The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-23
WILL SOUTHERN LEAGUE
PENANT WAVE IN DIXIE?

Not since those memorable days in
baseballdom during the regime of Pat
Cahill and Gus Smeltz has the pennant
of Dixie caught the same breezes that
sway the pines of Georgia, but this
season loyal fanatics of this good old
state are basking in the CHEEKY sun
shine OF diamond hope and are long
ing for those old days of past de-
cade to return again. Despite the fact
that the Crackers are now wedged
in second place it is doubtful if that
remnant shaft will be buried this sea-
son in the red clay of the empire state
of baseball Dixie.
That early season of constant dis
aster now looms up a barrier on the
road way to pennant glory, and the
fight from now on will be one series
Of fierce conflict before the Colonies
can ever hope to graduate in the pen
nant university of advanced baseball
arts and sciences.
The reason that the odds now look
50 great is simply this: While the
Colonels are only three games in the
rear of the leaders they have sched-
Med thirty-four days of fighting in the
enemy's country, with but twenty
four battles entrenched in the Pied
mont breastworks. On the other hand,
the newly recruited and strengthened
tribe of Frank have thirty-two bat
ties arranged for home scenes with out
tWpnty-four chalked up away from
their own fireside. In other words less
tiossy Memphis has eight more games
scheduled at home and ten less on the
road than Atlanta has. OF the Colo
nels thirty-four games on the road
no less than twenty-five are arranged
for the fierce and untamed tribes of
the western circuit. To make the out
look even gloomier the record for road
teams this season in the South has
been one of almost constant defeat
straight through. Only remember the
two last disastrous tours of the Colo
nels around the eastern and western
slopes and along the same line the
fierce showing of the western teams
when they finished up their tour of
invasion. Out of forty-fve games
played they were defeated in no less
than thirty battles, or a grand per
cent. of 666 for the home teams.
So far as Atlanta's chances for the
pennant are concerned it all remains
on their showing against these west
ern teams. For Powell at least be-
yond the baseball Alps of the west lies
the Italy of pennant aspirations. IN
order to stand any show at all PowelPs
aggregation will have to win. at least
eight of the fifteen battles scheduled
on this trip. Even with this fine show
ing their last chance will then only
depend on a poor showing of the lead
ers. for it is a practical certainty that
Memphis with her new recruits in all
departments of play, will win big
majority of her home games. There
are two breaks in baseball affairs
which will be necessary to give the
local team any chance-a fine showing
on this trip and a poor rally by Mem
phis when they face the east for their
farewell tour. Certain it is if the tribe
of Frank put up the ragged exhibit
ton they displayed in their last trip,
Atlanta will at least have showing.
The odds at present are, however
banked against the local team and in
favor of Memphis. Even at this, how
ever, there is no reason for the Colo
nels not winding up the fight 1928.