The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-25
TO LEFTY sIGMAN

TO LEFTY sIGMAN A brain. an arm,
 A glove, prayer. What powers that be
 Are keeping him there? No curve, no speed
 On what he throws, When it gets by,
 Our wonder grows. It sails, it floats,
 Seems easy to hit. They swing, connect,
 In someone's mitt. Though hard they hit
 His fastest balls,
 They rarely ever
 Clear the walls.
 A master mind
 Upon the mound.
 Perhaps it's there
 The reasons found. No stuff. no steam
 Among his ware.
 What powers that be
 Have kept him there?
 A railbird, dripping with moisture after sprint from the cnr line to the shelter of the grandstnnd at the Wood, suggested Tuesday afternoon that we change the name from Rickwood 10 Lakewood. Very well taken. we called it, after our own swim through the rainy sea across the field.
 Amid the groans and alibis of the Stove leaguers, as theory is crashed to the ground, and idol after idol sinks practically into oblivion. can be heard few tune full voices, singing their prover- bitl "I told you so."
 Not all of the winter-time pre- dictions have gone amiss. The old dope bucket is not a complete loss, after its annual fall from the pedestal upon which it is placed by the Stove leaguers. One guy has come through with his stuff" during the early season pennant battling, none other than Jake Miller, centerfielder for the Barons
 Last winter, when hls purchase by Birmingham was announced, it was predicted that he would develop into one of the best gardeners in the league. Of course, 1t Is yet too early too make any decision along those lines, but Miller's early showing has been promising, to say the least.
 In the six games played by the Barons thus far in the sea- son, Miller has clouted the pill for an average of .526. lie has been at bat 19 times, made ten hits and scored eight runs. In the field, he has proven one of the steadiest of the outfielders. Miller is a veteran, and will probably grow stronger as the season progresses. Of course, he can't maintain such terri l.; batting average, but he will probably finish well up among the 300 hitters.
 Miller is heading the.
 BarOns in the batting column
 hut n pair of v~teran Bir-
 mingham pastimers bring up
 second and third places.
 Stump Clarke, left fielder,
 and Tommy Taylor, are hit
 ting at n rate of 1875 and
 .34S. respectively. Taylor
 and Clarke are the only
 Barons playing their third
 consecutive year on the team.
 There is something more than interest in mere ball game at Howard college this week. We'd nesday, the Bulldogs open two-game series with their ken mel mates. the Bulldogs of Union University, Jackson, Tenn. Something more than mere desire to win will prompt the East Lakers to put forth their best against the Tennesseans.
 Months ago, the Bulldogs of Union University stepped off a train at Birmingham. unher- aided and almost unknown in Birmingham. They were grid iron Bulldogs and were here to meet the Howard eleven at Rick wood
 From the start, it YVES appar- ent that Howard should win. A heavier backfield and a snappy line enabled the Magic City Bull dogs to tear through for gain after gain, and time after time threaten to score. Always. how ever, the final punch was lack ing. and the Tennessee Bulldogs began to take courage.
 Before. the contest was ap- preaching its close, Union was enjoying 21 to c lead, and Howard thrown blck in every attempt to score. The unheralded eleven from Tennessee was win ning-even more, was blanking