The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-10
CRACKER OUTFIT
 M GREAT SHAPE FOR BALL SEASON
Atlanta Fans Find Fears Un- founded as Team Re-
 turns From Bay

Atlanta, April 9.-(Special.) )-The return of the Atlanta Crackers from their Bay St. Louis training camp to finish their training at Ponce de Leon park was one of the best moves that the local management could have made. Many of the fans here were displeased with many things that had happened in the winter re- garding the gathering of a team to carry Atlanta through another Southern league campaign. and a large number of them had just about decided that they had no chance for a winning team.
 Their viewpoint was that an ag- gregation of old-timers had been gathered for action under the Cracker standards, and that there was about as much chance of them getting into condition to start the race off prop erly as they had of winning a pen nant In their first three games, which was a mighty short chance.
 However. the condition of the play CTS when they returned from their invasion of Pensacola, where they dropped two games to the Louisville American Association champions, was q revelation to the home town fans, who have been turning out in linn ited number to give the players the once over before the season starts.
 Perfect weather conditions have worked wonders with the older mem bers of the clan, and the youngsters are in mid-season form right now. Tie warm weather that the players have had all during the training sea son. especially at Bay St. Louis. where only one day was missed on account of bad weather has npt the team in better shape than has been the fortune of the club for several years.
 Conditions Different
 Last year the disastrous invasion of Texas and the cold weather that the club encountered on this trip put them in the poorest possible shape for the starting of the season in anything like winning form. This season, though. things are different. Salary whips and even old soup-bones that In other years had to be carried around like test tube full of Asiatic cholera germs are being treated rough, and they like it. There is but one sore arm in camp, and this be- longs to Southpaw John Suggs, and John makes the prediction that his arm will be in shape for the opening.
 Roy Ellam Is not n proper shape, but the work that he has been doing with the club In the way of taking charge of tho workout has prevented his conditioning himself properly, but Ellam states that he will be in shape for the opening game.
 Really Have Chance
 Taking it all in all the local fans have decided that their team really has a chance and that they will be in their fighting from the opening date and with fair chance of giving fair account of themselves and Att lanta fin the pennant race. Even the most rabid admirers are not giving them q pennant at this stage of the season, but if the team gets in there and fights they have chance. With Dutch Bernsen on first and his hitting power, thfs station is well taken care of Art Ritter is due for his biggest season and possibly his last in this company. Roy Ellam at short when he gets in shape will be able to take care of the short field III JamD-up shape. fIeu brall ls hitting in his old-time style and | fielding like a youngster
 Joe Guyon is faster than ever if this is possible. and he is hitting harder than ever. Mayer ia as good as ever and Roy Carlyle in left field will prove real sensation in the southern loop if his bad leg that was broken last year in the Georgia State league will stand the strain of the campaign that starts on the 18th. 1 The pitching staff with Suggs. Bar Der. Bedgood. Napier, Williamson Bolt Roberts and Marshall should be able to hold most any of the offen- sives that the other clubs march out Whoa Bill Rariden and Butch Schmidt will take care of the receiv- | ing,