The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-14
PEL|CANS HARD AT WORK ID PRODUCE
 ANOTHER WINNER
Kirke Goes to Milwaukee Team-JOhnny Dobbs Is After More Hard
 Hitters

New Orleans, March 13.-Jay Kirke has been sold by the Cleveland Amer ican league club, to the Milwaukee club of the American association.
 This announcement, coming from Cleveland yesterday evening, dispelled the hope of the Pelican officials and New Orleans fans that they would have Jay Kirke here with the Pels this year and his great batting strength would be added to that of the other Birds in their 1916 campaign for the pennant.
 Jay has been anxious to remain here and play. He had hopes, of course. of continuing in his job at first for the Indians but when Chick Gandil was purchased from Washington these blew up. Since Gandil was purchased Jay has been the subject of much negotiat- ing between several of the clubs and as Manager Fohl gave it out that he would go to the highest bidder, it is presumed that the Brewers opened their purses fairly widely.
 But with Jay gone from here, Man. ager Dobbs declares that he will have hard hitting outfield just the same In fact, he has not been figuring Jay into his combination very strongly at any time as it is not his plan to fig ure on anything until he has it in his hand and so he has gone ahead shap- ing up the material that he has at hand and getting it ready for the final stretch run of the spring season and the time when he will have to make his final decision in the matter.
 SEVERAL TO PICK FROM
 At the present time John has Syl- vester, Gooch. Eschen, Stansbury and Pezold here Each of them have made good in outfield work and it is be- lieved that out of the five the Pel- jeans will have a first class outfield. Pezold, at present, is being worked in the infield but he is an excellent outer gardener and can go out there in an 1n- stant if such thing were necessary.
 Meanwhile, of course, Harry Syl- vester is figured on as the mainstay when it gets into the real seasons work. At present Harry is taking it easy and is doing very little except light practice work, not getting into the games until his weak leg becomes used to the hard and fast work of play ing ball
 Then there is the possibility of get ting Eddie Edmondson back. Of course, this is only a possibility, for Eddie may do so well with the Indians that he will become a fixture in the big show, but the fact remains that John nie Dobbs still has a chance to get hlm back to the old lot where his long wallops did much to bring the pen nant to New Orleans in 1915.
 But with the material at hand it looks as though John had the makings of mighty good outer works.
 Gooch, though appearing a bit heavy and slow in the game last Sunday, nevertheless hits the ball and hits it hard. That's what an outfielder is for, mostly. Echen, too, can hit and he can throw, While StanSbury is showing up well. Harry Sylvester is a fine all- around man and is about as hard hit ter often is met with in any league. lie may be a bit slow at first, un- til he gets used to using his leg as he did before it was injured, but this is not expected to take long and liar ry surely will be one star in the Southern this year.
 LOCALS IN GOOD SHAPE
 And so, taking it by and large, it looks as though Milwaullees getting Jay Kirke does not cripple the locals at any way of figuring.
 The Pelicans are working out regu~ larly each morning and Manager Dobbs is increasing the work each day. The pitchers are beginning to show some thing and are trying out, carefully at first of course, their assortment of curves. They are still taking no chances but are putting a little more stuff on the ball each day.
 Manager John predicts much hard CT game for the Indians Saturday and again Sunday than they had last Sun day for his men are rounding into excellent shape and are very anxious to even up the score with the big leaguers. The Pelican infield looks very good as it is, and with a little stronger pitching, a fine contest should be seen by all who attend the park on the last day of the week.