The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-08
BALL and Bat.
A FEW WORDS OF REPLY TO THE
SAVANNAH "TIMES."
Good Ball Playing at st. Louis
and Plttsburg-Results Of
Other Games.

date, reprints tae following from this
paper:
II Macon, Chattanooga and Savannah can
dispose Of their franchises they had better do
it, for il is'extremely unlikely that Memphis
will risk going through another season in the
same league with either of them. Business
is business, and experience has demo n strated
that baseball does not pay in the cities
named. Nashville, Memphis, Charleston,
New Orleans, Mobile, Evansville and Allan
Ia will make good enough league withou.
monkeying with towns where the financial
game is lost.
The Times, commenting on what the
APPEAL prints, says:
Really Memphis has big case of swell
head: For the benefit of the Memphis Club
league next year. We don't see why Mem
phis has reason TO complain. Savannah paid
her her guarantee every time she played
here. SAVANNAH can compare gate receipts
with the Memphis Club, and IL anything,
have the largest amount on our margin. We
suppose Memphis is mad because Savannah
has SO mucl the superior club to them,
Then again she wants new faces in the league
because she thinks she will have more
chance for the pennant with an inexperi-
enced town. IfMemphis is too good for us let
her skip out of the league. But one thing is
certain, Savannah will be in the Southern
League ne xt season whether Memphis rs there
or not. We will state for the benefit of the
Memphis APPEAL that the Savannah club
has money enough TO put up her suaranteee
10 play the season out, and will not be fired
out Of the league, as Memphis was last year,
for want of funds to pay her guarantee.
Vlnnah. and Memphis has "snide" man
ager and a club of that name, which costs al
most nothing, while Savannah has the best
and next to the most expensive in the league.
The above comments of the Savan-
nah Times require few words of ex-
PLANTATION and reply. 1t is true that
Memphis was fired out of the League
last year, but for no fault of her own.
The Memphis Club owed certain
sum to the league treasury. A sum
equal in amount to the Indebtedness
OF Memphis to the league was due
Memphis by the Atlanta Club, and
that club pr missed to pay the amount
into the league treasury for account
of Memphis. Accepting that promise
and snpposing it had been faithfully
kept, Memphis was ignorant OF the fact
that her Indebtedness to the lesgus
had remained uncanceled. For this
breach of faith on the part OF Atlanta,
Memphis was, ss the Savannah Times
tersely puts it, fired out of the
League" and in order to get back had
to pay $1,000 for the purchase of the
Columbus franchise. 1t is proper TO
remind the Savannah Times, also, that
Columbus still owes Memphis guarar-
tee money for three games, aud that
that amount was not deducted as
it shou d have been from the price
paid for the Columbus franchise. Now
as to Savannah's boast that she can
compare gate receipts with Memphis,
it is a matter Of record that the club
was not very long ago in serious finan-
cisl straits and had to pass round the
hat to enable it to finish the schedule.
That circumstance was published
in all prominent Southern pa
pers and has never been denied
even by the Times. 1t ia
alec we'll knowa that in the course of
meeting of league directors at
Macon to take action with reference
tn the disarmament Of Augusta and
Chattanooga motion was offered
pledglng the remaining six clubs to
play out the season, add Macon and
Savannah refused to 80 obi
gate themselves, though Charles
ton, Atlanta, Nashville and Mem
phis were eager 10 do 20. 1t
Is also an indisputable fact that Sa-
vannsh not later than ten days ago
implored Nashville to excuse her from
playing her scheduled games in the
latter city. If these things do not in
dictate financial weakness OF a pro.
nounced character, and do not prove
that Savannah is not a safe town to be
included in the Southern League
next year, the APPEAL will be CAD
to publish substantial proof to the
contrary, il the Savannah Times will
furnish it. There ia nothing 30 de-
morslizing to the game and its tue
cess as the suIpic on that fin incial dis
tress may result in the dismember-
ment OF some club included in the
league. Players become panicky, the
public interest ceases, and the whole
business dfgenerates into farce. The
Memphis management viii have
no more Augusta or Chats
nooga business in theirs il they
can avoid it, and will object to en- or q
league composed OF clubs any one Of
which is unable 10 furnish most salts
factory as ursnces not only that it can
last the season through, but that it
will bring into the field a club com
posed OF players of recognized skill
The Savannah club OF this season
more than satisfied the latter II uire-
ment. 1t WAS composed of excellent ma
terial, but financial weakness at crit
icsl period in the leagues life had the
eff ct OF tempting the Savannah d.
rectors to offer their bsst players for
sale to National League and Associa-
ton clubs at remunerative prices.
That the bargain was not coDsum.
mated, and that the club was enabled,
through the liberality Of public spir-
it'd citizens, to tide over its financial
oubles is not in itself reassuring
fac or in determining whether Savan-
nah will b9 a good town to tie to next
season. 1t is useless for the Times to
indulge in such haunting reflections
as that Memphis is mad because
Savannah has 70 much the superior
club" We will assume thai that
superiority has been established by
the fact that Savannah flushed ahead
of Memphis. Judged by the playing
OF the Savannah club here, where six
games Of eight were won by the Mem
phs team, the superiority Of the Sa'
vannah club is debatable. But be that
as it may, Memphis will welcome as
good club IS SAvanDah's into the
league, provided the club has a finau.
cial backing that will insure its stay
ing to the end. That's what Memphis
waits, AID that's what she will intis
upon.
Joe Whites Team Wins Another
Game.
ESPECIAL TO TIE APPEAL.l