The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-09
SPORTING NEWS
 AND LIVE GOSSIP FROM EVERYWHERE
There is our guess.

There is our guess.
 We believe. too, that the finish will be as above indicated.
 We believe furthermore, that Birming- ham has the best team in the league. Birmingham should win the pennant.
 Destiny. fate. luck-or whatever you prefer to call it-determines the relative finishing positions of clubs that are, in general respects, on a par.
 If Birmingham and Memphis, in other words, are about evenly balance, tha. one which receives the better break in the luck will finish in advance of the other
 According to our belief Birmingham, New Orleans, Chattanooga and Memphis are stronger, as class. than Atlanta, Montgomery, Mobile and Nashville.
 If we have guessed our division teams correctly, fate will determine their re- spective positions in the respective divl- slons.
 We base our belief that Birmingham is stronger than any other team of the league because at the end of the season the following, in all probability. will have obtained:
 Birmingham will have presented a pitching staff as able as that of any other club.
 Birmingham will have led the teams of the league in regard to hitting.
 Birmingham wil have led the other teams of the league In regard to base running.
 Because of its hitting and base run ming Birmingham will have scored more runs than any other club of the league.
 Birmingham. therefore. will have won more games than any other club of the league.
 It all dovetails with almost mathemat. ical precision. But right here we are stared in the face with the memory O. the difficulty we had In getting a pass" in ''math' way back in 1903.
 Consider the teams that have been listed for second division berths. As Jack" Palmer used to say. we will apply the process of elimination. If we can show that four clubs should not be ranked as first division clubs, then we have shown that four have the right to such rating.
 There Is Nashville without pitchers and with infielders either from amateur and college ranks, or from the most un- heard of bushes" Should Schwartz get into the first division and remain there for any length of time he will have per formed marvelously we'll
 Mobile has three average pitchers in Campbell, Manuel and Chappelle, two good hitters in Swacina and Spencer, a weak spot at third and an almost inn possible outfied. Holmes may do mar vels, but hardly a critic will seriously place him in the first division.
 Montgomery has a good pitching staff, no catchers, some good hitters and & weak outfeld. Bills, utility pitcher. first baseman and speedy man, and Pratt. veritable find with great possibilities, will make Montgomery a team to be watched carefully. but not to be regarded as really dangerous.
 Were the fans of Atlanta behind the team and were some other man than Heisman president of the club, we would put that club in the first division, and send Chattanooga into the second.
 But with the internal dissention and strife between the fans and the team, with Heisman unpopular, with the old smith-Jordan grudge still existing. Allan ia can hardly hope to finish in the first division-even were it's team stronger.
 If our second division dope is correct, therefore, the teams ranked as first di- vision teams are ranked properly.
 Each of the reputed leaders has a fine pitching staff-Birmingham, Fleharty, Wagner, Wilhelm, Schettler, Perdue and others; New Orleans, Hess, Breitenstein. Paige, Klawitter, Fraser and others; Chattanooga, Covaleski, Benton, More, Carmichael, Demaree and others; Mem