The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-26
LEAGUES BRIGHT PROSPECTS
TO BE PERMANENTLY ORGANIZED
IN AUGUSTA NEXT MONTH.

Most Likely to BE Six-Club League.
savannah sure of "A Place-The
Season to BE Comparatively short
and the Salary Limit About 5000.
Not Known Who VIII Manage Sa-
vannah's Tcam-CbarIie Bennett
Wants Savnnnnh's Franchise.
Joe UIIman Returns.
The prospects for professional base ball
in the south were never brighter than
they are at present. The decision of
President Young of the National league
in recognizing the Southeastern league,
while it was not unexpected to the pro-
jectors of the league, was most encourage
ing.
There is nothing in the way of permanent
organization of the league now, and
meeting for that purpose will be held in
Augusta on Nov. 8.
The men who are interested in the new
organization intend to profit by the eXpe-
rience of former years and will organize
and begin the work of engaging managers
and signing players for the various teams
before the best of the talent has been
CullGu over. lnlS Is Wtiis III Apl AAltA
years the work of organization has been
put off until late in the spring when most
ali other leagues had formulated their
plans and signed their players. The re-
suit has been that the Southern league
clubs, as a rule, had to be contented with
teams made up mostly of players who
had been unable to obtain engagements
with other clubs.
The league as 1t stands now, comprises
the following cities: Savannah, Atlanta, Au-
gusta, Macon and Charleston. 1t has not
been definitely decided as yet whether the
circuit will contain six or eight clubs, but
it is more than likely that it will be SIX
| club league The other club to make up
the circuit will be either Columbus, Ga,
or Columbia, S. C.
1t is understood that both Birmingham
and Montgomery would like to enter the
| league, while Charlotte, N. c., and Green
vile, S. c.. have also been mentioned.
The admission of any one of these clubs
would necessarily cause the admission of
| another, and would make the league an
eight club one.
This is the most important question
that will be brought before the league
| meeting, and the one which should be
most carefully looked into by the league
magnates 1t is clearly perceptible that
| an eight-club league would not stand as
| good a chance of success as that COM
posed of the cities originally proposed
| The admission of Montgomery and
| Birmingham would widen the circuit to
| too great an extent, and would make the
! jumps too long. Montgomery is a good
! base ball town, and always supports
| team handsomely, but Birmingham has
! always been a failure, with the one ex-
ception of the year Jim Manning was at
| the head of the team of that city. The
! six-club league is the proper thing, and
| the leagues decision will probably be on
| that line.
The salary limit and the length Of the
| playing season will also be considered AZ
| the coming meeting, but these questions
may not be decided until later. 1t is more
! likely that they will be referred TO COM
mittees to be looked into and decided
upon later. The salary limit, IT is ex-
! pected, will be placed at about $500 or 1901
| This limit will admit of the engaging
| of competent teams and yet will not be
too high. A strong rule, compelling the
clubs to stick to the salary limit and i'm
| posing penalty upon the club that breaks
| it, will be introduced. This will prevens
some clubs from going above the. limit
! and engaging teams which are composed
| of higher class payers than those which
stay within the limit.
1t is not known who will control ard
! manage the savannah team. MT. j. j.
| Harrigan, who has been prominently con-
nected with base ball matters for years,
| has been representing this city in the
| correspondence that has been had so far.
| and the franchise will most likely be given
| to him. Whether or not Mr.. Harrigan
cares to accept it, however, cannot be
said.
| Charlie Bennett, the famous Boston
| ex-catcher, who lost his legs in a rail-
road wreck, is endeavoring to obtain the
| franchise for this city, Bennett is a great
| friend of Jim Manning and Manning Is
| doubtless behind him.
The announcement that Jimmie Man
ming would relinquish Kansas City and
retire permanently from the game APP
| pears to have been premature. Manning
| is now fighting tooth and nail to prevent
the disruption of the western league.
Tommy Colcolough of Charleston is
| mentioned to manage and captain the
Charleston team next year. Colcolough is
on the reserve list of the Wilkesbarre
team, however, and there may be some
| trouble in obtaining his release.
| The famous piece of base ball poetry en-
titled, Casey at the Bat" which was
made popular by the inimitable De Wolf
| Hopper, has now a companion piece, very
much like the original. which is entitled,
| when Casey Slugged the Ball.
The only original Joe Ullman arrived
! in Savannah yesterday after two months
| trip through the west. He visited nearly
every large city between Savannah and
| Chicago While his main object was to
engage boxers to appear before the Pas
/ time Athletic Club this winter, he has
| been in several bouts while he was away,
and comes back with some western money.
! On Sept. II he bested a well-known light
/ weight named Flanagan for a purse of
| 500, and obtained the decision in a six
round bout with the same man a week
| later. On Oct. 16 he fought a ten-round
| draw with Jimmie Mcleod, at Hender-
| son, KY, and on last Thursday night
fought the same man, the bout being
stopped in the eighth round, as both men
were pretty badly punished Ullman
shows evidence of this one Of his optics
i being somewhat marked.
Joe has engaged some crack-a-jacks TO
| spar here before the club, and promises