1909 Birmingham Giants

A Calendar, Including Newspaper Clippings, of the 1909 Birmingham Giants

1909 Birmingham Giants

Stories are placed in order of the date they appeared.

May 5, 1909

West Baden, IN
"Southland Team Defeats Hoosiers - Birmingham Giants Take Two Games from the West Baden Nine. - Special to the Freeman. - West Baden, Indiana. - The Birmingham, Alabama Giants took two games from the West Baden team on the 5th and 6th, last week, winning the first game by a score of 2 to 0 and the second 11 to 4. The Spring Water boys were unable to cross home plate in the first game. J.B. Taylor pitched for the Giants, and played fine ball, allowing the Hoosiers but four hits. He struck out twelve batters, and had the West Baden team at his mercy all during the game. Scottland pitched the second game, and showed up well until the seventh inning, when the Hoosiers found his curves and slammed the sphere for four runs. This was the only inning in which he allowed them any runs."

May 8, 1909

Louisville, KY
"Louisville Cubs Defeat Two Fast Teams - Indianapolis White Sox and Birmingham, Alabama Giants Victims - Cubs Are Playing Fast Ball. - By Jesse Palmer. - Special to the Freeman. - Louisville, Kentucky. - A crowd of 400 fans witnessed the defeat of the Indianapolis White Sox, Saturday, May 8. They were unable to hit Pitcher Martin, who played a fine game of ball. The Cubs took kindly to Hollingsworth's curves, who had the game well in hand in the fourth inning, when Richenbaugh relieved him. The Cubs played superb ball, their defense being perfect. Stung by defeat from the Sox in April, the Cubs went after them with a vengeance and got it good and plenty. Following is the score: White Sox 2, Louisville Cubs 9."

"The Cubs defeated the strong Birmingham Giants in the best plyaed game of the season. The local boys demonstrated that they are the best players in the South. The battery work of West and Mitchell was the feature of the game. The visitors found West for but three hits, while the Little Bears thumped Taylor, opposing pitcher, for seven hits. Following is the score: Birmingham Giants 1, Louisville Cubs 2. Attendance 600."

"Louisville Notes. - The Cubs have started the season off in first-class style. They have lost but one game so far. The boys are doing some good stick work. With Watson, Booker and Wallace working in good form, and Briscoe and Roberson playing like National Leaguers, the prospects look exceptionally bright. Little Mitchell, the Cubs star catcher, has a fine record this season - and the beauty of it is, he wears the same size hat, just the same. Keep tagging them, old boy. Martin and West are both making good with the willow. Collins is playing fine ball."

May 16, 1909

Louisville, KY
"Baseball at Louisville. - By Jesse Palmer. - Special to the Freeman. - Before 4,500 fans the Louisville Cubs confirmed the report that they are the best semi-professional team in the South by defeating the strong Birmingham Giants in a well-played game. The Cubs took the lead in the first inning by making one run, and clinched it in the third by making two more. After the third inning Taylor, of the Birminghams, settled down and held the Cubs safe. The Birminghams tried hard to win, and played a great uphill game, but the cubs were determined to make it three straight. Wallace's batting and Robinson's one-handed catch of a long line hit labeled home run were the features of the game. To put it mildly, Robinson's catch saved the game for the Cubs. The pitching of Martin was good, and little Mitchel proved that he is the best catcher around the Falls City, bar none. Following is the score: Louisville Cubs 3, Birmingham Giants 2. Attendance 4,500."

May 18, 1909

Nashville, TN
"Birmingham Giants Win. - Nashville Boys Outplayed by a Score of 8 to 2. - Nashville, Tennessee. - The Birmingham, Alabama Giants defeated the local team, Tuesday, by a score of 8 to 2. Miller, of the home team, was hit for 12 safeties. Taylor of the visitors pitched a fine article of ball and struck out five Nashvillites. The Giants made the only home run. Three hundred people witnessed the game."

May 22, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Diamond Breezes - The Birmingham, Alabama Giants are on a winning streak."

May 31, 1909

Birmingham, AL
"Birmingham Wins Two. - Birmingham, Alabama. - The Birmingham Giants defeated the Chattanoogas in two fast games, Monday and Tuesday of the past week. The first game resulted in a score of 7 to 2 and the second 5 to 2. C.I. Taylor pitched the first game and allowed the visitors but three taps.

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 11, 1909

Mobile, AL
"Birmingham Giants Took Two of Three Games - Mobile Wins One - Failed to Score in First Game - Play Double Header Before Big Crowd Saturday. - Special to the Freeman. - Mobile, Alabama. - In a battle of ten innings, with a score of 1 to 0, Birmingham finally won over the home team Friday. The large crowd that went out to National Park to witness the game expected a great one, and they were not dissapointed. The Birmingham team stands at the head of Negro professionals in the South, with a large bunch of victories to its credit. The Mobile team so far has also made a great record this season, having lost only one game out of the three series completed with New Orleans and Pensacola. Samuels pitched in fine form for the home team, and the fact that Birmingham was able to score was no fault of his, whereas Gilliard, for Birmingham, was better supported in general team work. In the latter half of the tenth inning, Mobile succeeded in getting a man on second basse, but even before the cheering ceased the runner was caught by a nice little ruse of Taylor and Merideth."

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."

Birmingham, AL
"Saturday afternoon the two teams played a double header. The Mobile team took the first game, 1 to 0. The game was as fast and interesting as the one of Friday, in which Mobile was beaten by the Giants 1 to 0. Ritter, pitcher for the home team, was steady and strong, allowing the Giants only two hits, striking out seven, which was all that Taylor could do. In the second game both teams, tired out, fell out considerably from the fast pace set in the first, and things moved along slowly for a season. Raymore was in the box for Mobile. There was much batting, which, however, allowed some very pretty fielding on both sides. Birmingham scored in the first inning, piled them up in the third, and with this situation confronting them, Mobile sought a change of positions. Raymore went to first base and Samuels came to the box. The playing was better from then on, but it was too late to change the result. The game ended in seven innings with the score of 7 to 2 in favor of Birmingham."

"Birmingham Base Ball Notes. - Ben Taylor, Birmingham's big side-wheeler, pitched a double-header last week."

June 14, 1909

Birmingham, AL
"The Giants play the Louisville Cubs at Birmingham, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Cubs know the game."

June 15, 1909

Birmingham, AL
"Louisville Cubs at Birmingham Giants Tuesday, June 15."

June 16, 1909

Birmingham, AL
"Louisville Cubs at Birmingham Giants Wednesday, June 16."

June 21, 1909

Birmingham, AL
"Louisville Cubs at Birmingham, rained out Monday."

June 22, 1909

Birmingham, AL
"Louisville Cubs at Birmingham, rained out Tuesday."

June 23, 1909

Birmingham, AL
"Cubs Win Four on Trip. - Special to the Freeman. - Louisville, Kentucky. - The Cubs were very successful on their first Southern trip. Only one game could be played at Birmingham, June 23, which the Cubs won 5 to 3. It rained Monday and Tuesday."

July 4, 1909

Birmingham, AL
"Mobile comes here for a series of four games to be played July 5, 6, and 7. A double header is scheduled for the Monday. The Giants expect to extend their compliments to the visitors by taking the lion's share of the series."

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 17, 1909

Louisville, KY
"Louisville Cubs Defeat Alabamans Two Games - Birmingham Giants Suffer Hard Blow at Hands of Falls City's Crack Team in Three-Game Series. - By Jesse Palmer. - Special to the Freeman. - Louisville, Kentucky - The Birmingham Giants received their first defet of the series on Saturday, July 17. The Cubs took the lead in the first inning and the Giants were never a dangerous factor. The Giants played a great uphill game, but could not overcome the lead. They rallied in the sixth, but could only make two runs, and after the sixth Martin pitched a safe game. The all around playing of the mighty Deamus was the feature of the game. Birmingham Giants 3, Louisville Cubs 5."

July 18, 1909

Louisville, KY
"Sunday's Game. - The Alabamans showed the Cubs that they could play the game called baseball. The Giants played all around the Cubs and with Carter's two costly errors in the first inning made things easy for the visitors. The Giants outbatted the home boys and made only two errors, while the cubs made eight. Taylor kept the Cubs safe at all times and received almost perfect support, while West's support was rotten. Score: Birminham Giants 7, Louisville Cubs 1. Attendance 3000."

July 19, 1909

Louisville, KY
"Monday's Game. - The last of the series was won by the Cubs. The Giants played a nice game and made a desperate effort to win in the ninth inning. The score: Birminham Giants 7, Louisville Cubs 9."

July 24, 1909

Birmingham, AL
"Birmingham Giants Sunday. - The Birmingham Giants Are Here for a Series with the A.B.C.s Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. - The Birmingham Giants are here for a series with the A.B.C.s, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. These games promise to be the best seen at Northwestern Park this season, as the Birminghams have the best colored team in the South. This is the first time this famous team has been booked in Indianapolis, and preparations have been made to handle large crowds at each game. The Taylor brothers, the greatest colored players in the South, are with the team. Steel Arm Johnny will pitch one of these games for the visitors."

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."

July 31, 1909

Louisville, KY
"Saturday, July 31, game stopped on account of rain after six innings. Birmingham Giants 6, Louisville Cubs 2."