The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-05
What he Scribes of Dirie
 Arc Saying About Baseball

Manager Roy Ellam is still suffering With bum thumb and the way things look now he'll be unable to participate in the opener with the Birmingham Bar ons In Slagtown April 12
 Roy has had everything possible done to the swollen member in an effort to reduce the swelling and remove the sore ness, but it refuses to heal, and he's be- ginning to fear that the malady is per- manent
 The Vols need Roy about as bad as Woodrow Wilson needs patriots, and if it should come to the worst and Roy should be forced to remain out, the champions would be badly handicapped on their get away.
 Larry Pezold, Vol utility man. will have charge of the shortfield if Manager F'llam is unable to play.-Mobile Banner. Judging from reports from the training camps the battle for the American league batting championship this year is going to be three-cornered affair. Ty Cobb and Iris Speaker are not going to be the only aspirants for the crown--Joe Jack sons hat will also be in the ring.
 In the practice games to date the Caro-
 N-O~'~NN than ever before. It was the Circuit clout of the shoeless slugger that brought vic- tory to the White Sox yesterday Let Ty and Iris beware lest another product of Dixie show them a clean pair of heels -Chattanooga News.
 Connie Mack says Frank Thrasher is going to make him a mighty good man this year, from all appearances this far abe1d nf reQI1Qr n1 vii f have thing on Frank, because the lat ter will have two to his one when it comes to ThrasheN
 During the ensuing week. work will be started by Atlanta fans to bolster up an attendance for opening day, near the 15,- 900 mark for the purpose of winning the class A Southern league attendance cup. Fifteen thousand paid admissions to Ponce de Leon park April F will win the trophy for Atlanta.-Atlanta Constitution. The following opening day attendance was recorded in the Southern league last season: Birmingham, 12,136; Atlanta, Ill., 421; Memphis, 9517; New Orleans, s246; Chattanooga. 7090; Mobile, 4427; Little Rock, 4097; Nashville, 4035.
 These figures show that Birmingham won the opening trophy over the Crack
 
 tion now arises, namely, to-wit does the city of Atlanta intend for that little iron manufacturing center in Alabama to again trail our colors in the dust? Atlanta is the best baseball town in the south, and on the total attendance last year this city was considerably ahead of Birmingham. But on the open ing day we fell trifle short of Slag- town. This must not happen again. The citizens having their habitat around the | must rally to the colors. We must Beat Birmingham or Bust"
 To this end the merchants and business houses of Atlanta must lend assistance Last year they responded nobly by de- claring half holiday on this date Now is the time for them to get busy again. nouncements, and print the names of the firms agreeing to close on the afternoon of April 12 Several have already made known such intention. Come on, boys and fall in line.-Atlanta Journal. Norman Elberfeld, the Tobasco Kid, vii be scra pping around the old shortfielt when the curtain goes up on the 191, tried out his legs and found them stil good, his arm is plenty strong enough to fling them over to first from any DO sition, even when in deep short. and ht lis just as lively and full of ''pep" al many, many years ago.
 | Elberfeld announced his intention tt ! start the season at the Orange camp las