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NOT NEWS, BUT VIEWS
LEAVE
Barring something quite unexpected the annual Southern
League meeting will actually take place Saturday morning,
with n curtain raiser the preceding day.
After numerous but not especially vexatious delays the thing
is about to occur.
It is hard to conceive a peaceful Southern League meeting.
They have happened, but they arc the exception.
Just what the delegates to the coming meeting will find to fight
about is hard to determine, but time will tell.
Last year the salary limit came in for much discussion and
was the cause of several cases of grouch (seems like Billy Smith
had one, but we didn’t know Billy as well then as wc do now and
maybe it was something else). Also there was oratory of the
perfumed variety, much of which was uncorked by Harry Vaughn.
After a long row a salary limit was adopted. Wc forget the
amount set—and so did nix out of eight teams in the league last
season—but anyway the limit caused just as much hard feeling
as though all of them had planned to stick to it.
And so it has gone at every meeting. If it wasn’t the salary
limit it was an attempt to bottle Charley Frank or to squelch Newt
Fisher or something of that order.
Speaking of Newt—the plump and cheerful face of the ex-
Nashville mogul will probably be missing at the Birmingham ses
sion. Newt has been eliminated from bnseball, and according to
report is now running a grocery store.
Newt was a good sleuth and knew baseball, but he didn’t
keep up with the times. He kept thinking that a Southern League
team could be run ou $1,900 a year and when he woke up it was
too late.
Bobby Gilks’ cheerful (sometimes) countenance will also be
absent. Bobby was one of the wisest moguls that the Southern has
ever known, but someway he has slipped back to the Cotton States
League. He will (At missed, though.
Among those present will be "The Judge” (William M. Kav-
anaugh); his ever genial secretary, Clark Miller; our old college
chump, Charley Frarfk; his genial nibs, Miko Finn; his oratorical
joblots, Harry Vaughn, and the knocking twins—Charley Babb
and Tom McCullough, of Memphis.
Among the new comers at the meeting will be Tom Fisher,
the new Shreveport mogul, and Johnny Dobbs, Nashville’s new
manager.
Just what sort of a delegation Montgomery will have on the
spot we shall know later.
It would take second sight to do a real forecast of the meet
ing.
Being gifted with nothing but first sight, and being obliged
to go "four-eyer” at that, we shall have to attend the meeting
to tell whnt wilt happen.
And attend we shall, barrin g accidents.
New York Sport Willing to
Bet Big Money on Herman
Tonopah, Nev, Dec. 27.—A. H. Walle.
• New York theatrical man, came Into
. town yesterday to remain until after
the Gans-Hermnn flsht.
Mr. Walle I* a strong supporter of
Harman, and has watched the career
, of the Chicago kid since It began. He
. Is here to see Herman and says he has
12,000 to put up against 15,000 that
'Herman will get the decision.
There was no one willing to take
the bet, which. Walle saye, will stand
until the men enter the ring. He would
. be willing to place the money at less
odds.
Gans still rules a decided favorite.
I There Is not much money being wa
gered at the present time. Doth men
continue their training faithfully and
Gans seems to realise that he will have
trouble In making the required weight.
Christmas waa a day of celebration,
not only In the ramp of the two pugi
lists, but also on the part of the Casino
Athletic Club officials, headed by Man
ager Reilly.
The club celebrated the completion
of the arena. Although a small section
of the roof of the arena has not been
g lared. It Is a certainty that the big
ultdlng will be In readiness within the
next day nr so. nnd Is looked on us
completed by the cluh members, and
there was cause for celebration.
WHERE ARE THEY’
Tad here shows Champion Jeffries breaking nut of retirement and
what he expecta Is going to happen In the heavyweight ranks.
Nashville Mogul Has Score
of Players He Would Trade
ATHLETES IN BRONZE.
New York. Dec. 17.—At the Grand
Central Palace tonight the members of
the United Irtsh-American Societies
will turn out In. force at a public re
ception given In honor of Martin J.
Sheridan and John J. Flanagan, who
have upheld the honors of the societies
on the athletic track and field. In
memory of the occasion the two famous
athletes are to be presented with
bronxe statues of themselves, one
showing Hherldan In the act of throw
ing the discus and the other showing
Flanagan throwing the ((-pound
weight.
Itonej Mellody. the welterweight chant
plon, has received n» offer to meet Joe
Thomss, the California fighter. In s twenty,
round bout at Colma next month. The two
met once before, on which occasion Thomas
gained a decision over Mellody.
With the date for the league meeting
less than a week off, lays the Nash
ville Banner, fans about the circuit
are beginning to see what changes a
convention of the high moguls will
bring about. From the local camp,
President Kuhn and Manager Dobbs
will go, and poaslbly some others.
Thers are several men on the local
roster who will be put on the counter
for sale or barter. The club's reserve
list Includes Frory, Janslng, Wiseman,
Persons, Wells, Ely, Sorrell, John Dug.
gan, Elmer Dugan, Herman, Stafford
and Dusty Miller. Of these. It Is safe
to say that some several will go over
the roads. Bohannon has already been
sold. Red waa a fast fielder, but he
was weak with the stick, and there
were other objections more serious
than this.
Frary Is one that seems certain of a
trip to other quarters. Ralph cun piny
ball, but the kind of exhibition he put
u|i here won't win pennants. It may be
that he wants a change to some other
club In the circuit, and he will proba
bly be offered tor someone else In u
trnde.
Janslng Is also under consideration.
Rut It has not been decided definitely
what will be done with him. He Is one
of the best thlrd-sackers In the league
when he gets In the game, but last sea
son he failed to round to. It Is a set
tled fact, however, that whoever gets
hint will have a hustling g-md man,
when he wakes up to the game. He
has a number of good friends here who
are anxious to see him on the team
next year.
Stafford's cose will be taken up.
Early last season he suffered an attack
of rheumatism that put him out of tho
game for the rest of the season, but It
may be thut he has recovered suffi
ciently by now to play good ball again.
If so, Sir Robert will likely go under
the hammer; otherwise, he may be re'
leased outright.
Herman Is another uncertainty. Last
season the Intense heat and a few
rounds with Mike Finn proved too
much for the Tall Boy, and he ske
daddled In mid-season. During the re
mainder of the season he waa In Louis
ville, out of the game. But his con
tract with Nashville still holds good,
nnd ho will probably figure In some deal
at tho meeting next Saturday. It Is
known that at least three other clubs
would like to get him.
"Dusty" Miller will also, likely be up
for consideration. "Dusty” has lotn of
goad managerial material In him, and
It may be that he will get on to such a
job. It Is hardly likely that he will
hold on here. Tho outfield here will
be loo fast for him to break Into It, and
he doesn't look like a sticker.
The others menlloped are practically
sure to be on the team, unless some ex
traordinary offer Is made for some of
them. The two Duggans. Ely and Sor
rell will form the nucleus of the twirl*
log staff. In the outfield. Manager
Dobbs and Persons will nil two of the
positions. Rut tt Is not known wlint
will be done with Wiseman. The little
doctor put up a good game at short
stop the latter part of the season, and
many think It would lie n good plan to
keep him there. This, however, de-
|K>n<ts on what other men are secured.
Doe can put up a good game at either
an Infield or an outfield position, and
It remains to lie seen what disposition
will be made of him.
Players Who Went to Minors
And Came Back to Their Own
Of Course
MADEfm}&P**9^r&DAlEr
THE STANDARD OF PURITY.
Because a ball player Is shipped from
one of the two big leagues "back t
the minors" does not necessarily mean
that such player Is relegated to the
lesser organisation forever, writes Sam
Crane In The New York Globe.
There have been many Instance*
where a player not making good in hi
first year os a big leaguer has come
back from the bushes and become a
major league star.
It relies altogether on the player him
self whether he stays down or bobs up
again. One that feels that his profes
sional career Is ruined by Ids first fail
ure In big league class will never get
out of the minor league rut. He will
continue to be In the smaller league as
long as he plays ball.
But It Is those players who refuse to
be kept down; those who fight all the
harder for recognition of their abilities
and who put additional energy Into
their work, and who are willing to be
taught by older and more experienced
players will become so valuable as to
lie -e-drafted.
The American league has had a
dozen or more outfielders to whom
the sklddoo sign has been handed by
some American nr National league
who have convincingly and
demonstrated their abilities
to get back Into fast company. The
chances are go.id. too, that many com
ing seasons will see many more of the
"come backs."
Of the players who ltuve failed to
"show" In their first nltetnpts to break
Into the big league, bin who arose to
the top thereafter, there are Jimmy
Jackson, who failed to make good in
Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia.
He drifted to the St, Paul club, where
he played such fast ball and tuttlcd 'to
well Hint I.ajole waa glad to secure
him for the tievelund team. With the
Naps. Jackson has none much excel
lent work, anil has filled In most ac
ceptably whenever any of the regulars
were Incapacitated.
The Chicago Cubs tried Congalion,
and. although he started off with a bat
ting rush that promised large returns,
he tailed to continue hla good work and
was dropfied by tha wayside. He
bnblted up In Cleveland last year, and
Is now considered one of the best bat
ters of the hard-hitting Naps.
ltlnchiniin Is another player who
"came back,” after being released by
Cincinnati to Columbus.
Then there is the phenomenal Stone,
whom Boston did not consider strong j
enough, and wtut shipped to Milwaukee.
The Boston club bad a string on
Stone, however, and pulled him back,
hut foolishly traded him to 8t. Louis
for Burkett. And Stone led the Ameri
can League In batting last season. He
couldn't be bought from McAleer now
;HIGHLANDERS NEED !
A PEW PITCHERS!
Oirffi* to the fact that Clark Griffith
and hl« merry band of rover* will train In
Atlanta In the Rprtaf, tho local fan* are
taking a lot of Interest In the New York
aggregation.
IIer«» la how Grantland Rice dopes out
tho chances of the team:
“If Clark Griffith should wake up this
cheery Christmas moru and discover a
couple of hlgh*clsss t able-bodied alabmen
In hla New York sock, the odds are that
be would be the gent us-
tlon. .
“Griff Is up against a queer proposition.
“He has a finely balnuccd ball club, with
the sole exception of n barren 'hurling
hill,' nnd here he Is up against It strong.
“Jnck Chcsbro seems to be a full-fledged
member of the D. and O. wlgwora. A1
Orth Is not the A! of the golden past, al
though he Is still able to keep moat of them
guessing. Doc Newton has been cast
udrlft. Doyle, Billy Hogg and Walter
Clarkson are still experiments. Tom
Hughes, the Atlanta wonder, Is lu the same
class.
“Ail this shows the peculiar conditions
which exist In bnlldom these days and
time*, for, despite tho fact that Frank Far
rell, New York’s o»ner. Is willing to go
any limit to t»ng a good man. It seems
that no one Is willing to cut s good man
loose.
'•Griff knows as well as nnylnwly that if
he opens n campaign with bis present staff
he will be up against It hard.
“And yet. with but two mouths left be-
«re hi* elan starts Heath, he has been
unable to add any apparent strength to bis
collection of rifle-pit artists.
"The latest now has him out lifter Patten
tnd Hildebrand, but the odds tire good
bat he will laud neither.
“In order to secure Patten, be will he
forced to nude ('besbro and fndohanty,
hiiiI It's n safe l»et that he will never
shore the deal through."
J«lm *\ Butler, who caught for the
Jersey t'fty team last season, atlso has
signed with the Brooklyn*, und of the
old players, the signed contracts of
Billy Maloney, tin* Meet out (Wider; Bill
Bergen, the catcher, and Al Alston, the
debonair boxtnau. have been received
for bonus.
Hemphill, the n**:<t heaviest batter
to >d-»ne ;n the Brown*, found the
sledding too hard for hint in 8t. Louis
In his f.mt attempt, but one year In
the American Association put him on
Ids baseball feet nnd he Is now con
sidered one of the best outfielder* In
the American League.
Kmll Frisk, t«s>. after being a year in
St. Paul, coin*s back to the Browns
next year nnd much-fa expected of him.
O'Neill, of the While Sox, Is now en
joying his second time on earth as a
big leaguer.
Danny Green is now In Milwaukee,
but the chances are bright that he will
be hack with the Sox.
Then there are Davy Jones. Charley
Jones nnd Denny Sullivan, who are all
"come backs ** in the American League.
In the National League “Spike'*
Shannon, of the Giant*, and Odwelt, of
the Bed*, arc player* who have been
tried once and found wanting, hut man
aged to get into the highest class for
the second time.
There Is always a demand by the
major league clubs fur players of abil
ity and n first "strike out” does not put
a man out of it altogether necessarily."
ATLANTA DELEGATION
LEAVES ON FRIDAY
Four Local Moguls Going to Annual Meeting
of Southern League-rNo Excitement
Anticipated.
Friday afternoon a delegation of of
ficiate of the Atlanta Baseball Asso
ciation will leave Atlanta for Blrmlng.
ham, where they will attend the annual
meeting of the Southern Association of
Baseball Clubs—known commonly as
the Southern League—which will be
held at the Now Florence Hotel Satur.
day morning.
In the party will be John F. Dlckln
son, president of the club. Mayor-elect
W. R. Joyner, Lowry Arnold, serretary
of the club, and Billy Smith, manager
of the team.
The board of directors of the league
will meet Friday morning. Aa Atlanta
has no representation on this board,
the delegation from the Gate City will
make no attempt to get to Birmingham
for that event.
Nothing of Importance Is expected at
the meeting of the board. As far as Is
known It has nothing to decide except
some matters of minor Importance,
email disputes and the like.
As far as Atlanta Is concerned noth
ing of very startling Importance It
likely to break out at the coming meet
ing of the league.
No Kick from Atlanta.
Atlanta Is satisfied with the way
things are going. Her team did not
win the pennant, but It tried so ex
tremely hard that <he public of the
Gate City followed the race with mark
ed Interest and baseball paid. Like
good business men, the local moguls
ars not Inclined to change conditions
which are profitable to them and sat
isfactory to the public.
As far as can be learned, no chan i
In the league salary limit will be made.
It proved satisfactory to all last year
and no doubt will be allowed to con
tinue unchanged.
BAR0N8 GET PENNANT.
That the pennant will be awarded to
Birmingham Is regurded as certain.
The other clubs In the league have a
Just kick Coming on the Cas'ro deal,
which was Irregular and altogether
contrary to the rules, but It Is the spirit
of the league to let such bygones ho
bygones. There limy be other dispute",
but nothing te being said about them.
All claims that Now Orleans had
against Atlanta have been discharged
and nothing te likely to be heard of
the Jordan Incident unless Judge Kav-
anaugh sees fit to take up the charges
made against him In connection with
that affair. However, It 1a likely that
this matter will be smothered over out
side the meeting.
The financial affairs of the league
will be considered, but this matter In
terests the public but little. The dis
position In the various funds of the
league will be settled upon and that
will be about all In the financial line.
Altogether the prospects for a calm
meeting are good, though appearances
are so often deceptive that the Atlanta
delegation will be surprised at nothing.
OOOOOO0OOOO0OOO0OO0O0OOOOO
O 0
O ANOTHER MINING CAMP
0 WANT8 TO GET FIGHT. 0
O
0 New York. Dec. 27.—Battling 0
O Nelson, accompanied by his friend. 0
O Cal Morton, of Leavenworth, V
O Kans„ sailed for Liverpool yester- 0
O day on the White Star liner Ma- 0
0 Jestlc. 0
O Nelson announced before leav- 0
O Ing that he had a new offer for a 0
O fight between himself and Joe 0
O Gans from a brand new town in 0
O Ncvadn. The new Goldfield camp 0
0 Is called Manhattan. The offer 0
O of Manhattan for another finish o
0 fight between the two great light- 0
0 weights 1s (10,000,
00000000000000000000000000
HHMMHMMIMHMMIMHIHMIMHMJ
TWO ATHLETIC STARS
William Ntlton on ths Isft, Martir.
Sheridan on right. Both ars all-round;
athletics of intsrnatisnal prominence. '
NAT KAI3ER A CO.
CONFIDENTIAL LOANS
ON VALUABLES.
15 OecMtur.St Kimball House.
Barcains in Unredeemed Diamonds.
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