The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-22
M B N, w o M E N
 A N D I'll IN c s

, year, and, one that draws thousands of fans.
 suppose there is some good reason for its not being done, but it seems to me there ought to be some such series in ; the south, and the Florida League being nearby, was sorry that even the Barons had to give up the games which had been talked about between them; but was glad to see that Atlanta and Columbia teams are to play post-season series of five games.
 l have seen many of the big league teams play, getting my first initiation back forty years ago in St. Louis. Many an afternoon I used to climb a tree and sit out on a limb to watch the play until the irate owner of the property would run the gang away or collect q dime for the privilege of doing the bird act" Every time I go to Redwood park and see the boys in the trees towards the southeast, it calls back happy days.
 
 The next good chance I got was during a short residence in Chicago before and during the Worlds Fair. From there went to New York and spent year, and of course made my way frequently out to the Polo Grounds. l never forgot my love for the game, even while a student at the seminary and got chance to see the exhibitions between the teams of the American Association.
 Now, I may get laughed at for saying iit but while there is of course a dif- ference between the big league and the others, yet have often seen finer games in the Southern League than. on the big circuit, for it is a fact that the big fellows blow up just as do the smaller ones, but not so often I have seen rotten exhibitions between the leaders in the major league, just as I have witnessed perfect ball here on the diamonds of the south.
 The thing that surprised me most at the playing of Yardon and Ray, and Hall and his side partner from Atlanta, was that they frequently missed easy shots with an ease that would have done credit to
 
 was much more consistent and at times brilliant, as, for instance, the driving of Hall; but outside of this I got no special thrill in witnessing the tournament, for had often seen local players put up games equally as interesting.
 I wasn't at all surprised at the great llicking the English team got recently at the hands of Chick Evans and Bobby IJones, both familiar figures on the local links, and in my opinion capable of beat ing Ray and Vardon in a series covering a weeks play. The thing 1 am stressing is that so far as the average man is con- cerned it's mighty hard to tell the diff ference between the top notchers and those who get in flights little below them.
 To bring out more clearly what I am trying to show in the games of baseball and golf, just take the case of racing. How many who sit in the grandstand can tell whether a horse is trotting in a 2:05 or 2:1o class, or know in running race whether the race is having a few sec onds clipped off of the track record I have seen some of the greatest races in America and abroad, and I'm sure that can't do it, and what's more have al- ways doubted the claims of those who pretended that they could This is why I have never cared particularly about seeing horse sent against time. much prefer a race.
 We'll we have no baseball games in this climate to correspond in any manner with the world series, but we did have a bene- fit performance on Monday afternoon for the home team. The fan is "a fickle in- ldividual as was shown in the small at- tendance, for had the Barons copped the series with Atlanta a great throng would have been out to see the game between them and the all-star team, but losing, there was let down in their enthusiasm, and they remained away.
 
 I'll admit it was right hard to get over the performance of Saturday afternoon, for added to the disappointment at the showing of Birmingham was the pent-up dislike at the discipline of Bulldog Johnson, who in the opinion of many grievously erred in calling Clyde Barn. hart back from second after the latter had knocked a ball into the right field bleachers for home run, his Jumps claiming it was foul. The showing of the home team and the decision of John- son caused Bedlam to break loose. ?
 I am not recalling the untoward event for the purpose of roasting "Bulr' or of Jumping on the Barons. for am doing ii solely to call attention to the fact that if something is not done at the beginning of next season to stop the "cushion showers which were so frequent during the past season, the first thing we know there is going to the hurling of pop bot ties, and someone is going to be seriously hurt. and the game injured in the estma- tion of the public. Let's have clean ball on the field and good behavior on the { bleachers and in the grandstand. 
 The game itself on Monday afternoon is not worth writing about, for the All , Stars were outclassed, and yet at times they did some classy fielding and bat ting. An accident to one of the street cars tied up traffic out near the old Smith } home for quite long bit to the utter I discomfort of the Boys Industrial School Impatient, and the band was disappointed . fin not being able to be at the opening , to play for the crowd.
 During the season which closed I wen 2 ,out several times wek in fact more