EC's Southern Association

[Eugene Church]

My Life in 1947

The Cold War between Russia and the United States has begun... here's the latest news on that front... it's comments by former Secretary of State James Byrnes... taken from The New Orleans Times-Picayune.

BLUNDERING CAN RESULT IN WAR, REDS, U. S. TOLD
Byrnes says too much talk of conflict

[Eugene Church]

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[Eugene Church]

THE NASHVILLE BANNER
Thursday, May 22, 1947

NASHVILLE ROUTS LITTLE ROCK WITH 23 HITS
It was a rout in Little Rock... the Nashville Vols vanquished the Travelers 19-6, pounding out 23 hits, led by C Shag Easterwood (.314) with four hits and four RBIs... RF Red Treadway (.364) had five hits and three RBIs... and LF Joe Stringfellow (.194) drove in three runs... Easterwood, Treadway and 1B George Byam (.301) all homered... Pete Mallory (8-4/3.62) easily cruised to his 8th win of the year, though he surrendered 14 hits... Nashville has won its last 9 games and trails first place Atlanta by just a half a game in the league standings... last place Little Rock has dropped the last 8 games and has a pathetic 10-41 mark.

THOMPSON WINS 10TH, GOES 13 INNINGS
Left-hander Forest Thompson is the ace of the Atlanta staff and he proved it yesterday... in a magnificent performance Thompson (10-3/1.83) went all 13 innings and beat Chattanooga 2-1 for his SA-leading 10th triumph of the season... the Lookouts could only get eight hits in the extra-inning thriller... Thompson fanned seven batters and walked only one... in the decisive 13th RF Ted Cieslak (.356) doubled with one away, moved to third on a base hit by LF Babe Ellis (.311) and then rode home on 3B Charlie Glock's (.357) game-winning single... Chattanooga also got a well-pitched game from starter Vern Curtis (6-3/4.33), who battled Thompson tough... it was 1-1 when Curtis departed after nine frames... Cieslak sparked the Crackers with three hits, including a first-inning homer... the top team in the Southern Association, Atlanta, snapped out of a short two-game losing streak with the win, upping their record to an impressive 32-19, while Chattanooga slipped back under .500 to 25-26.

BEARS TRIP BARONS, GREER DRIVES IN 3
Mobile second baseman Stubby Greer (.296) had a three-RBI performance to propel the Bears to a 6-4 win over the third place Birmingham Barons... Mobile has won two of the three games in the series and increased its record to 27-25, while Birmingham tumbled to 29-23... Roy Whitaker (3-4/4.69) copped the victory, going into the 8th and allowing eight hits and three runs... and 1B Chuck Connors (.270) had two RBIs.

WALTERS' WALLOP WINS IT FOR PELS
New Orleans manager Fred Walters smashed a three-run shot in the top of the 8th to outscore Memphis 10-7 in a slugfest... the Pelicans rapped 18 hits to 15 for the Chicks... it was Walters' 4th circuit clout of the season and gave him four RBIs in the game... 1B Al Flair (.312) tossed in three ribbies and RF Pete Krauss (.352) added two more... Memphis was led by RF Lindsey Deal (.325) and LF Roy Bueschen (.326), both with two runs batted in... reliever Roger Wright (2-1/1.69) continued to shine in the Pelican bullpen... he got the win with three shutout innings... the Chicks had won the first two games of the series.

[Eugene Church]

SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION STANDINGS
Thursday, May 22, 1947

[Eugene Church]

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[Eugene Church]

THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE-DEMOCRAT
Friday, May 23, 1947

ELLIS HOMERS TWICE, CRAX KEEP 1ST PLACE
What a remarkable month May has been for Babe Ellis of the Atlanta Crackers... for the fourth time this month he has smacked two homers in a game, giving him 15 for the season... LF Ellis (.316) drove in three runs and now has 54, second best in the league behind Chattanooga's Gil Coan (.383), who has 21 roundtrippers and 68 ribbies... the Lookouts socked 16 hits, but left 11 baserunners on... George Diehl (7-3/3.63) hung on for the victory, though he allowed 15 hits, but struck out nine and walked nobody... Atlanta stayed a half game in front of hard-charging Nashville in the tussle for the top spot... the Crackers are 33-19... Chattanooga fell back to 25-27 and 8 games behind.

VOLS COME BACK LATE, NIP TRAVELERS
Playing on the road in Little Rock, Nashville jumped off to an early 6-2 lead in the opener of a twin bill, lost it, then came back and won it 8-7, getting a gift win from the snake-bitten Travelers, who lost a 9th straight game... LF Bill Sinton (.261/.909 FA) dropped a soft fly ball and put the Vols over the top... Nashville has won its last 10 games and is flirting with first place in the Southern Association... the Vols cracked 12 hits and got a solo homer from C Rube Walker (.344), number 8 this year... CF Jack Bradsher (.315) and 3B Dean Scarborough (.278) kept Little Rock in the game with two RBIs each... manager Larry Gilbert's Vols are sitting pretty at 33-20, while Bill Dickey's Travelers are a dismal 10-42.

MAUNEY MOWS DOWN BARONS IN OPENER
In game one of an afternoon doubleheader, Memphis right-hander Dick Mauney put down visiting Birmingham 5-3 at Russwood Park and prolonged their loss string to three games... Mauney (5-2/2.09) is one of the better pitchers in the Southern Association... he blanked the Barons for the first eight innings, giving up eight hits in all with seven Ks and a pair of walks... 2B Bert Hodges (.286) led the Chickasaws at bat with 3-for-4 including a triple and a double... 1B Robert Reid (.279) paced Birmingham with a two-run homer, his 11th this season... the Barons were the early leaders this season, but they have fallen on hard times recently and slumped to 28-24, still good for third place in the standings... Memphis is 28-26.

PELS BOMB BEARS WITH 5-RUN 8TH
In a single game at Hartwell Field in Mobile, New Orleans took advantage of the Bears' bullpen with a 5-run rally in the top of the eighth to whip them 6-5... Mobile starter Paul Minner (1-0/2.04) had a 2-1 edge going into the inning, but got in trouble and manager Al Todd brought in Pete Mondorff from the pen, but the Pels ripped him for four runs and finished the Bears off... New Orleans starter Byron Cook (3-4/5.32) struggled late but still got credit for the win... he gave up five runs on nine hits in eight and one-third frames... Roger Wright (2-1/1.52/11 G) got the final two outs for him... RF Tom Wright (.280) belted two hits and batted in three runs for the Pelicans... CF Cal Abrams (.325) was best for the Bears with a two-run homer... New Orleans is 27-28 under skipper Fred Walters, while Mobile is now 27-25.

[Eugene Church]

THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE-DEMOCRAT
Friday, May 23, 1947

TRAVS TRIP VOLS, STREAKS END
It's been a long time for both teams... Nashville hadn't lost in 10 games and Little Rock hadn't tasted victory in 9 games... the Travelers put both streaks to bed in the second game of the doubleheader... Little Rock went up 5-1 in the fourth and Sammy House made it stand up 5-4... House (3-9/8.21) went the distance, gave up nine hits and four runs... topping the Travs at the plate were 1B Joe Mack (.273) with a solo blast... and CF Jack Bradsher (.324) and LF Bill Sinton (.266) with two RBIs each... C Shag Easterwood (.311) hit his 7th home run for Nashville... the Vols are 33-21 and just one game out of first in the Southern Association... Atlanta is in the lead at 33-19.

BARONS END SKID, RALLY IN 9TH
Just back from Triple A, Joe Collins rapped a ninth-inning two-run two-bagger to rally Birmingham past Memphis 5-4 in the nightcap of yesterday's doubleheader, thus gaining the Barons a split... Birmingham had lost the previous three games... the Barons outhit the Chicks 11 to 10 and got homers from 2B Joe Rullo (.222) and pitcher Frank Nelson (.135)... Memphis RF Lindsey Deal (.321) and 2B Wes Hamner (.243) kept it close with two runs batted in apiece... Nelson (9-4/2/64) notched his 9th win, working eight frames, permitting 10 hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts and two walks... errors hurt loser Don Hanski (3-5/4.78)... he was touched for five runs - just two earned - and 10 hits in eight and two-thirds innings... third place Birmingham finally reached the 30-victory mark... they have lost 24 games... Memphis is 28-27.

HALL WIN NIGHTCAP, BEARS, PELS, SPLIT
Mobile's rangy right-hander John Hall (6-5/3.28) humbled New Orleans 3-1 in the nightcap of the twin bill to gain a split, stopping them on five hits... Hall outduelled Pete Modica (4-5/4.24), who suffered the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits in six frames... LF George Shuba (.292), 1B Chuck Connors (.276) and 3B Jack Maupin paved the way for the Bears with RBIs... New Orleans' only score came in on CF George Stumpf's (.277) double in the eighth... Mobile improved its record to 28-26 and New Orleans slipped to 27-29.... the Bears are fourth in the SA, while the Pels are sixth in the standings.

[Eugene Church]

SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION STANDINGS
Friday, May 23, 1947

[Eugene Church]

THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Friday, May 23, 1947

#1 ATLANTA HOST #2 NASHVILLE AT PONCE DE LEON
The two best ball clubs in the Southern Association are on tap to meet four times in the next three days... the top team Atlanta will entertain second place Nashville at Ponce de Leon Park... both squads have been at their best this month... Atlanta is 17-5, while Nashville is 18-6... going into this series the Crackers are 33-19 and a game in front of the Vols, who boast a fine 33-21 mark... head-to-head in 10 games this season Atlanta has won 6 of the them... skippers Kiki Cuyler and Larry Gilbert have their teamed primed for a big series.

[Eugene Church]

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[Eugene Church]

THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Saturday, May 24, 1947

VOLS TAKE ATLANTA OPENER IN 12 INNINGS
Both clubs played like first place teams and when the dust cleared after 12 innings, the visiting Nashville Vols outlasted the Atlanta Crackers at Ponce de Leon Park 6-2 in the opener of a four-game first-place showdown... a four-run outburst, highlighted by 1B George Byam's (.281) three-run homer was the difference... the two teams are in a virtual tie for the top spot in the Southern Association... the Crackers are 33-20 amd still on top with a .622 winning percentage to .618 for the Vols. who are 34-21... Nashville got great jobs from starter Bob Rush (1-0/1.45) and reliever Pete Mallory... Mallory (9-4/3.47) worked four and one-third scoreless innings for the victory, while Rush only allowed two runs on seven hits in seven-plus frames... Dewey Atkins (4-5/4.93) started for Atlanta and hurled seven solid innings, holding the Vols to just two runs... Nashville totaled 17 hits and left 10 runners on base, while Atlanta collected 13 and stranded 14 baserunners... C Rube Walker (.363) and RF Red Treadway (.375) both drilled four hits to lead the Vols... leading Atlanta was 3B Charlie Glock (.370) with four hits and two RBIs.

SHERER STUMPS BARONS, KLU HOMERS TWICE
Al Sherer did a masterful job on the mound and Ted Kluszewski (.315) banged two out of the park, pacing Memphis (29-27) to a 4-2 triumph over Birmingham (30-25)... CF Paul Armstrong (.297) also homered for the Chicks... Sherer (4-0/3.56) fired 10 third strikes past the Baron batters, didn't walk anyone and tossed a complete game, yielding two runs on eight hits... Alex Ronay (7-4/3.61) also went the distance, permitted four runs on seven hits... Birmingham is in third place, 4 games back in the pennant race... Memphis is 5 and a half games out in fifth place.

2 SHUTOUTS IN A ROW FOR TOENES
33-year-old Hal Toenes is really "zeroed in" on the mound... the Chattanooga right-hander hurled his second shutout in a row, blanking Little Rock 5-0 on just five hits for his 9th win of the campaign... Toenes (9-3/2.28) walked only one batter and fanned five... CF Gil Coan (.385) starred for the Lookouts with four RBIs... he easily leads the Southern Association with 72... CF Junior Wooten (.271) and 1B Jack Sanford (.373) also lent a hand... Sanford had three hits, Wooten two hits, and they both scored a pair of runs... Carl Lindquist (1-10/5.13) took it on the chin again, going the route and giving up five runs on nine hits for his 10th defeat... sixth-place Chattanooga climbed to within one game of the .500 mark with 26 wins and 27 losses, while Little Rock continued its miserable season at a pitiful 11-43.

Fourth place Mobile (28-26) and seventh place New Orleans (27-29) had the day off... they will get back into action on Saturday.

[Eugene Church]

SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION STANDINGS
Saturday, May 24, 1947

[Eugene Church]

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[Eugene Church]

THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS
Sunday, May 25, 1947

CRAX AND VOLS RAINED OUT
The first and second place teams in the Southern Association, Atlanta and Nashville, were rained out at Ponce de Leon Park in Atlanta last night... the Crackers (34-21) are ahead of the Vols (33-20) by just a few percentage points... the game will be made up as part of a doubleheader in July.

BARONS ZAP CHICKS ON KAHN & RUTNER HR
On the road in Memphis at Russwood Park, Birmingham 3B Mickey Rutner (.304) and C Lou Kahn (.425) slugged two-run homers to zap the Chicks 7-4 and left-hander Alex Kellner (4-5/4.57) went the distance, holding them to four runs and seven hits... the loser was Ray Harrell (6-4/3.33), also a portsider... he was socked for six runs and seven hits in seven innings... LF Joe Collins (.340) also bagged two RBIs for the Barons... third place Birmingham pitcker up a half-game on Atlanta and Nashville, who were rained out yesterday... the Barons (31-25) are three and a half game out in the race... Memphis is 29-28 and 6 games behind first place Atlanta.

BIG DAY FOR BEARS, BOLES AND SHUBA
George Shuba starred at the plate and Roy Boles starred on the hill as Mobile bopped New Orleans 9-2 yesterday... Shuba (.307) was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and a two-run homer, his 14th of the year... C Cliff Dapper (.285) and Boles (.258) batted across a pair of runs apiece... Boles, a little right-hander, stopped the Pelicans on two runs and eight hits for his 5th victory of the season... on an off-day for him, Tom Sunkel (6-4/3.25) was battered by the Bears for 11 hits and six runs in six innings... Mobile upped its season mark to 29-26 and are now 5 games back of Atlanta, the Southern Association leader... New Orleans fell to 27-30.

ROCKS ROCK CHATTANOOGA
Southpaw Matt Nolan was all over the plate and walked eight batters, but he kept Chattanooga off the scoreboard in a 12-0 shenanigan... Little Rock rocked the Lookouts for 16 hits, including 7 two-baggers... 2B Bob Mavis (.290) led the hit parade with four hits and scored four times... 3B Dean Scarborough (.276) collected three hits and batted in three runs... and two players, CF Jack Bradsher (.313) and 1B Joe Mack (.297) drove in two runs apiece in the rout... in his first start of the year Nolan (1-1/5.04) gave up seven hits and stranded 14 Lookouts... the Pebbles are a feeble 12-43 on the season, while Chattanooga is only 26-28.

[Eugene Church]

SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION STANDINGS
Sunday, May 25, 1947

[Eugene Church]

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[Eugene Church]

THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE-DEMOCRAT
Monday, May 26, 1947

LOOKOUTS TOPPLE TRAVS WITH LATE RALLY
In the first of two games, Chattanooga starter Vern Curtis (7-3/4.03) put a stranglehold on the Little Rock offense and toppled the Travelers 5-1 at home at Joe Engel Stadium... the right-hander tossed eight sharp innings and help the Travelers to one run and six hits... it was Curtis' 7th win of the year... the Lookouts took advantage of faulty fielding by Little Rock... they committed three errors... Chattanooga didn't get an earned run... the Lookouts busted up a 1-1 tie with four runs in the last of the eighth... Milo Johnson (0-6/4.82) lost another one... he is still looking for his first victory of the season... Johnson deserved better... bad defense gave up all three runs he allowed... 1B Jack Sanford (.365) doubled in a pair of runs to pace Chattanooga... the Lookouts are now 27-28 in the standings with the Travelers deep in the basement with a horrible 12 wins and 44 losses.

WEIK 2-HIT SHUTOUT SWEEPS TRAVS
Young 23-year-old righty Dick Weik had a brilliant 2-hit shutout for Chattanooga as the Lookouts swept Little Rock in a doubleheader... in the nightcap Weik (2-3/4.35) was in total control in the 4-0 triumph over the Travelers with seven Ks and four bases on balls... Chattanooga only got four hits off loser Al Piechota (4-8/4.24), but they bunched them early in the game and came home the winner... the Lookouts got two RBIs from LF Al Kvasnak (.254) and the SA leader CF Gil Coan (.381) drove in #74 for the year... 1B Jack Sanford (.365) also had a ribby for the Lookouts... the doubleheader sweep evened Chattanooga at 28-28 this season... Little Rock fell to 12-45.

NASHVILLE TAKES OVER TOP SPOT IN SA
The Nashville Vols (35-21) are not known for their pitching, but they got some yesterday at Ponce de Leon Park in Atlanta (33-21)... in the opening game of a twinbill Ben Wade, a big 6-foot-3 right-hander, shut down the Crackers on five hits in a 5-2 victory, giving the Vols first place in the Southern Association... they moved one game in front of Atlanta... Wade (5-5/6.39) walked three and whiffed three in a complete game... Nashville picked up 10 hits at the plate with 1B George Byam (.288) banging a two-run homer and CF Hal Jeffcoat (.320) tripling in a run... it was Byam's 9th blast of the season... the second game was cancelled because of a heavy rainstorm... the field was unplayable... the two contenders will have to play back-to-back doubleheaders in July to make up the two recently cancelled games.

BEARS ON THE PROWL, WIN 3RD STRAIGHT
Manager Al Todd thinks his Mobile Bears are a better team than they have shown in the first third of the Southern Association season... in a single game the Bears rolled to their third straight win edging out New Orleans 5-4 in 10 innings, after they blew a 4-1 lead in the late innings... bad defense was the culprit... reliever Pete Mondorff (4-2/2.74) notched the win with a runless 10th... Mobile had 10 hits to 8 for the Pels... C Cliff Dapper (.290) singled in the bottom of the 10th, was sacrificed to second and rode home on 2B Stan Wasiak's (.204) third single of the game... leading New Orleans at the plate was CF George Stumpf (.286) with three hits and a pair of RBIs... his homer in the 9th sent the match into extra innings... Mobile moved 4 games over the .500 mark with a 30-26 record... the Pelicans are 27-31 and on a 3-game losing skid.

The Birmingham Barons (31-25) and Memphis Chickasaws (29-28) had an off-day in the schedule... the Barons are 4 games behind Nashville in third place... the Chicks are fifth and trail by 6.5 games.

[Eugene Church]

SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION STANDINGS
Monday, May 28, 1947

[DreamTeams]

Your league looks beautiful, Eugene. Neat read, too. Don't get a chance to pop in as often as I'd like, but wanted to say keep up the good work.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by DreamTeams

Your league looks beautiful, Eugene. Neat read, too. Don't get a chance to pop in as often as I'd like, but wanted to say keep up the good work.

If you like it, I must be doing something right.

Thanks, DreamTeams.

The Metro and the Laseron Baseball Assocition are two of my most favored dynasties... both of them feature great graphics and backstories.

And the Metro League is still alive and well today.