The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-11
ASHTON DONNA UNABLE
 TO APPEAR ON CARD
[N HACKS |l v \FLANGE

lV\FLANCE]
 Major league moguls could prob
 ably say thing or two in regard
 to favorable training grounds now,
 as the 1923 season wears on, and
 successful campaigns are progress
 ing under Dixie skies. East of the
 Mississippi seems to be the suitable Mecca for the spring trainers, for
 the weather man has been very kind to those teams encamped within
 the territory of the great southeast. While the big league pastimers
 at the springs and in Texas have
 been gazing at dreary rains and
 cloud-bedecked skies from hotel
 windows and balconies, other big
 time pilots have been smiling in
 glec as their young hopefuls toll and
 sweat in the warm sunshine of fair
 weather this side of the Mississippi
 The Athletics at Montgomery, the
 Browns at St. Louis, the Milwaukee
 Brewers at Troy, and Rochester
 Internationals at Selma, can attest
 to the favorable weather conditions
 of this part of the states, for all four
 clubs have been enjoying best of
 spring training conditions. 
 Meanwhile Joe Dunn and his
 Baronial prospects have been
 putting in a great week at Rick
 wood. Only one day had bad
 weather to offer, and then work
 was not entirely buspeMded. The
 Dunners brought to a close their
 first week of training Saturday
 with . nip and tuck practice game between the Ynnnigans and Regulars.
 It was rather early in the season
 to tell anything about the squad
 in fact. 1t was so early that some of
 the boys hadn't yet adjusted their
 eyes to gauging Outfield flies-but several of the boys certainly dem- onstrated Saturday that they have the makings.
 Joe Dunn and Shutter Matthews
 watched the boys closely Saturday, and more than one grin of satisfac- tion was registered as particularly fright bit of work was executed. There was something of rivalry be-
 tween the Yannigans and Regulars, which cropped out more than once Shutter plead with those Yanni- sans to wallop their classier breth- ren, and the boys almost did it, as the final score of 7-6 will show. 
 Jake Miller, veteran Outfielder
 secured by the BarOns from Wichita Falls of the Texas league, seems to be a sluggcr of the old, school. On two occasions Saturday he nOn-chalantIy ad- vanced to the plate and casually slammed the first ball pitched on line to center field for clean hits. "HeYl do thut all seasOn.v remarked Danny Clark from the dugout, and Danny ought to know, for he played bnll with l Miller in the Texas loop. Danny Clark is still a bit over
 weight. but the few days he has been
 in training have already taken off
 several pounds. In another week
 Danny will be in prime condition and
 fandom will see the whrlwnd sec ond sacker of old. Saturday Danny
 uncorked two vicious drives, ono | bouncing off the shins of Pitcher Bill Gray, while the other skinned
 to center field. barely off the ground,
 but not falling to the turf until all
 most where the outer gardener was stationed. Danny hits a terrible sock with his big willow.
 The revelation of the afternoon was the showing of little Jean SugEs. brother of "Lefty" Suggs. former Atlanta and Memphis pitcher. Jean slammed out three hits for the afternoon, and put up . nice fielding exhibition. | SuEgs is as quick ms a cat his feet, and covered the key- stone from first to second. The younEster has the earmarks of real bali player md Joe Dunn and company will probably watch | him closely before doing any, thing rash.
 Shortstop Walsh, latest infield | prospect of the Barons, was due to arrive Saturday night and will prob ably show up for training Monday morning. Walsh comes we'll recom- mended and will be given a thorough
 try-out at the shortstop position. Other Baronial candidates yet to re- port are Infielder Baker and Catcher | Hammond, both of whom will prob ably be on hand for Mondays work out.
 "TOoter'' Brandon, sold tO the Virginia league by the BnrOns, worked out as Yannigan catcher. Saturday. "Tooter' has all his old time pepper and dash. and I Is sure to make his Virginia league club nifty first string | receiver this year. Bates and 1 Brandon, well known battery of 1 the 1922 BarOns, worked for the Yannisans three innings Satur- day, and the regulars will testify how effective 1t was. Only one hit wns made off Bates during the innings he pitched. Phil Morrison and Red Bates, Baron | regulars of 1922, showed quite Dit
 of stuff for early season twirling Sat urday. Each gave up only one hit Tn three innings. and neither was cut ting aloose with any fancy stuff either. Joe Dunn will probably count on these two speed ball artists to pennant race.
 With Morrison, Bates, Whitehill l and Cox all being picked for first string berths on the pitching staff, the battle seems to rest between Tom Daniels, Bill Gray, Walter Stewart, Lefty" Nichols. Lefty" Allen and one or two others to decide the other position or two on the corps. It IS
 unlikely that Manager Dunn will
 carry over five hurlers. or more than two southpaws. However. WhitehiIi. Stewart, Allen and Nichols are all good enough for much consideration. Plateau Cox is being counted on strongly, He is a corking good hurler and it was only through his friend- ship with George Stallings that Joe Dunn was able to land this ace for the Barons.