August 13?, 1909
Birmingham, AL
"Louisville Loses to Birmingham. - Birmingham, Alabama. - Birmingham beat Louisville last week by a score of 1 to 0. They also beat Selma, Alabama."
August 14, 1909
Indianpolis, IN
"Why Birmingham Giants Win. - When the Birmingham Giants were on their recent trip in this part of the country they attracted attention from several points of view. The absolute control which Manager C.I. Taylor had over his team, though it is nothing out of the ordinary among the strong professional white teams, was unusual. Off the field as well as on, his players regarded him with uttermost respect and were always ready and willing to give him their undivided attention when he had a word to say, which was in a quiet, earnest and gentlemanly manner. The Giants play like clock works and every man is for the man's interest which naturally results in team work or cooperation. With Taylor's field generalship the Alabamians are about the most consistent players that have played at Northwestern park for some time. 'When a game is on as well as any other time, every player is supposed to know the other man's weakness,' says Taylor. 'For instance, if I have an off day, every other man on the team is expected to play with that in mind. If one man has a bad eye today in throwing, every player, you know, has his off days. I inform the team of such or it becomes known by his playing and the others must bear that in mind. Now it may happen to be just to the reverse with a player, or even with the whole team.' When such is the case, he further says, that they take the advantage of it. Sometimes it is in fielding, sometimes in batting or in some other department of the game. Taylor referred to a day on which the Standards was their opposing team. That day the sap of the willow ran through the Giants' veins. After playing a round or two he told the boys to break loose, and they did so - they slaughtered the sphere unmercifully and piled up a big score. Studying each player's way of playing and his disposition constitues no small part in a thorough understanding among a team, while the negrlect of such is the cause of the failing and the disbanding of many teams. The Giants study, as near as possible, each man of an opposing team. This is practically what every pitcher does or should do, especially when his opponents are at bat. One boss - this is significant with the Giants. A body must have a leader before success can ever be hoped for. When the team lines up every man realizes that he has a pair of lungs though it is in an orderly manner. Taylor, who plays second base, has his eyes open every minute during the game and is a constant coacher of his team. A poor play on the part of one of the Giants does not result in a rough or ugly word (as is sometimes the case) from C.I. Of course this does not go to say that he is never heard from, but when he is he means what he says. He has studied his men, as every manager or captain should do, and he can better tell the real cause of a bad play by one of them and he knows when and what to say. The Giants have two young pitchers, the juniors of the team, and it is much through C.I.'s generalship that they have proven themselves invincible against some fast and strong teams. It is not usually that every member of a semi-professional team is a strong batter but the Birmingham boys can boast of this - even the pitchers can hit. This is one department of the national game in which they are shiningh lights and on which they depend upon to fork in the games. They play in the hit and run style. The fans took notice that the fielders of the local team played deep, not for individuals alone but for the whole team when the Giants were at bat. This goes to show something about the Alabamians' knowledge about batting. Their batting systemized to the best advantage of their style of play. They are fast fielders, especially those of the infield, with swift arms which is important in cutting down opponents on bases. They have their own councils and discuss various phases of the sport. With Taylor's invaluable baseball knowledge, who is the father of them all as far as age and leadership is concerned, they are scholars as well as players of the great game. They are athletes in the true sense and are strict observers and practitioners of physical training. They do not indulge in intoxicants, in fact their rules are against them going into saloons, only when on business. They are prohibited from the use of tobacco in playing season, and it is violation of the rules to fail to retire at a reasonable hour. After playing a fast and long game here, Manager Taylor was asked if the next day's battle would not be hard on them, his reply was 'No, my boys get plenty of rest, a double-header would be easy for them.' The Giants have distinguished themselves as being one of the strongest, if not the strongest, semi-professional aggregation in the South."
August 27, 1909
Pensacola, FL
"Birmingham Giants Win and Lose Double Header - Pensacola Concedes Double Victory to Giants - Moss Point Administers Double Defeat to Giants. - Special to the Freeman. - Pensacola, Florida. - The Birmingham Giants defeated Pensacola, August 27, in a double-header, 4 to 2 and 2 to 1. These were among the hardest battles the Giants have had this season. Both games were fast and snappy throughout, and the several hundred fans were on their feet most of the time, as fast fielding, lightning base running and superb pitching marked every step of the games from beginning to end on both sides. The Pensacola fans expressed much satisfaction at the work of their team, even though they failed to land either of the games, it being admitted that they were up against the stiffest proposition in the South. Gilliard was on the firing line for the Giants, and he had everything that Rube Foster or Steel Arm Johnny ever had, and was due a shut out, except for a bad heave and an error by his team mates. In the second game the Giants had their matchless side-wheeler on the mound, and that in itself spelled victory for them. While the game resulted in one of the greatest pitchers' battles ever seen on the local grounds, the great southpaw had the better of the argument, and won out in an extra inning game, 2 to 1."
August 28, 1909
Indianapolis, IN
"The Birmingham Giants play a good game to the conviction of the Mobilians."
Moss Point, MS
"Moss Point, Mississippi. - The Birmingham Giants defeated the local club, August 28, 7 to 1, by all round better work. Pinson, the Giants' boy pitcher, kept the home boys at a safe distance all the way. His pitching was the feature of the game."
August 30, 1909
Moss Point, MS
"The Moss Pointers put a crimp in the Giants' long string of victories August 30 by defeating them in a double header, 2 to 1 and 7 to 0. Gilliard was on the mound for the Giants, and was not in his usual form. The locals hit him freely in three innings, though excellent fielding by his team mates prevented a high score. Saucier, the local twirler, was at his best, and the Giants could do nothing with him. Score: Moss Point 2, Giants 1. The second game resulted in a shutout for the Giants. Poor base running, taking desperate chances on the bases and inability to hit the local pitcher resulted in a one-sided score. Big Ben Taylor was on the mound for the Giants, but could not deliver the goods, mainly because his teammates could not connect with the local pitcher at the proper moment, and he lost his third game of the season, having pitched twenty-five. Score: Moss Point 7, Giants 0.
"Notes. - Moss Point has some team. - The Giants have played 86 games this season, won 66, lost 20. - Oliver, the Giants' big catcher, has done excellent work on first during Wiley's absence. - Wiley, the Giants' first sacker, has been out of the game two weeks on account of illness. - C. Taylor was thrown out three times at the plate Tuesday of last week by the Moss Pointers. - Scotland's work in center and on the bases in the last ten games has been something great. - Bingham, the Giant's right fielder, has been playing third base for the last fifteen games, and looks good there. - The Giants will be in the south 'till September 11, and after that time they would like to get dates at Louisville, West Baden, Indianapolis, or anywhere else, including the St. Louis Giants."
September 6, 1909
Pensacola, FL
"The Giants played Labor Day at Pensacola."
September 9, 1909
Mobile, AL
"The Giants played... at Mobile September 9 and 10."
September 10, 1909
Mobile, AL
"The Giants played... at Mobile September 9 and 10."
September 11, 1909
Indianapolis, IN
"Gilliard, star pitcher of the Birmingham Giants, has lost but five of twenty-three games."
"Ben Taylor, the big southpaw of the Birmingham Giants, has pitched twenty-five games so far this season. Of this number, Ben has lost only three games."
June 1, 1909
Birmingham, AL
"...the second game 5 to 2. J.B. Taylor pitched Tuesday's game, and starred with his superb control of the ball. Of the twenty-seven putouts, J.B. is credited with thirteen, which were strike-outs. The Tennessee boys have a strong team, but were helpless on the Giants' grounds."
June 12, 1909
Birmingham, AL
"Thirteen strike-outs in a nine-inning game - that's the record so far this season of J.B. Taylor, of the Birmingham Giants."
July 4, 1909
Birmingham, AL
"Birmingham Giants Take Three Games of Series. - Mobile Lost Three and Wins One of Fourth of July Series - Record Breaking Crowd See Games. - Birmingham, Alabama. - The Birmingham giants won three out of four games from Mobile in the Fourth of July series. We played them in a double-header on the 5th to the largest crowd that ever saw a colored game in this city - not excepting the record breaking crowds that saw the famous Leland Giants here early in the spring. The Giants won the first game 4 to 2, with their big side-wheeler, Ben Taylor. He was opposed by that particular bright star, Ritter, of the Mobile aggregation, and that boy went some on July 5th. He said to his manager after losing the first that it was no fault of his. 'Let me go back in the second game and I will bring back the bacon,' he said, and he did. He held the Giants almost completely at his mercy in the second game and only allowed two hits. The Giants management sent their big slab artist, Gilliard, from Talladega College, to the mound, but for some reason he could not get his shoots, stants, and curves to work well and was replaced by C. Taylor in the fourth with the score 5 to 0 in favor of Mobile. During the remainder of the game the Mobile boys never had a chance to swell the score but all the Giants could do with Ritter in the same time was to get one lone tally - final score Mobile 5, Giants 1. - Gilliard, after being driven from the slab in the second game, Monday, asked to be put back against the Mobile boys Tuesday, and what he did to them was a plenty. The score was Mobile 3, Giants 11. Wednesday, the Giants' new pitcher, Pinson, from the M and I college, Holly Springs, Mississippi, was selected to work for the local squad, while Mobile sent Ritter, of double-header fame, back for another opportunity to beat the Giants and well did he perform; while Mobile could do nothing with Pinson they had made four unearned runs up to the ninth and the Giants had only three. But up comes Meridith, the Giants' popular stortstop, reached first on a clean hit and then exhibited the greatest base running feat ever seen on the local grounds, stealing second, stealing third and stealing home, tying the score in the last half of the 9th, with only one out. Then a hit by Ben Taylor, a sacrifice by Oliver, and a hit by Cobb netted the Giants one run and the game - score Mobile 4, Giants 5. - Mobile has a splendid team. - Pitcher Ritter and shortstop Davis are the particular bright stars of that aggregation. McCoy, second baseman, is also a splendid player, but he is a kicker and often brings the wrath of the spectators down upon himself. A baseball player has to be a gentlemanly fellow these days."
July 10, 1909
Birmingham, AL
"What team can take a series for the Birmingham, Alabama Giants?"
July 30?, 1909
West Baden, IN
"West Baden Sprudels Win. - West Baden, Indiana. - The West Baden Sprudels defeated the Birmingham Giants in a loosely played game. The feature of the game was the timely batting of Woods. Score West Baden 10, Giants 6. Batteries - West Baden, Brown and Coleman; Giants, Pams and Cobb."