The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-09-25
The Sport The Best This Year Ever
Seen In The South, And The
Attendance The
Largest.
Southern League Standing.
from the Nashville American:

From the NASHVILLE American:
The championship of the Southern
Association OF Base Ball Clubs, for the
season of 1903, according to the un-
official figures, goes to Memphis. with
Little Rock four points behind. At
lanta's defeat by the Memphlans
Yesterday puts the latter team ahead
of Little Rock, but if the Little Rock
Nashville games. in which Hugh Hill
played, are awarded to the Travellers,
at the forthcoming league meeting,
the ArKansans will secure the banner.
From common sense point OF view,
however, Memphis wins, and is justly
entitled to the hOnOrs. Shreveport is
third, the position Of that team, for a
long time at the bottom, having been
attained by hard, conscientious play
ing.
The season has been the most
brilliant since the league revived three
years ago. The games have been more
interesting because better played by
better players. Indeed, it IS conceded
that the Southern League has been
the best of all the minor organiza-
tions, second only to the American
Association. Fisher. Hughey, Bolin,
Dougherty, Smith and others are
wanted by the larger leagues and most
of them will not be seen in the South
next season.
NOT MUCH PROFIT.
While from the standpoint OF sport
the league has been marvellous sue
cess, it is not believed the owners OF
the teams have made so much money
as heretofore. in truth, 1t IS doubtful
if some of them saved themselves. 1t
is more than probab that Mont
gomery and Shreveport both came out
behlud, while there Is no assurance
that Little Rock made much money.
New Orleans sunk lot OF money
and incidentally damaged the other
clubs by mistakes of manayement.
Charley Franks expenditures on the
pennant winners have been large, and
while he may have made some money
for himself and his hacker, Caruthers
Ewing, 1t Is not likely they will be
able to purchase the Memphis Cotton
Exchange with their earnings. FRANK
got a good deal Of newspaper larrup-.
ing along towards the earlier part OF
the season because Of the Indifferent
playing of hls men, and he had to use
the Ak on a number Of them and go
North and buy a few stars. Phyle,
DUNCAN and Hale cost HIM a big wac,
and he also had to pay stiff salaries
TO Delehanty and Applegate, whom he
later got from New Orleans.
Nashville, Atlanta and Birmingham
made money, and 1t has been reported
that Fisher, the Nashville manager,
was $40, 900 ahead but six or seven
will perhaps come nearer 1t. Accord
ing to figures given out some weeks
ago, Nashville had the cheapest team
IN the league, hence Fisher has made
more money than any other owner.
He has one of the best towns In the
circuit to draw from, and except at the
tail end of the season. he has drawn
unusually we'll. Even after his recent
disastrous defeats, the last games
here with Little Rock drew crowds
that overHowed the stands.
SALARY LIMIT.
so. after all, Fisher may have a
longer head than the other managers
when ne insists that the salary limit
should be 81, 500 to 81, 100, and strictly
enforced. II he can get together az
GOOD a team as he had for $l,70O per
month and the other towns are held
within this limit next year they Will
afford satisfactory sport and all VIII
MAKE money. The league cannot con-
t,nue, however, with teams costing
m. 600 to 90, 800 u month. because
while New Orleans might afford such
AN extensive team. no other city In
the league can, and the smaller towns
wouId nave TO drop out. II Is better,
under the circumstances, to have the
teams more on an equality rs to cost,