The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-25

increased to ten clubs next season.
 It is pretty much of certainty that the present towns will form the eight clubs next season and if there is to be a ten club affair there Is bare chance that Mobile and Chattanooga will be the two extra towns, although Savannah, Augusta, and Charleston will put fin bids. Nothing but guesswork can be hazarded, however, until the meeting of the league which will in all probability be held in Montgomery sometime next month.
 Yesterday a check was sent to secre- tary Farrell of the National Association and Montgomery has protection in the Southern League for the season of 1904. The National Association will be much stronger next season than it was this the jump; The outlaw league on the coast will in all probability come into the fold of the National Association long nefose next sumner ,n tns There will be no outside of the National and American Leagues the National Association will control and be absolutely master of the baseball situation of the United States. Last night Manager Whistler and the last of the Black Sox left for their homes and with the exception of Otis Stockdale and Oscar Streit every man of them is on the local reserve list for next season. the payment of the protection fund yes- terday making this reserve list ironclad.
 Streit only signed Montgomery con- tract for this season so that he is free to sign where he pleases next summer. He said yesterday that he had not done anything definite about finishing the sea- son with the Boston Americans and was not certain whether he would or not. He says that he has already received some very fattering offers for next season but that he will not do anything until Feb ruary. The same thing is true in the case of Stockdale.
 The other two pitchers. Polchow and Stultz. are both reserved as are also both of the catchers. Manners and Clark. While Manners has not had much oppor- tunity to show what was in him this season he showed on this last trip that he Is good safe hitter and splendid utility man. The local fans have already seen that his backstop work is way above the average and next season he will be very valuable man. ! Clark made a reputation this summer as one of the best catchers in the South ern League. He is the most reliable bat working ball players ever in Montgom- cry, playing the game for all that 1t is worth from the first to the last. of the ninth inning. A good hard seasons work has knocked about all of the foolishness and baby actions out of him and next season he will be also very valuable.
 There will probably be some changes in tinue to look after the initial bag. He is q good. reliable fielder and his terrific hitting overshadows any objection that the most pfeJuulCe0 Tan can Ilflu HBdlnSt l him.
 Childs will hardly be found on second base when the team reports next season Cupid did not begin to give satisfaction this season and 1t looks as if his days of usefulness are over.
 Spratt will probably be back at third He was playing a brilliant game, fielding well and throwing like rife. before his collision with Flanagan in Nashville. but he has never played the same game since then. although his hitting and baserun- ming have picked up sofne.
 Kid Busch promises to be one of the fastest shortstops in the South next year This hard seasons work did wonders tc develop him.
 With Burnett, Molesworth, stickne, and Durett to draw on the outfeld nex season should be as fast as anything 1T the Southern League. Certainly there will hardly be as hard hitting outfield fl the League.
 With this nucleus Montgomery should start the season next year with an az gregation of ball-tossers that will mak, 1t interesting for anybody's team. espe cially as the salary list Is to be mad' reasonable.
 By stopping the leak at second base and possibly third. the team as 1t stand four outflelders Burnett could be placed at second, leaving only a third basemal and couple of pitchers to be landed.
 The local franchise next year will b. very valuable and a scramble to get hol' of it has already commenced It belong now to the present Baseball Association and will remain with them unless tn Southernf League decides to take it ava. from Montgomery.