Fledgling pro baseball team folds in Americus

AMERICUS - An independent pro baseball team that started in Americus this season is quitting the southwest Georgia city after only about 30 games. <br> <br> The Arrows played in a high school stadium as part of the six-team Southeastern League of Professional Baseball, which also has teams in Alabama, Florida and Louisiana. <br> <br> Even before Tuesday&#39;s announcement that the Arrows would be disbanded or turned into a traveling team, there were signs of trouble in the fledgling league. <br> <br> The league started this year and billed itself as minor-league-quality baseball with ticket prices families could afford. But the Arrows never drew many people to the stadium they shared with Americus High School and a few American Legion teams. <br> <br> Several Arrows players didn&#39;t even bother to make a trip for a series against the Baton Rouge (La.) River Bats this week because they weren&#39;t sure they would be paid. <br> <br> Players for the Montgomery (Ala.) Wings did not receive paychecks as promised last week and were not sure they would be paid at all. <br> <br> After three months and a 10-17 record, the Arrows management announced last week that the team would disband. <br> <br> Americus assistant coach Rashad White later said that he had spoken to other officers of the league and was told there was a good chance the team still might exist as a traveling team. It would be affiliated with no town and would play all its games on the road, he said. <br> <br> ``I&#39;d say it is 70 percent we will still be a team,&#39;&#39; White told the Montgomery Advertiser. ``Still, this was a shock to me. We came over hoping to get information concerning the future of the league, and they drop this bomb on us. We had no idea there was a possibility our team would be disbanded.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> An infielder for the Wings, Jason Hoffman, said he was glad to know that at least some teams would survive and finish their schedule. <br> <br> ``We are glad to finally hear something and to get on with the season,&#39;&#39; Hoffman said. ``A couple of the guys were over watching the news on television and were excited that the league is going to continue.&#39;&#39;