The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-26
TEAM WOULD PAY, HERE.
NEVER HAS A SEASON BEEN so
pnosPEROUs AS ONE JUST PASSED.

Montgomery will Give Up Her Fran
chise, ana If Savannah Goes to
work Now Mny BE Able to Secure
It-No Better Location In the South
for n Good Paying Team in South
arn League Than in Savannah.
Macon Is Preparing for Profess
.ionuI Ball Next Season.
IF Savannah is to be represented in
the Southern League next year, and
there is a good chance now to secure
a franchise. now is the time to COM
n,ence preparations for securing the
vacancy which will be caused by the
falling out of Montgomery.
1t has been positively announced that
Montgomery will not claim her fran
chise for next season, and the fight for
il will be between Macon, Chattanooga
and Savannah, with Chattanooga an
almost unrecognized part. Mr.. Minis
Hightower of. Chattanooga, who was
president of the Chattanooga Baseball
Association which had the franchise
there two years ago. passed through
Savannah some weeks ago en- route to
New York, and while here he said to
a reporter of the Morning News that
he was almost certain that Chatta-
nooga would never be able to; get into
the Southern League again, and that
he was not going to interest himself
in the matter again. Mr.. Hightower
was the leading spirit in baseball cir
cles in Chattanooga, and If he has
made up his mind to hands off there
is little probability that the Mountain
City will be contender in the fight for
the franchise.
Macon is already taking steps to-
wards putting a team in the league
next year, and if the movement that
is now on foot is pushed as vigorously as
it has been for the past few weeks, Sa-
vannah will have to hustle If she wants
professional team next year.
That Savannah is ripe for profession
al ball has been evidenced here this
summer by the interest manifested in
the amateur games that have been
played between teams of the Tri-Club
League. Not since the days of 1886
when Savannah had one of the strong
est teams in the entire country, and
rivalry was of the keenest nature. has
so much interest been manifested here
in the national game. In those days
Savannah was recognized as one of the
best ball towns in the South. and sup
ported the most expensive team. A
large number of the players on the
team here at that time are now stars
i'll the big leagues. Notable among
them are Jimmy Collins of the Boston
Cof7f1innc (Nan1nan Whn has -EinCA had
a checkered caEeer as player and man
ager, and others of equal note.
Old time fans like to regale them
selves and friends with accounts of one
game in particular in which Savannah
played the Pittsburg champions to a
standstill in a fifteen inning game,
the game being finally called on ac-
count of darkness with score and j.
If Savannah Is to have a professional
team next year now is the time to
commence preparations, and not next
spring. The first step to be taken is
to get a franchise, and If it is found
that this is possible q local baseball as
ISOLATION is necessary unless some in
dividual is willing to back the enter
price himself.
All of the teams in the Southern
League during the season just passed
have made money, and stockholders
in the various clubs have been given
handsome dividends. This goes to
rent even for an individual to finance
the movement to put q. team out for
the pennant. t}
Several letters have been received at
the Morning News Office asking that
the matter be agitated and an effort
be made to get local fans who have
something other than wind. interested.