The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-09
PHILADELPHIA IS IN LEAD
 AND DETROIT GOOD SECOND
American League Race Is One of the Most Interesting In History-South Atlantic and Texas Leagues
 Finish the Season.
BY B. A. SEBAlL.


 ingham by the downfall of Memphis during the last series here and the ques- ton is often heard. "Who would have thought it?''
 The writer predicted last week thai Memphis would win the pennant, not easily. but by d safe margin of few games even with the chances against the team on a finish on alien grounds. This prediction seems likely to be knocked into a cooked hat through the awful slump of Babb's men right when they are supposed to have on their pennant- winning clothes.
 It seems to be Il clear case of mis- placed confidence such as has actuated the feelings of Birmingham fans early in the season and such as inspired Muggsy McGraw to declare early in the season that New York would win the National league pennant.
 The writer stated that Memphis played q steadier game than Atlanta and this was based upon the fact that Memphis with a much weaker team than last year has managed to stay at the top of the percentage column practically the whole season.
 It looks now like Atlanta-very much like Atlanta for with the lead attained and the enthusiasm of several thousand home rooters to boost the game along the Crackers should continue with the good work of this week and land the long rag.
 May the best team win-not by batting umpres nor spikng players, but by clean, high class ball. the kind that makes glad the heart of every true American, wheth- CT old young. male or female.
 aafn h. 4,-.,t 4l.. "rassle" and should hold it to the end. Memphis will make the most strenuous effort of the year to wrest from Atlanta T majority of the games vet to be played at Ponce de Leon park, while Billy Smiths forces will surely make the fur fly when the two teams clash for the last time this season.
 When the question is flashed around the league, What happened to Memphis?' ?'' the answer will be, Ask Buttermilk Meek?"
 The big first baseman helped to pune ture the Memphians pennant aspra tions with a vengeance-the long pent-up ven geance of a member of d near-tailend team which only one short year ago stood with honors.
 While Birmingham as a team this year is past salvation, some late individual efforts have aroused interest and the fact that the playing of the locals may go a long way toward deciding where the pennant will land has awakened much of the half dead spirit of fandom which like the roses may bloom again next spring
 If the Barons had batted early in the season as they are blffing the ball now they would probably have been mixing things up right now with Atlanta and Memphis for the pennant.
 It Is an interesting fact that Memphis hn n1 fa1N lad ha Southern league for almost the whole sea . son, but Memphis has been in the lead much longer period than Atlanta. Mem- phis jumped into the lead almost at the start. and held 1t until May ?, when Att lanta snatched the leadership away, the record from that date being given. with the standing on the different dates, as fol- lows:
 May 2-Memphis 700. Atlanta .6i7
 May 7--Atlanta .625, Nashville 593, Lit tie Rock .539. Memphis 300,
 May 20-Atlanta .593, Nashville 567, Memphis .565.
 May 21-Atlanta .6O7. Memphis .5SS
 June 1-Memphs 500, Atlanta .564.
 June 2--Atlanta eos, Memphis 600.
 June 5-Memphis .605, Atlanta 500.
 June l1-Atlanta 600 Memphis 5S1.
 June 14-Memphis .590, Atlanta .57i.
 June 17-Atlanta 600, Memphis .596.
 June 27-Memphis .66o, Atlanta $50.
 The above figures show the position of each team at the close of each period of leadership Thus Memphis held the early lead until May ., when Atlanta jumped in and held the lead for nineteen days, and in the meantime Memphis fell to fourth place, finally pulling back to first place on May %. On June Atlanta took the leadership for one day only. Memphis led from June to 5, Atlanta taking the lead then until June Il. Mem phis got ahead again for three days, then Atlanta three days. after which Memphis took the lead on June l7 and held it 1n- til September 6, when the Crackers re- gained the top
 During this period Memphis at one time attained a lead of 10 points. the great est lead of the season. This was pn June 2.
 The finish now promises to he almost exactly a counterpart of the close of the season of 1903, when Memphis won by a nose from Little Rock.