davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
ATHLETIC CLUB FIVE
 HAS HARD CONTESTS
Will Meet Georgia and At lanta This Week on
 Road

The Birmingham Athletic club will leave on it's most important road trip of the season on Thursday, when the squad will journey to Athens to meet the University of Georgia team and then go to Atlanta to meet the Atlanta Ath- letic club The game in Athens will be played on Friday night while the game against Atlanta will be played on Sat urday.
 The game in Atlanta may decide the southern championship. Practically every team in the south with the exception of Atlanta and Birmingham have been de- posed to be very strong team, was humbled by the Crackers. Vanderbilt university, anothe strong five, was de- feated by both Birmingham and Atlanta.
 All Y. M. c. A. teams have been elimi- mated from chances at the southern title as a result of their defeats. Should At lanta score victory over Birmingham, then the championship would practically be clinched by the Crackers.
 Coaches are working with the local squad hard and every effort will be made to score a victory The locals are fully 25 per cent stronger than last year and a victory to the local tribe would not create any great amount of surprise. A large number of followers will ac- company the team to Atlanta. return game will be played here in the latter part of February.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
Fiue- Mile Relay Race
 TO.Be Held SQturddu

Plans for the second annual fve-mle relay race to be held next Saturday un- der the auspices of the Older Boys coun- cil of the Birmingham Sunday school is progressing rapidly. Teams are already in training for the event and the list of IT teams which compose the entry list at the present is expected to increase materially.
 Ire downtown team which was the winner of the race last year, will make anolher strong bid for the first honors. The Lathrop shield, which was given to the downtown team last year, will be- come their permanent property provided they carry off the highest honors again this year.
 The race will be held in East park in place of being run over the streets of the city. This move was made to accom- mcdate spectators.
 Rules passed by the Older Boys coun- cil in regard to the race are as follows
 No runner can be over 21 years old.
 Every runner must have been a mem Der of some Sunday school for four Sun days previous to the race in the dis trict that he is running for.
 All teams will have to be entered on Thursday night, January 25, by the re- spective district charmen, at which time
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
MAJOR LEAGUE BATTING MARKS A DECREASE OF 21 POINTS
Batting Averages for Past Six Years Show Batting Game Steadily Losing Out-Reached Climax in 1912.
 300 Hitters May Disappear

Batting averages for the last six years show the balance between the offensive and defensive sides of base ball has been destroyed and the bat ting game is steadily losing out.
 Some managers are recognizing this and would willingly listen to plans to change the rules to restore the balance.
 If the advantage which the pitcher now holds over the batter is continued, the 300 hitter may disappear from baseball.
 In half a decade batting in the ma jor leagues has fallen 21 points, a tremendous drop when it is considered that every ball player in both leagues is considered.
 The composite batting averages of both leagues in 1916 was a fraction over PAT, compared to .26S in 1912 ano .267 a year earlier. This means that less than one man in four who faces the pitcher hits safely.
 What is taking the swat out of base ball?
 What has destroyed the balance be- tween the offensive and defensive an- gles of the game?
 Different managers advance different reasons and advocate different reme- dies.
 Batting had about reached it's climax in 1912.
 In that year A men batted over 300. 15 or whom reached the 1925 plane, six batted .S50 or better, three achieved .375 and one passed the almost inn possible 400 figure.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
MEET CENTRAL QUINTET Annual Game to Be Staged Tuesday at the Ath-
 le,ic Club

Central High School and Birmingham
 college will stage their annual game on Tuesday afternoon at the Birmingham ment made yesterday. Two games are always played between the two institu- tions and the game Tuesday will mark | the first of this seasons claShes.#
 !, Central is the slight favorite at the present Coach Pritchard with three veterans to work with, has produced a strong squad What Coach Brown has developed out at the Methodist institute remains to be seen, although the wallop- | ing which they handed the Marion insti- ute team last week, indicated they are strong.
 The Central five showed surprising strength against the B. A. c. quintet on Friday night. Although Central is not as good in comparison with the club as the score indicated the team is strong 1 to represent a high school and will un- doubtedly go through the seasonewithout a defeat being chalked against them. l The game promises to be the best 1 staged in Birmingham this season be- tween the two prep teams. Although
 Birmingham is strong and will probably
 defeat all second class college teams they ! face, the speed, the quick pass work of the high schoolers will probably spell
 their downfall. Last year Central won both games from the Methodists and fol-
 lowers are clamoring for a repetition. :. l The game will start about S:3O O clock.
 Either z. Nespor or T. c. Young will be
 selected to referee the game Hard prac- 1 tice will face each team tomorrow for the l finishing touches. The second game will | be played in the latter part of February
 on the Birmingham campus. It is Gen.
 tral's first real game of the season
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
|STANAGE EXPELLED ! BY PRESIDENT FULTz
 Catcher of Detroit Tigers Signs Contract for the Coming Season

New York, January 20.-Oscar Stanage, a member of the Detroit American league club, has been expelled from the Baseball Players fraternity, according to an an- nouncement of President F'ultz, because he signed a contract with the Detroit club for the season of 1917 in violation of his agreement with the other members of the fraternity to withhold his sigma ture until he received word to sign.
 Stanage is the second member to be ex- pelled within a few days, Sallee of the New York Nationals being the first to be dropped by the players fraternity.
 Detroit, Mich, January 20.-Oscar Stan age, the Detroit catcher. who has been here for several weeks, recently re- nounced his allegiance to the Baseball Players fraternity. When he signed his 1917 contract he remarked that he was well pleased with the salary offered him by Frank J. Navin, and added:
 'I quit the fraternity because I couldn't see what good it was doing me-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
Only Skating Bear

From the Popular Science Monthly.
 Prince is the only ice skating bear known. To be exact he has been skat- ing for the past five years, most of that time on roller skates. He came to New York this winter to show the skating null titudes how Russian brown bear can skate gracefully-and fall down grace fully, too. That is something no human car do.
 In the Who's Who Among Bears Prince is listed as the only ice skating bear in the world. He wears number seven shoe. laced in front. if you please His skates are double runners and are securely fastened to the shoes. When Prince skates he straightens up on his hind legs and then strikes off in leis- urely manner. increasing his speed as he progresses His owners have to watch him carefully to see that he does not overheat himself.
 But by far the most remarkable thing about Prince is his faculty of feeling fall coming on,' according to his own. CTS. When Prince feels himself about tc hit the ice or the ice to hit him he bends his back in rocking chair fashion anc simply sits down.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21

the council, as a whole. will pass on the credentials of each team.
 The Lathrop shield will be awarded to the team that wins the race two years i'll succession
 No team will be allowed to enter the race that has not started training by Tuesday, January 16
 Each district will be allowed to enter team of 15 men, however, only 10 men Will compose a team for the race A few facts about the race are:
 R. E. Mitchell, physical director of the Y. NJ. c. A., is to be the referee of the race
 E. J. Rowe, in charge Of the teen age work of the Birmingham Sunday Schoo association, will be the Chief judge ano will select his two assistants Other officials will be furnished by the Mems Advisory council, of which R. D ICrow is president The race is to be January 27 at o'clock To be held in East park. This is SC
 the spectators will be able to see the whole race The following districts are expected tt enter teams; East Lake, Woodlawn Avondale. east Southside, west Southside | downtown. Norwood. North Highlands Fairview, West End, Pratt City, Ensley Vivian North Birmingham, Inglenook Powderly.
 The Lathrop shield will be in Brom
 berg window next week.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21

Since then pitching has grown con- stantly better. Managers have built up wonderful defense, and last year only 16 players beat 300. Five alone batted 1925, two reached 1850 and only
 one hit more than .375 These figures are for players partici- pating in 50 or more games. Percy Haughton, Boston National magnate, suggests changes in the rules to make the offensive game better. His suggestions include: Elimination of the spitball Have only one foul strike. A more drastic balk rule.
 Reduce width of the plate. Move first and third bases nearer the
 plate.
 Of these the foul strike rule looks Hike the most reasonable, and changes
 in the balk rule might be of benefit to
 men on bases, but the others are
 scarcely practicable and have no
 chance with the rules committee. Here's what has happened to base ball in six years:
 Runs have fallen off 2264 since 1911. Hits have fallen off 1747 since 1912. Stolen bases have dropped 641 since I1911
 Batting averages have fallen 21 points in five years.
 The spectacular side of baseball from
 the spectators standpoint is the often. sive.
 The cracking basehit, the successful slide into the bag and the runner crossing the plate are the high spots. Sooner or later the national commits. sion must restore the balance in base. ball, and it is up to the members to find out a way to do this without ma terially changing the game.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
Wooden Boulevard Over Desert

From the Popular Science Monthly.
 Between the imperial irrigation dis trict and Yuma. Ariz.. the sand is so fine and dry that when a handful is picked up, it trickles out of the closed fist like the grains in an hour glass. Imagine, then. the difficulty of travel ing over this country in a heavy ve- hicle and especially in an automobile. But the significant fact Is that the state highway runs through 50 miles of such sand.
 Until the California highway com mission found a way to combat the sand. it was risky for an automobile to travel over this dangerous route. Six miles of portable plank roadway have now been constructed through the worst sections of this desert This roadway, eight feet wide. with double width turnouts every 1000 feet, con- sists of blanks spiked to stringers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
BIG LEAGUES ALL SET FOR GETAWAY
 OF TRAINING TRIPS
Within Another Six Weeks Fans Will Read Dongs Scat tered Camps of Major League Teams-Cubs
 Will Venture to California

Spring training plans have now been perfected by all the major league clubs, and within another six weeks the fans will be reading daily accounts of the great diamond doings of their favorites.
 Texas is to entertain the largest mum Der of the big leaguers this spring. Five teams-the Giants, Tigers, White Sox. Browns and Cardinals-have picked train- ing spots in the Lone Star State.
 Of the other major league outfits, the Braves, Phillies and Athletics will train in Florida, the Yankees, Senators and Pirates in Georgia, the Red Sox and Robins in Arkansas, the Indians and Reds in Louisiana and the Cubs in California. The trip of the Cubs to Pasadena will be the longest to be taken by any of the big league teams for the workout sea- son. Elaborate preparations are being made for the long tour. Led by their new manager, Fred Mitchell, the squad will leave Chicago in special train the latter part of next month and go direct to Pasadena The Cubs will be the third team to visit California in recent years, the White Sox and Red Sox having pre- viously made the Pacific coast trip.
 The New York Giants and the Detroit I1gerS ana the Boston Braves ana NeW York Yankees are planning to introduce novelty in their spring training tours The Giants and Tigers will make the homeward trip together and will play exhibition games en route. The same plan of doubling up in a series of nati- nee performances on the way north will be followed by the Braves and Yankees Before tackling the Tanks, the Braves probably will play a series of three games in Havana.
 The Washington Senators and Cincin- nati Reds will form another combination to engage in a series of preseason inter- league battles The Senators and Reds will clash in one game at Cairo, H., two in Louisville and three in Cincinnati.
 The worlds champion Red Sox will get into condition at Hot Springs, Ark, where they have done their spring training for several years. The appearance of the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
SPORTS

Sox at the Arkansas resort will mark the debut of Jack Barry as big league manager. Jack will be in charge of 3S pastimers and all he will have to do will be to pick another world beating team to continue the good work of his predeces- sor, Uncle Bill'' Carrigan. That's con- siderable job for brand new pilot but the Boston owners and fans alike believe that Jack will come through right side up
 The Brooklyn Robins, opponents of the Red Sox in the last worlds series, will also train at Hot Springs There is some talk of the Sox and Robins crossing bats at the Springs, but early season series between champions is considered poor business policy.
 For the first time in many years the Pittsburg Pirates are to pass up Hot Springs as a training camp. Manager Callahan will take the Buccaneers to Co., lumbus, Ga-, in the hope that a change in training camps will bring a change in luck for his team.
 The Cleveland Indians will again do their spring training at New Orleans, the Fohlies doubtless figuring that they can repeat last seasons fine start after work ing out in the Louisiana city. Should the Indians make good this season it would shatter the generally accepted notion among league managers that large cities make poor training camps.
 Considerable interest will center in the spring performances of the Athletics at Jack sonville. Connie Mack will have a small army of young tossers to- try out and his followers have a hunch that the veteran pilot is all set for come-b back
 The training camps of the teams in the two leagues are:
 National Leaugue-C Chicago, Pasadena, Cal; Brooklyn, Hot Springs, Ark; New York, Marlin, Tex. Pittsburg, Columbus Ga.; Philadelphia, St. Petersburg, Fla; Boston, Miami, Fla. St. Louis, San An tonic, Tex; Cincinnati. Shreveport, La.
 American League-Boston Hot Springs, Ark; Detroit, Waxahatchie, Tex; New York, Macon, Ga; Chicago, Mineral Springs, Tex; Cleveland, New Orleans; Washington, Augusta, Ga.; St. Louis, Palestine, Tex; Philadelphia, Jackson vile, Fla.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
FOURTH IS JUSTIFIABLE

The fourth and last of the demands is the lone one of which is justifiablo to the smallest extent. That is the notifying of the fraternity of all de- cisions made by the national board in relation to players. This is done to q certain extent at the present, the find irgs alone being reported. It is said last year-that is, 1915-the frat re- covered over s7OO0 for it's members, forcing the national commission to re- verse Humorous decisions.
 Summing all the condition up, to a nonpartisan they seem unfair. The magnates have the money to fight the war and a certain number of players who are already signed will play ball rather than forfeit their huge sal ary. Other players will sign when they see their brothers falling in line while a number think the demands unrea- sonable. For these reasons it appears to the writer that the strike, should it b.. declared, would utterly fail.
 Fultz has undertaken a too large problem His desire to see whether he or the magnates possess the greater power will mean his loss of what power he has. The Federal league with all their money couldn't budge organized baseball, so MT. David F'ultz had better pull down his ambition flag and decide that peace will reign in the national pastime, despite his ef- forts to become world power"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
GUN CLUB SHOOT

Good scores were made at the Birming- ham Gun club, considering the hard con- ditions It was too wark for good scores, but in spite of this handicap three man aged to tie on 45 out of 50. All of the scores were above the average of the con- testants under the unfavorable conditions. M. Jones made his first attempt in several years. Roy Percy is improving nicely. T. K Lee made 23 and is improving rap idly in his shooting.
 The Birmingham Gun club will give two shooting tournaments during the sea son. One tournament, on April "A and 25, is the regular spring handicap tourna- ment. On July 24 and p the Alabama state shoot, will be held on the grounds of the Birmingham Gun club.
 Scores yesterday were as follows:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21

Carleton Molesworth, the chubby manager of the Birmingham club for the past nine years, will reach Bir- mingham to begin preparation for the 1916 season about February 1, accord ing to an announcement made yester- day by President W. D, Smith of the local club. Proxy Smith stated that he had received a letter from Moley the previous day, and the Baron boss was in perfect health.
 Baseball doings in Birmingham have been lively throughout the winter season. According to President Smith, Moley stated that he was bubbling over with baseball, and would come to Birmingham as soon as he could adjust his business affairs. Moley also added that rabbit hunting was bat ting considerably over the famed 300 mark"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
26,326 SHOTS FIRED
 BY TRAPSHOOTERS

William H. Johns, commodore of the Bayside Yacht club, Bayside, Lone Island, in his annual December report, has the following to say about trapshoot- ing:
 In our trapshooting work 26,326
 shots were fired during the season,
 and the interest in this splendid win
 ter sport is growing with every year. The above seems to express in very few words the attitude and feeling of many clubs. not alone gun clubs. The sport has made wonderful progress in the last few years and is now an importan nj feature of many country, golf and yacht clubs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
TWO FRAT MEMBERS
 SIGN WITH CHICAGO

Chicago. January 20.-Two members or the Chicago Nationals who hold mem- bership in the Baseball Players fraternity s,ened 1917 contracts today in defiance or president Fultzs orders, Charles H. veaphman. president of the club, an nounced.
 Weeghman said the players were stars and had been members of the fraternity since its inception, but that tney hao names at this time.
 ..Tbe arrival of these players contracts convinces me that the fraternity is not as strong as Fultz thinks it is'" said Weeghman
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21

Outside of the purchase of Out fielder Pat Duncan from the Grand Rapids club in the Central league, which was announced in yesterdays Age-Herald President Smith stated that no other trades would probably be pulled off until Moley reaches the scene.
 We are after another good out fielder" said the Baron proxy, but no announcement will be made until Moley arrives, which isf but two weeks off at the greatest. We want m outfielder which Pittsburg has. and believe we can land him. He is valuable man, and will make the star in the Southern league.
 Birmingham is going to be in the scrap for the pennant this year. The fans can expect to see a team at Redwood field which will be one
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
SPORTS
DEMANDS OF FULTZ
 ON MINOR LEAGUES
 ARE UNNECESSARY
President of Players Fraternity Will Be Chased From Baseball Result of Cry fer Power-Demands Are in Force
 Now to Certain Extent
By FRED BoDEKER

The recent agitation between the Players fraternity and the magnates Is attracting interest in the baseball world second to that when the Fed eraI league opened hostilities against the organized game. The recent as sertions of President David Fultz of the frat has reused the ire of the magnates and it appears that Fultz $ ambition to control all baseball play CTS will be crushed
 Fultz in his statement declares that the war which will be waged against the magnates is purely in the inter est of the players in the minors To those who are acqNainted with these conditions, and particularly in the Southern association, Fultz has fired a blank" and what power and pres tige he did have will be completely de- stroyed.
 Practically all of the leading men in baseball have denounced Fultz, not because he is attempting to wage a war against them, but because the greater part of his statements are without foundation. Simply because certain conditions might possibly ex- ist in some remote minor league should be no Justification for a gem eral strike.
 Fultz's demands upon the minor leagues, alleged to be in the interest Of the players, are being carried out as wishes in the Southern league at the present to a certain extent As for other minor leagues, it cannot be authoritatively stated, but it is be- lieved that players are not oppressed in any minor circuit.
 FULTZ'S FOUR DEMANDS
 Briefly, the four demands made by Fultz for the minor league players which forms the basis of the threat ened strike, and has the support of the major league players is as fol- lows:
 i. Elimination of contracts per-
 hitting the suspension of injured
 players and the loss of salary
 during the period of the dfsabiI-
 ity.
 2. Permission of players to sign
 new contracts immediately after
 they have been notified of their
 unconditional release.
 2. Allowance of players of trav-
 cling expenses from their homes
 to the club headquarters or their
 training camps.
 4. That the fraternity be notified
 fin full of the findings of the na-
 tiOnal board in cases brought by
 players and receive opportunity
 to reply.
 If these demands are not met Fu1tz says "there'll be no baseball in 1917." Each of these demands will be taken up separately and that the Southern association is treating all players fair, in addition to using the four demands as a custom, will be shown.
 PLAYERS USUALLY PAID
 The first demand of Fultz is one which is now being practiced by prac- tically every club in the league Glance back over the past years In case player should accidentally break his leg, be hit in the head by pitched ball or any other serious accident whereby the player is out for several months and perhaps the entire season, generally the said play CT IS kept on the pay roll or else re- leased and paid his salary in full.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
MoLey Is Slated 70 Arriue About February
MOLEY TO ARRIVE READY
 FOR WORK ON FEBRUARY {

of the best to represent Birmingham in the league. Money is going to be no reason why we won't have a win ner. Moley is a fine manager and with the proper material can produce winning team. Remember, Bir- mingham's going to be rag con- tender"
 According to Scotty Chestnut, the renowned umpire, the Barons have se- cured a jewel in Carman Hill, the pitcher from Pittsburg. Hill who has the distinction of being one, of the two pitchers in baseball who wears glasses on the field, has an effective curve ball and plenty of speed.
 The sale of Players Carpenter and Cleveland, whom the Barons secured from Pittsburg, to Springfield, in the Central league, was announced by President Smith