The Detroit times., 1912-05-08

SOUTH MICHIGAN OPENS
As NEW BORDER LEAGUE
STARTS TIGES GO BADLY
New Managers For SIX OF Eight
s. M. Clubs; Batthelor Pres
ident of New League
WILL H. PERRY BE BACK?
Wouldn't Be at All Surprising
To See Former GiGy Re-
turn To Providence
OPENING GAMES TODAY
IN SOUTH MICHIGAN
Saginaw at Bay C'ty.
Kalamazoo at Battle Creek
Flint ut Lansing. ..
Adrian at Jackson.
BY RALPH L. YoNKER.

The most important baseball league
having it's limits within Miehigan
opens its 1912 season today with four
games that promise to break all
records for opening day attendance.
This is the opening OF the seventh
season for the South Michigan as
ISOLATION Starting half dozen
years ago as an organization recog-
nized by the National commission.
the league had only five teams Mt.
Clemens, Kalamazoo. Tecumseh,
Jackson and Battle Creek. Late In
the season Saginaw was taken IN.
The first season, that of 1906, these
teams finished in the order named.
Next season Saginaw was dropped
and Bay City, Lansing and Flint TAX
On IN. but before the season was end
ed. Jackson quit, leaving a seven
team league TO finish.
The little town of Tecumseh won
the Dennant In 1907 in spite of the
fact that the town had less than
ouarter the population Of the next
smallest city in the association.
During this year, i've men were
drafted from the league, among them
being Fred Merkle, Of the Giants,
who made his professional baseball
debut with the Michigan town.
Merkle was born In Toledo, from
which city he went TO Tecumseh to
play ball. The Tigers took Cough
and Chiesman from Mt Clemens, but
they didn't keep them long.
Since that time the association has
remained composed OF nearly the
same members Saginaw was again
added and Adrian substituted for TIE
cumseh.
Last year, Kalamazoo won the pen
nant after bad start In the spring,
lansing finishing second. Flint and
Saginaw completed the first division
while Bay City, Adrian, Battle Creek
and jackson trailed In the second.
Since the beginning OF the leagues
operations, Saginaw and Kalamazoo
have taken two pennants each and
Tecumseh and TN. Clemens one
apiece
This is a crucial season for the
South Michiganders in that 1t marks
reduction In their salary limit.
Starting very modestly the league
rapidly grew and as II grew 1t ad-
yanced the salaries of its men until
destruction of the league.
TO prevent this they cut down the
limit This probably means baseball
Of an inferior, quality and whether
VI the patrons of the game will pay to
see ii il question that bothers the
club owners.
The schedule for opening games Is
as follows: Saginaw at Bay City;
'. n. - Flint OF
Lansing, and Adrian at Jackson. To
morrow the same teams will play the
second game, but at the cities where
they do not work today.
In Saginaw, Manager Hartwell
will have charge OF the bunch owned
by A. 8. Burkart Of this city. Charlie
Wagner again holds the reins In
Kalamazoo; Morrissey succeeds him.
self at Lansing. These two are the
only old managers.
While the old league is starting
its season, another league, being
formed much the same way as the
South Michigan was, Is aborning.
Last night at Spalding's sport
shop, representatives from Windsor
Mt. Clemens, Pontiac, Port Huron
Dearborn, Sarnia and Wyandotte
chose K. A. Bachelor, president, and
Richard Jackson, Jr., secretary
treasurer of the Border league which
has threatened for several weeks.
The men behind this league are
very enthusiastic. They have sound
cd the sentiment Of the fans In each
city and find plenty Of support to
their theory that short jumps and
Saturday and Sunday games will pay
The success OF the South Michigan
league is one thing that is very en-,
couraging to them, for the now
thriving association started in thu
same way that the one organized last
night did.
The league will be organized un,
der the national agreement Just al
soon as IL Is definitely settled what
elites will Join. President Navin, OF
the Tigers, has expressed his willing
ness to allow the new league 10 in.
fringe on his Territory IL X wishes
for he thinks that the more baseball
K Interest created the better Il will b,
for the attendance at Navin field.
The season Is to start May so ant
scheduIeswill be arranged next Fri
These baseball dolngs IN Michigan
are pleasant TO chronicle In compari
non with those OF the east. where til,
Boston Red Sox outlueked the Tiger
and hung a sd defea. en- theme
II was simply a case of not play
ing together, again. coupled wit
sone wildness on the part of on
George Mu1lin When these Tiger
0et the habit OF hitting together in
row and not letting one or two me
ret Ell the blneles. and when the
Iet an fhe habit Of oodng the mis-
plays out OF their system when me
are not ready to score, they win Dla