The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-03

of the game.
 THE CASE OF DAN BOONE
 The discussion. anent wounds, gameness and the like was brought about, due to the fact that some one had asked if in the opin- ion of those present Dan Boone, the former Alabama star, had reached the crest of his effective ness. A unanimous NO" was the answer. Still, there are those who have figured that the elongated Alabama boy was slipping, when they either did not take into con sideration, OF were entirely ig- norant' of the handicap he worked under, when. he suffered his bad season with Atlanta last year, and was traded to Chattanooga by vir- tue of this unsuccessful campaign.
 Boone was a cripple, when he Joined the Crackers last year, he was a cripple for fully month after he got in harness, and the bad start naturally discouraged him for the remainder of the year.
 DELAYED BY OPERATION
 The Crackers trained at Bay St. Louis. Miss, last spring, and I happened to be in that camp for the length of the training season. was there when Dan wired Boss Frank from his Alabama home that an operation on his leg would necessitate his delay in joining the club
 Later, at the insistence of Frank and Bob Higgins, and also partly due to his own eagerness to get to work, Daniel came on down to the Bay, and sought to start train ing, despite the fact that due to an operation on his legs for vari- cose veins, the stitches had not thoroughly healed. He put on unie, went out to the lot. started off with too big a rush, and sev- eral of the stitches burst
 Following that indiscretion, Dan stuck to the civvies and nursed his wounded leg for week.
 IS SHIPPED BACK HOME
 He had been such an illuminary the year before that Boss Frank and Bob Higgins, who was then at the helm of Cracker field activi- ties. grew worried. They prodded Dan into action, but he was leary of getting out on that bum pin.
 Finally, after a conference be- tween the three, Dan was advised to return to his old home in Ala bama. All the boys shook their heads in doubt. The general con- sonsus of opinion seemed to be that Boone would be lucky if he got back in the game at all that season
 But the former university star has a world of stamina, and he went back to Tuscaloosa, lolled around, nursed that leg and signed for uniform and action. Several weeks after the Crackers had re- turned to Atlanta, Boone suddenly appeared on the ball field one aft ernoon and announced he was ready to pitch.
 He wasn't really ready. but Frank and Higgins took him at his word. He was nervous; he hadn't trained; he was afraid of himself. As a result, he got away to bad start, and this made for a bad season all the way round.
 CHANGE SHOULD HELP HIM
 With full winter of rest in his favor, a manager who believes he ct uld move heaven, earth and half acre of hades if he tried, and change of environment, Boone should enjoy the best season of his career this year. He has the size, the strength and ability to make a great pitcher. He's not the brain jest boxman in the world, but he has an unusual cunning for find ing the weaknesses of batters.
 WHEN GRIEF RETIRED
 The old colyum has been dedi- cated to Bert Griffith and Boone, and'I couldn't afford to pass up another incident in regard to Grif- fifth that Moley recalled Wednes- day. He brought it out to show what a conscientious Irishman Griff was
 The Barons and the Mobile Bears were fighting in hectic series in