The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-04
POINTERS ID RANDOM
BY HUGH W. ROBERTS.

to go to either Nashville or New Or l leans.
 The Pelicans are leading the Volunteers ] by a dozen points. The Volunteers are leading the Mem l phi by five.
 Five points is a distance which a game can span without breaking the stretch l ing record.
 Now. If the Barons are as easy as a l "tailender' should be, Babb's men l should advance ten or fifteen points as ] a result of the series which begins to- l day.
 Who knows but that at the end of an- l other week. the Memphii will be ahead of Nashville, and abreast of the proud l Peleans2
 The chance of Memphis is not as good as that of Nashville for three reasons.
 The first of these is that the Barons, against whom Babbs men have eight games, are not as easy 'tailenders' should be, and, in addition to going splendidly at the present writing, have never been a cinch for the residents of Memphis.
 Another reason is that while the Vol unteers will be again under the encourage ing smiles of their home people next week. Memphis, at the same time, runs i up against the frowns and hammers of ] foreigners, and remains so situated un- til the season yellows into history
 There is still another reason | It is not believed that Manager Babb would win the pennant if he could. Otis Stockdale stated that he could have won ] last season, and there are few who be- ] lieve the Gray Fox" spoke falsely Of course, the speech of Stockdale, ] that which brought him so much trou- ble, may have inspired Charlie Babb with a determination to win this season. ] and if this is true, the third reason why , Nashville has a better chance may be 1 penciled.
 i At any rate, it is absurd not to figure l Memphis as a contender. | Detroit is now preparing to enter upon 1 that series which may decide the pen nant winner of the American league.
 The Tigers play St. Louis today. 1 As is known McAleer has been schem- | ing for sometime to the end that he might be able to down the Jennings az gregation in this series, and rob the | Tigers of their commanding position ir ] the race.
 One of his schemes is to send his left handlers to the slab with the hope that they might render Cobb, Mcintyre and other swatsmen ineffective at the stick. Whether or not the scheme bears fruit  to be seen.
 The other contenders, Cleveland and Chicago meet today, too, the battle, to be fought on the ground of the White Sox.
 At the present time, both aggregations are going at a pace to set the world afire, and the series commencing this : afternoon. may be one of the most sen sational
 There is live interest, too. in the Ma tional league, for Pittsburg entertains ! Chicago today.
 1 The outcome of this series might de- eide the winner of the rag While these two mighty giants are struggling in Pittsburg New York will 1 plan to mop with Philadelphia. But the "Phillies'' have hopes themselves, and i McGraws fighting battalion will have it's hands full and running over 1 All in all, the remainder of the week ! will bring forth many interesting con tests. Things may even take on a live 1 spirit in Atlanta
 They are doing more than their share ] of knocking in Atlanta. 1 They are not only criticising the man. | agement, charging niggardness, and casting stone after stone at the carcass l of poor, old, broken Billy Smith, but | are digging up old stories, and, as they say in political campaigns, singing mud. While the Atlanta Journal Is doing the greater part of the hammering, Billy | Smith is giving out interviews to the er- feet that the Southern league, in limiting 1 the number of men that a team can carry, i is whackng off It's nose to spite it's face. | Bill states that his men are sick and ab- i sent. and that he can't get others on ac- | count of the various laws of the league He denies that the management will not spend money, and is endeavoring to placate the infuriated fans by rosy prom ises of winning team next season.
 Bill Smiths criticism of the leagues laws is good and timely. The Southern league has reached such proportions that a respectable and sane salary limit is per- i missible, and such state of development that no limit as to the number of play CTS should be tolerated. In the ideal state
 the salary limit limits the number of
 players Were the salary limit in the
 Southern league s400O there would im- mediatey follow improvement in every di-
 rection.
 In speaking of Atlanta, one is reminded
 that the Crackers are but 56 percentage
 points higher in the standing than Bir-
 mingham.
 While the 'tailenders'' have copped six
 of dozen games played in the west, At
 lanta in as many games, has managed to
 win but two
 In case Atlanta continues slumping, and
 Birmingham plays we'll at home as a
 team should which breaks even on the
 road, the unexpected might come about, , and the Barons step out of the cellar. At any rate, the season has two weeks and three days to continue.
 Baseball loses one of its distinct stars
 in Hal Chase.
 The veteran and sensational first-sacker
 of the New York Highlanders, admittedly
 as good a keeper of the Initial corner as has figured in recent baseball history, ten dered his resignation yesterday, and
 states that he will no longer play in or
 ganized leagues.
 Chase gives as a reason that "Kid'' Elberfeld, who, since the resignation of
 Clark Griffith, has piloted the Highlanders
 in their continual and perpetual slump to
 the depths of the cellar has given out
 statements detrimental to the player
 character.
 This reminds that the owners of the
 New York American league club must
 New York American league club must have l been distracted to have placed Elberfeld
 brand has never been able to manage
 himself, which is a notorious fact of wide
 circulation, and therefore could not be
 expected to star in the role of a manager
 of others.
 In causing the loss of Chase. Elberfeld
 did his owners an injury from which
 they will not recover in many month,
 and possibly many year.
 The Barons after stepping over to Hell
 apa for daV'e outng will Open in Mem-