The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-21
|DobbS Men Rally Fast
 In Training

New Orleans. March 2O.-(Special.)-
 Johnny Dobbs could put a team on the
 field today if the Southern League season opened and a team that would prob ably give good account of itself for the boys have nearly all had two hard
 weeks of training, and have gained a iot or Knowledge from the Cleveland plays
 CTS, who are training in the same park But the team that Dobbs is now whip
 ping into shape may not be the one that Will go to the post in the first game of the season with Mobile. There are one
 or two weak spots and Dobbs is trying hard to plug these up. And one of the
 hardest of all is that of shortstop. Here ] is a position that is nearly driving John nie gray-haired.
 ] He had it all framed up to play Len ! Dobard at the station this year. and things had been arranged satisfactorily
 with Memphis about Dobard's playing here. Then Dobbie steps in and says that
 he is going to make more money on the
 outside than in playing ball, unless a handsome figure he named salary was met.
 | Heinemannn and Dobbs rubbed heads
 and they decided that the team could get along without Dobard. so they passed
 him up. Then their troubles began in earnest. Buddy Rezze is being used at short, but somehow or other he is just
 not strong enough to hold down the place in fast company. He cannot hit, except 1 in spasms, and then he fields very badly at times. Otherwise, and quite often he 1 plays phenomenally.
 | So Dobbs wants shortstop and wants one bad. He is trying to get Iris Speaker of the Cleveland Indians to leave Crab feder here, but it is believed that Spoke 1 is rather sweet on Grabby himself. since
 the boy has been stringing the pill and scooping up everything that comes his way. If he does not get Grabfedler, Harry Daubert may come back, but he also said that he wants to quit the dia- mond
 So with this kind of luck facing him. Dcabs has gone about the work in a quite way of trying to get shortstop. Sewell. the famous Alabama short field player, | is here with the Cleveland Inofans pr-c- ticing, and it is understood that Dobbs had Iris Speaker bring him on TOT a lookover. Lee is another from the Texas League who is trying to make the team, and Allen, a former member of the Geor- gia Tech football squad of 1917, who was with Brooklyn warming a bench all last year. is here cavorting around the field and telling Dobbs that he can play any position.
 There is not much worry over any of 1 the other positions unless it be the out field. Here everything is being held in sbeyance on Larry Gilbert's decision as l to whether he is going with Cleveland. | Then this leaves Johnson, Neusel, Rip perton, Brown and Allen, whom Dobbs says he will in all likelihood use in the I outfield to fight it out for the other two positions. Johnson has made a good fm-
 presson. The Cleveland players say Rip perton has the malxings of great hitter l from the way he meets the ball Neusel
 and Brown are no strangers to 5ournern
 League company, so Dobbs will have his
 hands full when 1t comes to making a
 selection from amongst this quintet. 7, As far as first base is concerned Johnnie
 says that he is sure that Bradley, che man obtained from the Texas League, VII
 be able to hold it down, as he shows UT real strong in practice. Knight IS aise i hanging around trying to show his hant
 at this, and Red Torkelson can also play | the pillow if needs be. Cotton KnaupT 1 seems glued to second base, and he got | off to a whirEwind start last Sunday witt l four hits out of four times up against
 the Cleveland pitchers. Marty Fielder
 will be at third base Fielder has beer | a little off in his batting, but Is ex' pected to come around all right.
 Hank Deberry is going to do the lions share of the backstopping with Bob Dowie
 to help him out. Dobb is keeping req l quiet about his pitchers, and so far but l Dixie Walker and Red Torkeison are do, ling any real work for the Pels. He E angling for Tom Phillips from the IndsIns 1 and may give Lindsay, the former l.. 5 1 U star. trial and has his eye on Ca jyette. another State University man. Hull Perdue is expected to come through al
 right. and with Dixie, Red, Hub and Tom
 and two recruits, Dobbs thinks ne vii | have pitching staff that will be hare | to beat.