The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-26
BASEBALL DEAD
 IN NEW ORLEANS
Horse Racing Holds Atten- tiOn-Spring Training
 Started

New Orleans just at present hardly
 knows that there is such thing as base
 ball despite the fact that nine players
 are already on the ground and the first
 exhibition game is scheduled for March 5 with the Cleveland Indians The Crescent City has a new top. It is the winter race meet, and everybody Is talking and thinking horses Baseball,
 however, is holding it's own despite this favoritism, as two winter leagues are
 going in the city. They are not hesitat- . ing to grab real stars either. The Tor torich nine has signed Milton Stock, the Philly third baseman, and Charley Schmidt, the old Detroit catcher. Jakey Atz is playing first base and Eddie Holly third.
 Sporting editors find time now and then
 to slip in an unobtrusive item about the
 Pelicans as witness the following from the Item:
 Cotton Knaupp and Outfielder Gooch put in their appearance at Heinemann park Wednesday to begin spring training prac- tice, thus bringing the total number of
 Pelicans in camp up to nine. Clarence "Pop-Boy'' Smith reported to Dobbs
 Tuesday forenoon and was out for light
 work with the rest of the boys. Smith is the same old confident lad and still l seems to be the glutton for work he showed last season, according to. those who watched tAe ex-pop vendor perform on his first day in uniform.
 The news that Dixie" Walker had signed his 1916 Pelican contract was
 welcomed in all quarters, where base ball bugs congregated Tuesday evening.
 President A, J. Heinemann of the local club says it will not be many more days ] now before Dixie will be in camp. H. W. Massey was another Pelican arrival Thursday, coming in from San
 Antonio. Massey was with the Cleveland American association team last season. He is find of Charley Franks, the former Pel manager discovering him while he played on a college team at San Antonio.
 And the staid Times -Picayune makes this comment:
 Every morning, from now on until the baseball season opens, Heinemann park will be scene of great activity. The big grass plot began this week to take on an aspect of naturalness as the boys began to drop in and with Manager Johnnie Dobbs already here, no time was AOS( III SSlllHS IHlnSS gong immediately. A number of the players have arrived
 and more are coming in each day. Yes
 terday Clarence ''Pop-Boy'' Smith arrived
 with his wife from Nashville and Smithy got right off the train and into his uni form. Harry Sylvester, outfielder, and Bob Higgins, catcher, came in a day or so ago, driving a car through from Chat l tanooga, while Pitcher Fritz Summerlin
 the recruit from Biloxi, and one or two others, also are here and in training In addition one or two members of the Cleveland American league club includ- ing Pitcher Jim Bagby, are here, and within a short time the park will be bug zing like beehive both morning and afternoon of each day.
 Manager Dobbs stated yesterday that every man on the roster has been heard 1 from with the exception of Pitcher Bren- ton, and that he expects to hear from him very shortly. Pitcher Roy Walker yesterday sent in his signed contract, and is expected here within a day or SO 1 Many of the boys have considerable extra flesh to get rid of and rather light training is the order at first. but the work will be increased daily until within a week everyone will be working at his
 best gait in preparation for the big work of the summer.