The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-20
TERRIFIC BOMBARDMENT FROM
 FANS WITHSTOOD BY ELLAM
Ex-Baron ShOrtfieIder At tained His Present Stage of Development Only After Undergoing Severe Treatment

When the season of 1916 buds and flow
 CTS there is one pilot in the Southern
 league besides the Baronial chieftain
 whom fans of Birmingham will wish well.
 His identity is no mystery-he is Roy
 Ellam, appearing this year in his maiden effort as a manager, directing the des-
 tinies of Clyde Shropshires Vols. Fans of this city have real and last ing affection for the shortstop who has
 done such yeoman service for Birming-
 ham. They have witnessed his develop
 ment from very raw youngster into
 finished ball player They have known
 him as willing worker, who gave every
 thing he had to those who employed him. They have seen him fight to the last ditch under difficulties to take the
 heart out of any man. And they ap-
 preciate it.
 But Ellam did not gain his present niche in their estimation without meeting and overcoming an enmity among a certain clique as persistent as it was baseless. It is doubtful if another player in the history of the Southern league has with
 stood as terrific and sustained a bom-
 bardment as has this same sorrel-top.
 DRAFTED BY BARONS Ellam came to Birmingham via the
 draft route in the fall of 1908. He had made great record with Connellsville in the Ohio-P Pennsylvania league and Molesworth, with his customary shrewd judgment, recognized in him find. In
 1909 Ellam went to the Cincinnati Reds but was immature for the big show and was sold to Kansas City. In the spring of 1910 Birmingham purchased him again and he returned here to stay until his present change to Nashville.
 A certain clique, for some reason that
 has remained an unfathomable mystery, disliked Ellam and went after him. Day after day it was the same story and a man of less stamina, of less steadfast de- termination, would have given under and
 disappeared as have others in Birming- ham to whom the bleacherites took ex- ception.
 But Ellam stuck it out. took his medi- cine and was out there every day go- ing after everything, making errors, plen- ty of them, but doing his best and pro gressng always. Under the careful tu- toring of Molesworth Ellam went for ward steadily, widening his knowledge of baseball, storing up lessons of experience, developing his ideas of strategy. until he became tower of strength in his later years on the team.
 But none of these virtues endeared him
 to tlle aforementioned clique and the cry for his head continued Molesworth, him
 self, has stood some banning in his time, but he admits that he never underwent
 anything as bad as that to which Ellam was subjected. The manager too, came in for his share of criticism and the | bleacherites demanded to know why FL lam was kept.
 WON PUBLIC FAVOR IIrx. Fo1t fI,a -f<, i- .toir for he has not the skin of an elephant,
 but by not the faintest sign did he ever ! indicate that he resented it. He con tinued to do his best, encouraged by l Molesworth, until at last there came a l day when public sentiment shifted to his favor and there were only a few of the bull-voiced irreconcllables left to raise | the scalp cry.
 | Followers of the game will doubtless recall the contradictory report which has I gone the rounds season after season that Molesworth was jealous of Ellam, that he feared lest the shortstop supplant him as manager, that he made it hard in numberless ways for the intielder The 1 report as all saw who paused for an l instant of thought before believing, was baseless.
 why should be jealous of Ellam?'' ] asks Molesworth. 'I brought him to Bir-
 mingham. I have developed him and l taught him much that he knows about ba seball. Had I entertained such feel I ings toward him he would not for so long 1 have been the pivot around which built
 a team"
 s'I have never been able to understand, J | continued the manager the feeling against Ellam which became apparent in
 some quarters soon after he came to
 Birmingham and which was responsible
 for much of the unjust treatment ac- l corded him.
 "Ellam developed under difficulties
 which might well have made any man l quail Doubtless you have wondered
 often why it was that Ellam would make
 a brilliant stop and wonderful throw only the next instant to fall down on an easy | chance and kick away the ball. The
 now what is termed in baseball a good i pair of hands He sometimes found 1t
 difficult to hold the ball. This defect he has to a large extent corrected. l "One of the reasons why Ellam was criticized was his comparatively light hit
 ting when he first arrived. The crowd | never forgave this. But he developed l into a pinch hitter of the first grade and
 made himself feared by every pitcher in the league.
 | T wish for Ellam in Nashville all the i success he deserves and I could not say more. have great respect as well as a great personal friendship for Ellam. Ht
 is clean, a gentleman and sportsman. :. i in good condition and ready for work