The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-06
WITH THE soRIBEs

"Pennant or no pennant, first division
or down with the Misft -Four the year
1909 marks the last in the Southern league
for Montgomery. That's been the tip for
some time, and Secretary Bill Stickney
confirmed 1t yesterday. Stickney, an old
time player, has been with the Montgom-
cry club as secretary season after sea-
son. I'VE never made money down there,
but this year it's the limit" he said dur
ing the Montgomery Turtle game yester-
day. "Of course, we'll stick the season
out, and President Chambers intends to
do his best TO end UP by winning the pen
nant. but that marks the finish. The
franchise will be disposed Otto Chatta-
nooga possibly but Montgomery is
through. No more Southern baseball"
And despite this decision to quit the
league the Climbers are going right ahead
climbing, playing ball to the neck and
trouncing all opponents. News Scimitar.
Big Ed Hurlburt is in bad The old
fellow went down to Decatur, Ala, the
other day to help that town win back
most of its capital from Athens, Ala,
and broke a bone in his leg while sliding
to second. He came back to Memphis
on crutches and will probably have to
cough up his temporary salary in part
payment of doctors fees Ed was ac-
companied by Charlie Shields and Win
Kellum, and the last named lis receiving
the congratulations of his friends on ac-
count of having lost his game to the
smart Athens bunch. Win was hit IL
times and three runs were made off him.
Shields got the decision for his team
by the opposite score.-Nashville Banner
Rarely has a manager been so quickly
and so signally indicated as Connie Mack
has been by the performance of the Ath-
letics to date They may not win the
pennant this year, but they are going to
be right up there knocking although at
the start of the season some of the wise
gazabos were endeavoring to dig nice
hole for them. When about this time last
season Manager Mack, convinced that his
team would not do and knowing that
1t would be still worse in 1903. started in
to experiment with new talent. he was
subjected to a great deal of adverse
criticism. which was not always directed
against his judgment. Even his motives
were impugned. At the beginning Of
this season the team was given the laugh,
and one critic who knows that Connie
Mack knows baseball went SO far as to
declare that If the Athletic management
had paid more attention to the makeup
of their team and less to the construc-
ton of the pavilion the result would have
been more gratifying in an artistic sense
to the patrons of the game here. At
the present writing 1t looks as though
the Athletics have given their loyal sup
porters not only superb baseball equip
ment, but grand baseball club.
But say that things had broken the
other way-say that Collins Barry and
Baker had failed to make good in the In
field; that Thomas and Livingstone had
failed behind the bat. and that Kreuse
had not come up to expectations? In
brief say that the team had done no bet
ter this year than last? Would there have
been handed Connie a few things? Would
there7 But his experiments turned out
successfully. He has put together Win
ming ball team and the unkindest critics
cannot write down success. They go on
the principle that what is written today
is forgotten tomorrow, and probably 1t Is
lust as we'll for them that 1t Is. In the
meanwhile Manager Mack has the laugh
on his critics, including those OF the post
mortem variety. His team is the surprise
of the year, and another evidence of his
extraordinary resourcefulness as a base
ball general.-Philadelph Inquirer.