The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-26
MEMPHIS WINS
 FIRST DECISION Merz Bests Head, Chicks Beating Partners By
 2 To 1 Score

MEMPHIS, Sept. Zo.-Mempnis, Southern association champions, drew first blood in the 1924 Dixie series for the baseball championship of the south by defeating Ft. Worth, Texas League pennant winners, ? to Il in the first game of the southern classic played to decision.
 It was a game of thrills with Otto Merz, veteran hurler, pitted against Ralph Head, former major leaguer. Merz held the hard hitting Texans to five hits, scattered through as many innings. Head allowed nine, but like wise well scattered, Fort Worth started the game with a lead, putting over thir tally in the ini- tial round, and held the advantage un. til the. sixth when Memphis showed across the run that tied the score. The deciding run came in the eighth when Doe" Protho raced home from sec ond, which he held by virtue of long drive to left field when Carr Smith smashed a clean single to center.
 Phelan Hits Hard
 Phelan, who drove out two of the five hits allowed, one a triple and the other double, scored the Fort Worth run on the throw in of Sears long fly to center which followed Phelan's smash to the left field wall. Memphis scored in the sixth, Protho crossing the plate with this run on Smiths fly to center.e
 Spectacular fielding plays were num- erous. In the sixth, Lamotte, Memphis shortstop, stretched himself to his full length and brought down line drive by Phelan that looked certain for a hit and in another inning Bischoff, Fort Worth catcher, put an end to Mem phis hope for a run by outracing Yaryan's high foul to the Fort Worth dugout. The catch brought the stands to their feet. The out ended the in. ming. with two Memphis runners on base; @ s
 A fast double play, Kraft to Travener to Kraft, the first of the series, retired Memphis in the third. sa,fst
 N Kraft Hits Double
 Three of the five hits Merz allowed were for extra bases. Phelan's triple and double and two base smash that Clarence Kraft, minor league home run king, drove into right field, to start the ninth inning. Kraft went to third on asacrifice, but was out at the plate when he attempted to score on Edging- tons grounder to first.
 In addition to Protho's double, Glea son and Carlyle also hit for axtra bases.
 Merz turned back the Fort Worth batters without hit in four innings and Head set down the Memphis bat ters in order in two. In no inning did the Fort Worth hurler allow more than two hits. Strike out honorst were even, each with two, and bases fon balls like wise were few, Merz allowing one pass to first and Head three.
 Governor Clifford Walker, of Ge0r. gia, and Governor Austin Peay, of Tennessee, were guests of John D. Mar tin, president of the Southern AssOcia- ton, at today's game. Governor Peay' pitched the first ball of the game to Governor Walker. Senator Kenneth D. McKellar who umpired the throw called it a strike.
 Mayor Rowlett Paine, MT. Martin and Vice President Carter, of the Fort Worth Club, also watched the throw from behind the plate. te- .
 Tie To Be Played Off.
 Today's game was the second player in the series but. the first game yester- day. ended in a tie. It will be played off tomorrow. After tomorrow's game the battle ground will shift to Fort Worth for three games.
 i Attendance at today's game was 1879 and receAts $11, 1,226.45. Of this amount the players pool received $5,38S.7O; the leagues share was $2.245:45 and the club owners share $3,592.4 .46. fs
 The combined receipts for yesterday and today were $26, ,398.07, of which the players pool will get SIP. OS;, the two leagues $5,279.77 and the club own CTS. $S, Al. .38.
 nounced tonight as the probably Mem phis pitching selection for tomorrow to oppose Jimmp Walkup, a young left handler, secured at Fort Worthy early SAN