The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-08
CHICKS BEGIN ID REPORT FOR SPRING
 TRAINING SEASON
Outlook Promising With Group of Stars-Practice to Start Latter Part
 of This Week

| Baseball is about to begin at Memphis i Manager Dolly Stark has been gather 1 ing together his flock of ball tossers for the past month. Spring training will start | this week
 1 The raid of the Chicks on the northern camps proved valuable for Manager Stark hooked on to several good players. A large number of good rockies were also signed. Fans are again looking for ward to a successful season for the Chicks and judging from the group of performers that Stark has corraled, he will present formidable lineup. /, The Memphis Commercial Appeal tells of the activities of the Chicks in the followng
 Although the first call for Chick play CTS has been sent out for today, it is hardly likely that baseball activities will get under way at Russwood park until the middle or the latter part of the week
 Secretary Watkins of the Memphis club did not send out transporta ton un- til last Wednesday. MT. Watkins sta ted that with the present weather conditions it would be impossible to do any work and that he did not expect many of the players here before the middle of the week.
 Dolly Stark, the new Chick pilot, has been here on the job for the past few months, and states he is ready to start work as soon as the first lot of players arrive.
 ''The first of the regulars to report for duty was Howard Merritt, the Tupelo southpaw with the Chicks for the past two seasons, who arrived here yesterday. Howard arrived wearing smile and several additional pounds, and brought with him the statement that he expected the best season of his carer.
 Merritt stated he was particularly ella ted over the prospects of laboring for Dolly Stark his team mate of 1914, and that he expected to uncoil several vic- tories out of his left whip in an effort to bring a pennant to Russwood park.
 ELLIS SIGNED
 Charles Ellis, an outfielder, who ar rived here several days ago and asked for try-out, has been signed by Man
 
 from his home in Winchester, Ky, to- ask for a trial Ellis has been out of the game for practically the, entire last two seasons on account of an injury in 1913. However. in that year, with the Portsmouth club of the Ohio State league. he hit 1886 in 34 games. He hits right handed and is stated to be a free swinger and a slugger. In the 34 games with Portsmouth he annexed five circuit drives.
 The battery men are expected to start reporting today. The other members of the team have not been asked to report earlier than March 10, when practice will be started in earnest
 Manager Stark states that with good weather he expects to have a team in fair shape to open the exhibition series here, which starts March IS, when the St Louis Americans come for a four ply series.
 Eleven of the Chick prospects have sent in their signed contracts, but Sec retary Watkins states that he expects no trouble in the way of spring hold outs None of the players the Chicks are counting on have expressed any dis satisfaction with the contracts mailed them and Secretary Watkins expects them to sign when they report.
 ELEVEN PLAYERS SIGNED
 ''The players signed are: Catchers An dreen and Schlei; Infielders Hemingway, Stark, Walsh and Grimes; Outfielders Knisely, Grimes and Ellis. and Pitchers Hancock and Wheeler.
 Second Baseman Cruthers of the 1915 troupe; Catcher Ruel, secured from the St Louis Americans; Pitcher Merritt of last season; Pitcher Kerr, secured from Indianapolis, and with Fort Worth last season; Pitchers Willett, Tillman and Sims, secured from the St. Louis Amer jeans, are all expected to sign when they report.
 Tt has been announced that George Sche the veteran catcher with the Chicks for the past two seasons, has been requested to report. Whether the vet eran receiver remains with the Chicks depends entirely upon how he undergoes the training season, and upon the show ing of Andreen and Ruel, two youngsters
 That the lineup of the Chicaksaws is still problematical is evidenced by the announcement that the Chicks are still after a pair of right-handed pitchers, catcher and two outfelders. Just what players the club has in view Manager Stark Secretary Watkins would not announce at present, but it is practically certain that several other additions will be made before the Southern league cam paign starts.