The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-25
POINTERS ID RANDOM
BY HUGH W. ROBERTS.

 they can, laugh in their sleeves when our rules and regulations are mentioned, and whitsNash those )n whose frames we have hung the plaeard-"Uuclean.'
 Now if any man deserved suspension, it was Frank Delehanty.
 He was guilty of having spat in the face of Umpire Brown when the ruler of the field walked the Memphis batter who forced in the run that defeated New Or leans
 After his suspension by the Southern league, however, the human pepper box stroled into the Empire state, and is en- rolled among the regulars of the pulver~ i2ed Yankees. The Southern league pro- tested, but the protest was written in the sand and suffered from the overfowing rains.
 Then, without awaiting the expiration of the specified three days, Memphis re- leases Pitcher Chappelle. New Orleans claimed the pitcher under the waiver rule. ] Cnappelle however, strolls northward, and is signed by the Boston Bean Eaters. The Southern league protests but tho protest was read, and then consigned to the waste basket.
 But, after all, the Southern league is not injured.
 We should be so thankful that Frank Delehanty is gone that no one should be- l fession as pure and clean man.
 In reference to the Chappelle matter. the pitcher to our notion, nor Boston, for that matter, nor the major league, has done anything other than the perfectly | natural
 The blame must fall on Memphis, the : club which violated the law it agreed to keep.
 Memphis will restore to New Orleans its s400, and within short space of time i Chappelle will be .canned," and sent again into the fold of Dixie. 1 The league directors at their meeting Saturday in Memphis should restore to Otis Stockdale his civil and political rights.
 The veteran pitcher was suspended without having committed anything other than an indscretion and it is to his credit that he has behaved humbly and, in every respect, decently since his suspen- sion.
 The matter will be preached at the meeting, and in all probably acted upon. The directors should not hesitate in ne- storing Stockdale to the position from which he was cast. l There is only one man who will be in- jured by the restoration of Stockdale
 That man is now member of the Mobile pitching staff, and, unless we miss l our guess, he answers to the name of i Killian.
 The southpaw, since joining Mobile, has pitched good ball, but has failed to win a single game. He is pursued by l hoo-doo and a most persistent one, at l that.
 l Bert Maxwell, tool
 George c. Bennett, the turfman, owns the New Orleans baseball franchise, and 1 for two years has owned that property. 1 This is another illustration of the herd, ! driven from the race track, turning it's eyes to baseball.
 The report that Bennett desires to own the Birmingham club Is probably true, and the report that he is endeavoring to acquire the majority of the clubs may | contain its atom of fact. i However, it would be a sad day for southern baseball were Bennett or any other one man to control the league.
 However, you may watch it from this date throughout several following years, | and you will note that those who former ly followed the track will plunge on the diamond.
 And It requires prophet to predict the passing of laws by state legislators ] to free the game of baseball from the i stigma of gambling, and in fact to re- | form the sport.
 It is destined to degenerate unless pos. itiye action is taken at once
 Down with the bookmaker!" is a good slogan for every club to adopt.
 In reference to the statement in The Age-Herald yesterday to the effect that Bennett owns the New Orleans club, one is reminder that when the Pelicans were last in Birmingham, Charlie Frank denied that the turfman was his big boss.
 When the Dutch next comes to Bir- mingham it is probable that he will have another tale to tell
 And they are still endeayoring to pre- dict the winner of the pennant in the Southern league.e
 Nashville and New Orleans have the best chances because they are higher in the standing.
 But for the last six weeks Montgom- cry has played the best ball in the league and if it maintains its present pace, the Pretzels will fly the flag.
 In connection with the race, however. one should be content in beholdng the most sensational campaigns that ever ragged in the history of the Southern league.
 Every day sees the eight clubs more perfectly punched.
 This morning, between New Orleans on top, and Birmingham on the bottom, but 153 percentage points intervene
 When such a short distance separates the leader and the tailender you may put it in your pipe and smoke it' that the clubs are about evenly balanced, and all are playing good ball.
 Nashville, after crushing Atlanta, and wipng up the earth with Montgomery, came to Birmingham and was severely trounced.
 Before recovering from this blow the Volunteers entered the west, and lost their first game to Little Rock. | Who knows but that the Barons put l the pennant chashers on the bum New Orleans. for the last month, has ! done little better than break even, and has profted more from the evil befalling others than from any personal excellence. ! This would indicate a great slump for the Pelicans when they enter the sunny side of the circuit next month. Granting then that Nashville has be- gun a fearful slump, and that New Orleans will backslide in the east, the answer to the rebus is this:
 The pennant winner will be determined | by the result of the games that Montgom- cry plays in the west and the games that Memphis plays in the east
 In other words, if Montgomery in the west, does better than Memphis in the east, on the next and last trip, then, 1 Mo Na nrla