Atlanta Georgian and news. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1912, September 18, 1907, Image 14

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It9 THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18,1007. YOU CANT FORGET BASEBALL WITH THAT AMERICAN LEAGUE RACE ON Now that it’s all over and the pennant is won, did you ever stop to think why it happened? Probably not. Most of the thinking of the “why” variety is done by the fans whose teams have lost. The writer hast)’t any theories—except his old one that it take* a lot of luck for any team to win a pennant. But he believes thnt it can be figured out. There isn’t much use in talking about “superior team work” and “inside play.” The Birmingham papers fed us thnt until we sickened last fall and we scoffed nud said thnt, just to prove it, we would guar antee that the Barons could not “repeat it.” And they did not. So we may ns well dismiss the “superior teahi work,” with out much discussion. Sufficient to say, though; thnt the Atlanta team of 1.907 knew as much “inside ball” as any team that ever played in the league. ’ And for this knowledge much credit is due Otto Jordan. Otto knows about ns much baseball (Is any man who ever came to the South and he does not mind imparting thnt knowledge to the men on the team he captains. Otto has taught the secrets of baseball to those members of the team who needed to learn them and he has done much to weld together nn infield made up of an ex-outlaw league player, a mnn one year removed from the Sally league, a veternn of a score of leagues and himself into an aggregation of “ball stop- pers.” Probably more than any one; thing the superiority—call it “class” if you want to—of the men individtmlljWtut ice. Both catchers proved stars. Jim Fox, though he did not play ns well as last year, came around at the right time and put up a fair game throughout the whole season. At second Otto Jordan had it on anybody in the league. Cnstro was never shown up at short and would hnve ranked any of them if his batting had been stronger. At third Dyer was the weak member for a long time, but right nt the end’ of the season when Bill Smith just HAD to have a good mnn there, Dyer came ’round and played the best bnll in the league. The outfield was unquestionably the best in the South. Pas. kert in left field hnd it over every performer in tfic bunch. Win ters played a steady game nt center and Becker was a hard and successful worker in left field. At fielding no team was superior to Atlanta. Of course New Orleans hnd us beaten nt third base and maybe Montgomery and New Orlenns did at short. But when it enme to tenm fielding there was nothing to it hut Atlanta. Pinch hitting wns one stunt of the Crackers that came as near ns any to winning the pennant. The Crockers hnd n way of starting off a batting rally in the “bloody seventh” and keeping it going until the game wns won. Then it stopped again, for the Crackers seemed to have an objection to hitting when it was not necessary. It must hnve been “pinch hitting” thnt won if nny kind did; because thnt was the only kind at which the Crackers “shone.” Along in March the bunch looked like n lot of sluggers. Sid Smith hnd led the league the year before, Fox hail batted nt a .800 clip the previous year—up to the time he wns spiked; Jordnn and Castro had been hitting steadily; Dyer was regarded as something of a “batster;” Paskert was counted on for his share of the hits; Winters wns accounted a .285 hitter, and Becker hnd led the Northern Copper Country Dengue the previous year. And yet, with sueh an array of talent, tho hitting wns not marvellously heavy and almost every man on the team fell off in hitting. At the first of tho season most of the men on the tenm hit nt par or better and for awhile the Atlanta team led the league at team batting. But then came tho slump—and with it—for some unaccounted renson—the team won more games than ever. ' All of which wns very mysterious because tho stntifnent has never been controverted thnt it “takes hits to make runs.” Too much stress can not be laid on the work of the pitchers. At the start of the season Rube Zeller practically carried the team on bis shoulders. He wns the wonder of the league and no team could beat him. Later on he went to pieces and for awhile there seemed to be nobody in the bunch who could win. Then with a rush Castleton, Spade and Ford came around and begnn to win games right and left. This went on for awhile and then, when things looked bleak again, Edwin Mackenzie wns picked up and he won steadily from that time until the end of the season. So there you are. We have given you the chief points of ex cellence of the Cracker tenm. It wns the combination, plus a lit tle luck, thnt put the thing through. "Bugs” Raymond Entertains , Before the Battle Begins "Played up" under a big two- column head, C. It. Power, of The Pittsburg Dispatch, has the fol lowing dope about ‘‘Buga" Ray mond, the ex-Atlanta pitcher: "McCloskey says I’m a wonder; don’t you, Mac?" "Gee, I bent that one sideways." "Come over here, Willis, and I’ll ■how you how to pitch." "8ay, fans; you ought to he out here to see what 1’tn doing with the hall." "What's that—you paid 75 cent* to get in? Well, you’l get the wqrth of your money because I am going to pitch. Who am I? Silly dunces to ask Mich a question. 1 am ’Bugs' Ray mond, late star of the South Atlantic League.” These and a few more along the same line were indulged In by Pitcher Ray mond. one of the new twirlers of the St. Louis club, as he warmed up In front of the grandstand previous to yesterday’s game. And It’s no wonder they cair him "Bugs.” He deserve* the title, and Just for a starter has Rube Waddell beaten to a frazzle. 'Tis said of Raymond that he buys 10 cents’ worth of peanuts every day that he muy feed them to a monkey wrench which he carries in his grip. It a Breezy Bug. Raymond Is a big fellow, with a full, round face and a merry expression. Luring hit warming up process "Rugs" kept members of both teams and the spectators In the right wing of the grandstand In good humor. Bvery time he delivered a ball to the catcher he had some comment to make, and It wns plain thnt he was highly pleased with himself. When the game began, "Bugs" took his position on the mound, and It must be said of him that he can pitch some. It was no fault of hts that the Cardinals were soused 6 to 1, for had his support. Ing company behaved well the Pirates would have experienced considerable difficulty In landing the victory. Raymond has plenty of speed and on unlimited assortment of foolers and he knows how to make use of everything at his command. Little foolishness does he Indulge In while performing on the mound, but In responding to the plaudits of the push as he sauntered In from the diamond between Innings "Bugs ’ gave some very amusing exhibitions. HOT RACE THR EE SUN PROOF STARS STILL ON Athletics, Sox and Naps Lose, and Detroit Wins Again. That American League race In not loosening up a bit aa the days pass. Philadelphia, the leading team, lost again Tuesday. So did Chicago, which team Is second. Detroit won and Cleve land lost two. So tho two teams on top came down some and the fourth-place team came up a peg. If Philadelphia can't shake fiut of the present losing streak It Is all off with Connie Mack. New York beat the Athletics 11 to 3 on Tuesday. Hogg, Blair and Klelnow did the battery work the Yankees. Craig, Bartley, Cpombs and Schreck performed In a similar capacity for the losers. St. Louis beat Thlelmnn In the open ing game and Clarkson In the second for Cleveland, both times by narrow margins. Another wallop like that and the Naps are down and out. Detroit beat Chicago and did It most, ly as a result of the awful drubbing they gave our ofil friend Smith. Hetver for the Tigers was exceptionally good. goooooooooooooooooooooooog O CHINK BALL CLUB O 0 BEAT COLORADO TEAM. O O Honolulu, Sep£ 13.—The base- % O ball team of the United States 0 0 cruiser Colorado wns defeated by 0 0 a nine of tho Chinese Athletic 0 0 Club yesterday. The score was 7 0 OOCHMOOODOOOOODOOOOaOOOODO TENNIS TOURNEY END8. Hperlnl to The Georgian. Acworth, Go.. 8ept w 18.—The finals In a tournament between members of tho Acworth Tennis Club were played off Tuesday and resulted In a victory for Edward McMillan and Eugene Ray In tho closo score of 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Lemon Awtrey and Rogers Lemon were second In this (Inal tournament. A handsome prize was offered by Dur ham Bros, for the winners. Tho Ac- worth Tennis Club, composed of fifteen members, has Just closed the best sea son of Its history, and some good play ers have been developed. LOOKS MIGHTY BUSY OUT AT TECH PARK Big Crowd of Men Working Every Day, and - Captain and Coach Talk Very Encouragingly. BILL RICE—TOM KLEIN—BIT LOCKRIDGE. Hera are three of the playere who helped the 8un Proof team to win tho pennant in Tha Georgian's Commercial Leagua. Clemson’s Prospects Fair, New Material "Looks Good” Hpcclnl lo The Georgian. Clemson College, 8. C., Sept. 18.— Clemson opened September 11, with the biggest enrollment In her history. There are over 700 students In the barracks. It Is too early to say much of the prospects of the football team, espe cially since such men as Captain Fur- tick, the great halfback; O. L'. Der rick, the star fullback; B. D. CTurter, the sturdy lineman; Keel, Latimer and Wood will not be back. There Is nn abundance of material, of course, but new men are uncertain quantities. Coach Hhaughnessy has been here for several days and has his men at prac tice ,every afternoon. Manager R. A. Held has made a strong schedule, the hardest perhaps that Clemson has ever hod. Clemson's goal line was not crossed lost year, but with four such games as Auburn, the University of North Carolina, the University of Georgia and Davidson coming within a period of ten days, the Tiger will have to hustle this year to keep his lair from being desecrated by the enemy. Following Is the schedule: September 28—Gordon Institute, pn campus. October 0—Maryville, on campus. October 21—University of Tennessee, on campus. October 31—University of North Carolina, In Columbia (state fair). November 4—Auburn. In Auburn. November 7—University of Georgia, In Augustu. November 9—Davidson, on campus. November 17—University of Georgia, In Atlanta. November 28—Georgia Tech, in At lanta. GORDON LOSES MANY GOOD MEN, BUT HAS MUCH GOOD NEW MA TERIAL Probably no Georgia prep school team will bo watched with greater In terest this year than the Gordon team, which has bit off a vary ambitious schedule and which gives promlso now of being able to "chaw" It with credit —though perhups few victories romo its way. The first scrimmage of the Gordon team Saturday* wns rather a disap pointment, as the men failed to gain us was hoped, and on defense seemed to lug. p However, this Is no doubt oue to the fact that the majority of the men are new to the game. With only four old men bnck, Coach Blake is facing the toughest proposi tion of his coaching experience. The entire back field bus to be tilled, besides an end, one tackle and two guards, and he 1ms only two substitutes, both line men, with which to fill the gaps. Added to this Gordon has a schedule that would inako some of the best col lege teams In the South hustle to win. Ah yet they have received no re sponses from the several prep teams with which they should have games This they regret very much, for they are forced to play out of their class or remain Idle and abolish football there. The fact that they play the big teams Is apt to cuuse the public to think that they are egotistical and that the preps are Ignored by them, whereas they aro the ones who are the objects of prep school Indifference. if they could get three or four prep teams on their list they might make a better showing, for the defeat which Is sure to come at the hands of the col lege teams will tend to discourage the piaver* and the public will Judge them as getting what they deserve for at tempting such games. However, the Gordon men expect to work hard and hope the sporting ed itors will deal leniently with the team. The old men to return are: Captain Prout, center and full back; Mercer, tackle; Blnlon, end, and Joe Smith, quarter. Prout Is a heavy man and very fast «nd aggressive. He runs well with the ball ami would make a good full or tackle, but Is too valuable In snapping the ball out at center. If another cen ter can be developed Prout will move to tackle, where he will make the strongest man In the line. His long experience In the game makes him in valuable in forecasting the propable line of attack of the opponents. HU work in backing up the line last sea son w n> especially brilliant ami exoite.l much favorable comment from spec if tor* and opponents, and seldom were gains mad* over him. His absence from 0000000000000000000000000O O 0 0 BILL 8MITH OFF 0 0 ON 8COUTING TRIP. 0 Just Notes Notwithstanding the fact that a ponnnnt- winning team Is usually rcgurdeif os h bad thiug rtimminlly, Mayor Joyner, who Is one of the chief stockholders of tin* At- \ club, says that he does not think It will work out tlmt way in the Georg!* capita I. ns the fans there will suiqmrt a gin*l team anyhow. At any rute. the own- era of the Atlanta club are perfeetly will ing to take a try at It.—Arkansas Gazette. thr game Thanksgiving presumably cost Gordon the game In Macon. Mercer Is a good man at tackle, but lucks the aggressiveness necessary for a line man to elicit favorable notice. He has all the weight and speed one could ask, but seems to be satisfied with stopping a play at the line on de fense Instead of breaking though und getting his man back of the line. This, though. Is a fault common to prep pien, and If they want to niak good against the college men they must he aggressive ns the devil himself. This Is what) made (’horn, of Vander bilt, the greatest line mnn In the South. He should keep his opponent on the de fense at all times and never let the op position get the Jump on him. This season should make Mercer a star lino man and a little more of that aggres siveness so essential to a successful line man will turn tho trick. Blnlon, at end, is a heavy mnn. but rather slow. He is greut on blocking the tackle and extra man. He Is being tried at half, but will have to negotiate a little more speed to annex a berth ir. this department. He Is a sure tackle, knows the game well and with a little speed will make a good man for some college team. Joe Smith, at quarter. Is, with the probable exception of Uaptuin Prour, I he most versatile player on the squad. Ills experience nt quarter has given him excellent Judgment, In running tho team and In addition Is a handy man nt kicking, and will In all probability bo depended on for the bulk of the booting. He Is a sure tackier In the buck field and seldom lets a mnn get away from him. Moore Is showing great form nt full back and will have no trouble In up holding his predecessor’s reputation at this position. Being an exceedingly fast man for his weight, he will no doubt prove a terror to the opposing line and all Gordon supporters are re lying on him to develop Into the best fullback that has ever attended school in Bamesvllle. He Is es|»ecially effective In the In tciference, running low and hard and seldom falls to get his man out of the play. Tockran nt half Is another new man who has won much admiration for his fine offensive anil defensive work. With the ball In his possession, he Is proba bly as sure a ground-gainer as any man on the team and Is a very strong man In blocking when one of his team mates Is carrying the hall. The end positions are both open, for with Blnlon shifted to the back Held no other veteran is left to take care of the termini of the line. Barrett, Trimble, Anderson and National League next ncaitnu. The latent draft bulletin Untied shows that Brooklyn hnn nal»l**d Wilhelm. The favorite tnemtier of the local team will thus go to Ills eotnpnny for the second time. Slme playing In the South he ha O Bill Smith leaves Wednesday O O afternoon for Cincinnati, fr«*m O O which point he begins a scouting O C trip through the O. and P. league, O 0 o, ■ ■ 1 !■ ■■ ■ 00000000000000000000000000 he first made good, Wilhelm always at* aud l**y wa* full of witty Buying*. | time, he is Junt a* well liked now a* when .bout one of the rot- tenent exhibition* of umpiring seen here thin sea noli Wednesday. Ife certainly hand- ed bum declnton* to Birmingham. Rudder- ham also broke President Kgvonangh* «r- lern by talking to fans In the bleacher* who were jeering him. Ruddy was out of hu mor Wednesday and he stnek It to the Champ*.—Birmingham News. Kay* Connie Mack: "The addition of Col lin* ’has given the Athletics one of the beat men lu the country. The White Sox miss Nh*k Altrock and the lamented Mr. Isbell. These two have lieen the life of the party for years. With Altrock almcnt the outfit Is shy ou beauty, If Tech does not have a better foot ball team than In several years, then somebody out Tech way will be much surprised. Right now the prospects are about one thousand per cent brighter than last year at this time, and already It Is clear as Atlanta air that the Yellow Jackets are going to be therfe with a football team this fall. "The prospects are so much better than last year," says Coach Helsman, "that there Is no comparison. We have more men and better men. Last year the fewness was not so discouraging as the fact that the football material was bad. If I had another bunch of men like last year’s I guess I should retire from coaching—It would be too hard work." Captain Charley Sweet thinks that Tech will have a good team this year. "We have thirty hr more men out every day, which Is about three times as many as we had last year. And they are pretty good men, roo. Lots of thorn have not had nny*exporience much but they have the weight and speed." "It is odd,” continued Captain Sweet "that Tech never seems to get any good prep football material. The other col leges do, but we don't. Even Williams, whom we were counting on, went to Vanderbilt. "I guess It Is because It Is hard to work your way through a technical school. Tech does not seem to offer any Inducements to poor boys, still we enn not complain, our material is so much better this year than last that we are all well satisfied." Dreher are all In the running, with each having a lead on the other In the numerous qualifications for this post-fond his stick helped” win*"?he" Pirates l *°n. many games. Dreher Is the besuof the quartet ex- The big catcher will have a try with Comlskey’s tenm, but If lie falls lu FISHER WILL MANAGE SHREVEPORT IN 1908 Shreveport, La., Sept. 18.—Tom Flsh-.t anxious for a try on first, which place er will manage the Pirates next year, he will be given on the Shreveport team He will play regularly In right Held and ,f ho fall » t0 lan<1 wlth the whlt « Sox - does not expect to pitch any more. | 1 ■■ ■ 1 —— To the Shreveport fans this Is grati fying news, and It has been confirmed since the Pirates’ return from Birming ham, whore they were victims during Eva Wilhelm’s world’s-record-breaking streak. Fisher holds n remarkable hitting record for a pitcher. During the six years he has been In the South he never quit a season with a batting average below .257. He expects to Im prove his hitting nfter this by playing In every game, which he will do by tak ing right field next year. Fisher expects to make a trip to Alexandria within the next few days. He will attend a meeting of minor league officials In New York In October. Fisher has announced the sale of big John Massing to the Chicago White Sox. Massing came from Texas at tho first of the year. Behind the hat and In center field he wns a valuable player. cept for hi* weight, and It Is an open question whether he cun stand the hammering of tho college teams. Barrett Is a new man and has never seen a game, but Is fast and a sure tackier. His only deficiency Is In learn ing the signals and shifting In Ills po sltlon to meet tho many plays now aimed at the end of the line. Anderson and Trimble are about on a par and are good men. but not so fast as their two competitors. Mercer anil Lawrence with Captain Prout will fight It out for the tackle po sltlons. Lawrence Is the heaviest of the trio, but needs a little more speed to keep up nt tackle. He has had experience In the game and will make Gordon a good lineman. Hogg and Johnson, last year’s sub- linemen, will be pushed hard for the guards by Henley, Griffith, Zellner, Henderson and Whatley. All of them have weight enough nnd the ones that can develop the most speed and charge fastest and lowest and are most suc cessful In breaking through the line, both on offense and defense, will finally make good. The abundance of raw material on the second team will muke the above men hustle all the time to hold their Jobs. The team has not been selected for the opening game and the coaches will not know until the last week ’ wilt be In the line-up. Slater. Jones, Woodburn and Hansen are showing up well on the second team and will be pushing some first- team man for a Job before the season advances far. The schedulers the.hardest that any prep team has ever played nnd If the preps hold the big boys to three or four touchdowns, they will be doing well. September 28—Clemnon ’varsity, at Clemson. October 5—Tech 'varsity, at Atlanta. October 12—Auburn 'varsity, at Au burn. October 19—Open. October 26—Dahlonega (probable), at Gainesville. November 1—Howard .College, Barnehville. November 9—Chattanooga Universi ty, nt BarnesvIIIe. November 16—Mercer University, place undecided. November 23— 1 Tulane University (probable), at New Orleans. November 26—Louisiana State Uni versity (probable), at Baton Rouge. Catcher Ileydon, who has deserted the Washington team, send* won! from Indian- spoil* that h»» l* through with baseball for ever. nnd will settle down on I Is much In Texas and make n living by raising anions. Catcher l'eterson, of Boston, has Inin i*d wonderfully since he Joined the Provl- lein-e team. In fact nil but Kllllau made good nfter the change from Boston to the country of the Nnrrugnnnctt. It I* said that Manager McGraw, of New York, 1* working wire* to secure Catcher McI^nii from the Cincinnati club. Me- ls*au wants to give he Is cut out for n the height and rea will resume hi* ixmltlou behind th> calico counter nt hi* father’* store In Pss- cohi, Mo.—New Orleans Ktates. Wilson Matthews, Charleston’* malinger, will resume hi* umnl occupation a* |tollcc reporter for a morning paper of tbl* city.— New Orleans .Ktates. And uuw some of the Jealous persons f will rejoin the Shreveport club. Massing Is Hid you henr n dull, sickening thud? The fan* have their ear* to the ground nnd the Memphll their noses to the grind stone! targe chunks of anatomy are peel ing off. booking nt the situation squnrelv In the face eiiintes n lilur to come over the optics of the Illuff City fuiintlc. As expected, tile Hustlers were beaten. They were travel-worn nnd sleepy, but they put up n hard right for the game. Atlanta fans are exuberant, but not nlto. get her surprised. They hnve claimed to hnve the l*>st team In the league all along. Their wonder was how Memphis nintinged to stay In front so long. The pennant may not be the whole thing, n* a general rule, but It Is when you have almost got your fingers on the silky fold* of the flag. It Is the tantalizing part of this affair that hurts.—Memphis News-Kdmltnr. TOM FISHER. Tom will manage the Shreveport team next year. Tho official bulletins of Secretary Farrell of the National Association have given It out that Fisher hns been purchased by the St. Louis Americans. Presumably this is a "cover up." Cherokee "Injuns” Here to Play Baseball arid Lacrosse The baseball tribe of Cherokee In dians has landed. This bunch of red men Is slated tor three performances at Piedmont park, beginning Thursday afternoon. The manager of the tribe has secured a house on Spring street and will keep the Indians there during their stay in Atlanta. In Chicago are hinting thnt tho success of the Detroit team la due to the Installa tion of u "buzzer" III the Detroit ground*. This 1* n device by which the slgnnls of ■atelier* of opposing team* are "tipped off” to the hatter*. The most notable "wig wag" system ever operated was located on the ground* of the Philadelphia National League club several years ago. The device vns established by Morngan Murphy, •nteher, who seldom took part In n game biH-nuse he wns kept busy working his do vice. By menus or a pair of powerful bin iM'tilnra. Murphy, from n window in the Philadelphia club house, detected thi used by the catcher* In signaling the ers. Then, by means of a handkerchief, the hntsman was wised up n* to the kind wns coming. If the hnndker- rnlghtcned out neroendlculnrly It meant n straight bnll; If horizontally, - curve. Players of the opposing teams got on to this system, and the handkerchief as n menus of conveying the Information to the bntsmeii was discarded. A buzzer, lo- Woivejrton, _ t*d on the Philadelphia team. By mean* i»f these signal* they knew Just what was mining, nnd If It wns a curve they could step forward nnd meet It tiefore the bnuik. *f n fast bnll. they could "lay back" and kill It." They never batted na well away from home for thnt reason. It I* difficult, however, to scan the guileless feature* of Hughey Jennlng* and believe him guilty of such deception.—New York Globe. Each morning the Cherokee* will give a street parade and In the after noon at 2:30 the exettment at Piedmont will commence. The Indians first play a game of la crosse nnd then meet the Carter & Oil- lea pie team at baseball. These games of lacrosse will proba bly be the first ever seen In this section of the South, and much Interest will be felt In tho novel display. j Standing of the Clubs, j Nat Hick, Arrested. hpeelnl tii Thr Georgian. Gainesville. Ga.. Sept. 18.—Sheriff Crow returned yesterday from Plowery Branch district with Nat Hicka, who cut E. C. Crow sc badly with a pocket knife Saturday night that he Is likely to die. Crow la a Hall county man, while Hicks llvea to Forsyth. American. . r:s,' CLDBR- Phllndclphla. Chicago. . . Detroit. . . Cleveland 13? New York, .... 134 Boston 137 St. Louis 132 Washington 143 (Ml. ’won. Loet. P. C. CM'BR- t'htcsgo . . Pittsburg . , New York . Philadelphia Brooklyn . . Cincinnati • Boston . . . Ht. Louis . . National* , - Played. Wen. Loet. P. C. TUESDAY’S RESULTS. American. Washington 9, Bouton 1. .New York U, Philadelphia 3. Ht. Louis 2. Cleveland 0 irtrst gameL St. tatil* 6. Cleveland 5 (second garnet. Detroit 9, Chicago 1. National. Boston 6, Now York 3. Brooklyn 6. Philadelphia 1. Pittsburg 9, Ht. Louis 0. OOGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGOOOOGOg 1 JACK WENTZ DEAD. g O Louisville Ky.. Sept. q O Went*, for year* a So “ th . e ^J Q O League Inflelder, died Tuesday ^ 0 his home here. 80000000000000001