The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
Wierd Weather Conditions Have Proven Big Handi-
 cap On Former Baron
EPIDEMIC OF LAME
 WINGS IN VOL CAMP
Decatur Sadly In Need of Experience. Vol Magnates In Search of Addi-
 .. ti0nal Mound Material. ....... Frost Joins Squad
By BLINKEY HORN

Nashville, April S.-(Special. With the starter in the Baugh circuit ready to spring the barrier. Roy EIlams mount is far from being ready for the bugle call. Although the debutante pilot in Dixie has curried and groomed his nag in faithful fashion, for first one reason and then another the Nash vile entry cannot be gotten into con- dition. First. it was a weak hurling staff that had the new Vol boss wor- riend and on top of that drawback the newly collected assistants for MT. FL lam have shown pitiful weakness at the bat. '''''''' r'i-tt
 Weird weather conditions. for tho most part, have held the Vols back for the changeable atmospheric conditions have set the Ellamites back every time they seemed about to get On edge. Now, with barely a week left in which to get ready for the annual baseball handi- cap, the Vol outfit has little chance to round to proper form.
 An epidemic of lame wings among the club candidates has prevented Boss Elllam from securing any inkling of his actual needs on the hill, for both vet erans and recruits are suffering from the bum wing malady. Floyd Kroh, no sooner than he reported, contracted cold in his left paw, and has been or no use to the club since he rescued Artie Decatur in the slaughter at the hands of Louisville, when the Vols were swamped IS to ?. Ernie Herbert, whose pitching debut did not occur until the final engagement with Louisville, owing to a sore arm, was lambasted to all corners of the lot, and Tom Rogers and Frank Wells are the only depend- abe boxmen in camp at the present time.
 DECATUR TO BE RELEASED
 Decatur, though giving promise of future fame on the hurling hill, Is far too inexperienced to warrant his reten- ton this season and will be put out with string attached to him. The big right-hander possessed a wonderful assortment of blenders. but since his diamond experience Is limited to stay in the Georgia Alabama league, has not learned how to get the best results from his pitching wares. e. Wells and Rogers have both gwen
 splendid exhibitions of box work in their trials while Bill Ellis, Colonel re- cruit, after getting away to a bad start has shown some improvement. Nothlns has been heard from Wykie Taylor, the big right bought from Louisville, since he returned to his home in Louis-
 vile, Kan, to look after his deceased
 mothers affairs, but the ex-Colonel IS
 strictly hot weather pitcher and vas not expected to round to form for many
 weeks. Koupfher, bought from Quincy,
 Ill.,, has apparently dropped out or ex.
 istence, for nothing has been heard of him since the deal was made. There was a rumor that he was in Hot Springs I int ManaRar II. lam has never met anybody who actu- ally saw the Quincy hurler over at the Spa.
 Meanwhile the local magnates have awakened to the fact that the crop of hurlers harvested for Manager Ellam will not pass muster and have raised the hue and cry for Fielder Jones to bundle up couple of dependable slabbers and rush them to Nashville Under the terms of the Paulette deal the Browns still owe the Vols a brace of players and President Shropshire has made his wants known.
 BRIDWELL STILL ABSENT Al Bridwell, who secured permission to delay his arrival in camp until April 1, not only has never reported but has given the locals no idea of when he expects to come. Sheehan has been showing improvement over his 1915 form
  be disposed of if deal can be ar ranged.
 Although he was sent no transporta- tion, Jack Frost. the elongated member of the 1915 slabbing staff, blew into camp last week and because he was short of pitchers and full up on exhi- bition games Boss Ellam gave him a | job, for the present at least. The for 1 mer Pelican, being a spring hurler, has ] been used in batting practice and has had the Vols breaking their backs with | his benders. Still the Vols are doing
 no hitting, whatever. which is, after all. really not much of compliment to
 the box work of Frost. Ellam is con
 siderably worried over the batting slump f, into which every member of the club,
 with the exception of Sheehan, has fall
 en- for the Vol boss has expected to depend upon the hefty walloping of his
 charges to tide the Vols over the pitch l ing famine until the weak spots could
 be plugged up.