill Pratt may be the first sacker
for the club next season, and then again
maybe he will not. Hickey has picked
up three new initial station guardians.
They are Covinston, who appeared in a
few battles last year; Snedecor, from
Montgomery, and Bold, an amateur from
Boston, who will try to make the posi-
ton
Austin a Certainty
Jimmy Austin will be without a debut
the third sacker, because there are no
other third sackers coming up. AT sec
ond base Clyde Wares probably will be
seen, with Miller, who comes from the
New England league, having an outside
chance.
Just like in former years there will be
another hot contest on for the short
stopping honors. Bobby Wallace, the aged
veteran, again will be on hand It Is
hardly probable that Bobby will try hard
for the position, as he is getting old, and
at present is disabled with bad arm
Rivington Bisland, the young man who
was here at the close of 1918, will fight
it out with Dee Walsh, the ST. Louis
boy, who started here last year in the
spring and then was sent to the Southern
league because he was a weak hitter.
Manager Hickey still has Sam Agnew
as his regular catcher, with Bill Meal
lester as assistant. Four recruits will
try for the third position. They are Cros-
sin, who halls from the New York State;
Jenkins and Rumlet. from the Central
association. and Enzenroth, who recently
was signed by Boss Hickey. Enzenroth
formerly was with the Michigan unver-
sity team.
In the outfield Manager Hickey should
have less trouble than with his infeld
Bert Shottons who stood well last year;
Clarence Walker and Gus Williams, the
trio that formed the outfield at the close
OF the 1913 season, will be on hand
Five newcomers also will try for po-
sition. They are Yale Sloan, the slugger.
who was sent to Montgomery for more
seasoning last year; Bob Messenger, who
has had several trials in the majors;
Ernest Walker, another athlete recalled
from Montgomery. and Hemingway, who
comes from Lansing, in the Southern
Michigan.