The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-28
President Allen Has Col lected Likely Bunch Ball
 TOssers for 1917 Team
INFIELD STRONGER
 THAN LAST SEASON
Dee Walsh Purchased From Milwau- kee-Sleuth Hardgrove Already Signed Contract-Starr to
 Boss From Bench

Little Rock, January 7.=(Speciall Maybe we won't win the pennant and maybe we won't even finish in the first division next fall-you know there might be strike or all our players might go looney with the heat of something else dreadful might hap pen so that we would not have any baseball at all. But we're usually op- timistic over here in Arkansas, so we're still happy even in the face Of the advent of the bone dry law, and we can't see how the rest of the leagu figures it is in it at all this year.
 You remember what an awful scare we threw into the league last summer when our ball team got to going Well. we got most all of that 1916 crowd coming back in the spring providing, of course, that Dave Fultz doesn't pick up any in popularity with his brethren of the fraternity. We lost Walter Barbare and the Baby Doll" but we still have "Buzzy,' and "Rube, ' and Tex" and "Chappie," and lot more good fighting men left over from last season
 Besides, President Allen has had a wonderful season this winter and he has a bunch of new men to introduce to the Southern league and 10 help Charlie Starr in the pig drive we're planning for 1917.
 DEE WALSH BOUGHT
 Leo CDee) Walsh is one of the new men coming to the Travellers. Dee was bought last fall from the Milwaukee club of the American association. where he had been sent by the Browns after a couple of years in the big show. Dee was shouldered out of the majors when the Federal league went out of business and St. Louis was flooded with ball players who were friends of Fielder Jones. He went to the Brewers and was going good un- til he broke leg and had to finish the season on crutches. He's in good shape again and is slated for third base, a position that caused Allen and Starr and lot of worry last season.
 We got Bud Weiser-nothing in the "bone dry" bill to keep him out of the state we got Bud coming from the Eastern league, where he put in all his time last season hunting for batting average. He finished as sec ond hitter in the league. Weiser comes i'll the deal that sends Ernie Walker to the Phillies. Bud is an outfielder and is to fill Ernie's place in left
 You remember, perhaps, that last year we had pitcher famine. over here. We got lots of pitchers this year: John Henry Robinson, Ralph Ledbetter, Omar Hardgrove. Ben Tin cup, George Baumgardner, B. Babbling brooks, young phenom named Knight and another youngster by the name of Trout, sent by the Browns, and we don't know how many more.
 ROBINSON FROM CARDS
 Robinson was bought during the winter fro the St. Louis Cardinals. after thai club had claimed him on the optioSil agreement, under which we had him last season. President Al len is said to have slipped Mrs. H. H Rritton cool thousand for the Reu- pen. That's lot of money, but Ruke looks worth it.
 Ben Tincup is the other half of wha the Phillies are going to give us for Walker. The big Indian was with the pehnant winning Providence team of the international last season, and he ought to go good in the Southern Ledbette, cost Prevy Allen some more cash. he having been bought from the Mobile club during the big meeting in New Dreams, Razor IS veteran in this league and he should do very well in Traveler-clothes Foxy Omar Hardgrove talked of quit ting the game for the automobile busi- ness. but the old vet double-crossed him. self and was the first man in the league to kick in and sign contract in de fiance of the strike orders of Dave Fultz Then there's George Baumgardner "Bummie' was a Brown for several years, but he came to Little Rock last year in the deal that made a Brown of Bill Rumler. Baumgardner sometimes looms as an impossibility, and at best he is an uncertainty. His right arm went bad on him after arriving in the Traveller camp so he's working out his left this winter heaving rocks at West Virginia squirrels. If the nut-eaters fail to recog- nize him he may come back to this league in the spring as southpaw.
 KNIGHT A "FIND'
 Pitcher Knight is our dark one. Charlie Starr found him last summer pitching great ball in the Delta league of Missis- sippl He looked so good that Charlie signed him on the spot. Brooks has beer Traveller property for three years He finished last season with the club and looked good enough to stick in the South ern.
 There are four names on the list of catchers-Harry Chapman, Frank Gib- son, old men, and Kenny from St. Louis and Gault from Philadelphia. Since "Gibby'' had bad year last season Chapman is looked upon as first string
 
 that Gibson is to go elsewhere. but so far no deal has been made for him.
 A couple of youthful first sackers have been signed but they really haven't a chance to dislodge Tex" Covington. Buggy" Wares will be unopposed for second On the other side of the diamond the situation is uncertain. President AL len still is in the market for a short stop. but if he ooesnt land there is Dee Walsh ready to go into the short field In that case Ed Manning would have to handle third again.
 In the outfield the trio will be Kirby, Weiser and either Manning, Walsh or another new man.
 That's the Traveller lineup for '17 as it stacks up now. We say they are pen nant possibilities. and if there Is any op- position bring it on about April F, and let's have it out.
 IT.