The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-26

rs funny how some folks. af-
ter being forcibly elected
- from a position. will turn
around and say they are glad of 1t,
even though they have raised n
big howl. Charles Murphy, the de-
posed owner of the Chicago CUBS,
has now Ventured forth with the
statement that he is glad he IS no
longer connected with the national
pastime in an official capacity
Murphy seems to have a convenient
memory for he has forgotten that
he made all kinds of threats
against Ban Johnson and his fol-
lowers If they attempted to Gust
him. Now that his opponents have
been successful the chubby Muir
phy says that he is glad, but be-
fore being ousted he was of an en-
tirely different frame of mind.
Thomas Lynch who was sup
planted by Tener as president of
the National league, has also
come out from his shell and started
that he is happy over being no
longer the executive head of the
older organization. This state
ment appears insincere as the old
umpire relished being in charge
of National league affairs. and
hated to retire. If reports to the
effect from New York can be re-
lied upon.
Although the National league
has been done by that august body
in cleaning up the muss resulting
from the firing of johnny Evers.
The dimunitive second sacker has
become the property of the Boston
Braves, yet no steps have been
taken to reimburse the Chicago
Cubs for him. Tener thinks sl5.-
600 is an equitable price for Eyers'
transfer, and 1t may be that this
amount may directly be decided
upon If this happens, then the
Boston club. Ii is said, will offer
Pitcher Hub Purdue and Sweeney
in place of the cash, as was orig
inally done
Manager Bobby Gilks of the Bill
likens, seems to be having trouble
in bringing his hirelings into the
fold. Only Is have attached their
signatures to contracts so far.
Niiiit tut OiHtT managers OF the
league have practically signed up
their squads. Gilks has ordered
his batterymen to report for prae-
tice March l and, with the eN-
ception of Johnny Dobbs, will be
one of the first managers in the
Southern to get down to work.
The Billikens will be well fortified
behind the bat during the coming sea-
son. Gilks has signed Jack Klelnow,
who formerly performed with the New
York and Boston teams In the Ameri-
can league, and, in addition. has three
others aspiring for positions behind the
bat. One of these-Gribbons- played
ON the team last year, and is almost
a certainty this season.
If the spring plans OF Otto Knabe,
manager of the Baltimore team in the
Federal league, materialize, then the
Baltimore team Will be the busiest of
any Federal team during the training
season. knabe has an agent In the
south booking contests for his team
and already four have been arranged,
while negotiations for several more are
pending.
Downy flakes OF snow are playing
havoc with the training plans OF the
Nationals in Charlottesville, Va,
where Clarke Griffith will round his
men into condition for the 1914 sea-
son. Five inches of unow covers the
ground and all outdoor work has been
called off indefinitely. The warm
weather that has prevailed for the past
several weeks had instllled in Grif-
fith's henchmen a restlessness for
work, but the coming of snow sent
them scampering to the firesde.
There is a feeling prevalent in At,
lanta that Rivington Bisland will be
back at short, Wally Smith at third