Atlanta Daily World

South Fulton And Forest Park Diamond Laurels In '58

The South Fulton High School Lions, of the Greater Atlanta League, and Forest Park Braves, of the Branch Rickey Baseball League made history on the diamond during 1958 by sweeping the coveted Georgia state baseball championships.

Unbeaten during the regular season, the Lions defeated the Samuel H. Archer High School Eagles, 9-6 in the Georgia State Interscholastic Baseball Tournament, at Thomaston, Ga., for the state high school baseball championship.

A "dark-horse" in the 10th annual Georgia State Baseball Championship Tournament, played at Hull Stadium, the Forest Park Braves squeezed by the fired-up Atlanta Cardinals, 5-3 for the state crown.

LIONS ALSO CAPTURE GREATER ATLANTA TITLE

The South Fulton Lions also captured the Greater Atlanta League title, while the Archer Eagles won the City League crown. Posting an impressive 17-and-0 overall record, the Lions rolled over Lucy Laney, 4-2; Ballard Hudson, 2-0; David T. Howard, 12-1; and Archer, 9-6 in tournament play.

In winning the 10th annual Georgia State Championship Baseball Tournament, the Forest Park Braves took the "rubber game" from the Atlanta Cardinals, who had won the first game of the finals, 5-4 in ten innings.

This was a double-elimination event and the Cardinals had to sweep both games to win.

STARS, BEARS BRANCH RICKEY LOOP LEADERS

Operating with two divisions of six teams each, the Branch Rickey Baseball League, franchised by the National Baseball Congress, enjoyed a great season on the diamond during 1958 with the Athens Stars and East Point Bears emerging divisional champions.

The Athens Stars finished out front in the Eastern Division and the East Point Bears completed the regular season on top in the Western Division. Runners-up in the two groups were the College Park Indians, of the Eastern Division, and the Robinson Dodgers, of the Western Division.

ATLANTA BRAVES '58 GA.-ALA. CHAMPIONS

The Atlanta Braves won the Georgia-Alabama Amateur Baseball League championship for 1958 on the basis of brilliant all-around play throughout the season and a violation of league rules by a player of the Rockdale Rawhides.

Operating as a 10-club loop, the Georgia-Alabama loop also enjoyed a great season with the Atlanta Braves, Rockdale Rawhides, Atlanta Yankees and LaGrange City Cats fighting down to the wire in the battle for the pennant.

The Braves played a post-season series with Ensley's Conners Steel Stars, of the Birmingham YMCA Industrial League, and the Montgomery Citizens Club of the Central Alabama Baseball League.