Atlanta Georgian and news. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1912, December 16, 1907, Image 14

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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. MONDAY. DECEMBER 16, 1907. SPORTING PAGE AFTER GIDDY WEEK SPORTING WORLD GOES INTO TRANCE i EDITED BY | P. H. WHITING j NOT NEWS, BUT VIEWS j By PERCY H. WHITING. The Southern League meeting which ended here Saturday was one of the smoothest ever held by the league. There was no friction, no squabbling, no hard feeling—noth ing but the speedy transaction of business and then a general good time by the delegates. On one point the league is to be congratulated—they have actually elected a board of directors which will direct—R. H. Baugh, of Birmingham; Mayor Joyner, of Atlanta; II. C. Rather, of Little Rock, and F. P. Coleman, of Memphis. The old directory was a joke, because two of its members, Leonard Stern, of New Orleans, and E. P.. Amerine, of Montgom ery, did not make it a habit to attend meetings. In consequence it was often impossible to get a quorum. Moreover, neither of these gentlemen was a practical baseball man. The members of the new directory, which includes Vice Pres ident Crawford, of Shreveport, as an ex-officio member and Pres ident Kavunaugh as a presiding officer, are interested in the game and know it. They can be counted on to attend meetings, and to vote intelligently on questions that come up. As usual the East got a shade the worst of it on tho distribu tion of offices. All this section netted was the two directors that the constitution provides that they shall have, two members on the highly ornamental boai;d of trustees and one member of the advisory schedule committee—and he was put there for a joke. However, there is no kick Coming. As president, Judge Kav- anaugh has been an unequalled success. We reserve the right to put in a loud kick every time he makes a decision we do not like, but wo are bound to admit that he is a wonder on the job. As vice president, director and auditor, a better man would be hard to pick than Capt. Crawford, of Shreveport. lie is a man of the highest standing and knows baseball. Messrs. Rather and Coleman, the western directors, arc quite satisfactory. They will attend the meetings and they cau be counted on to give everybody a square deal. And there is no dodging it—Frank nnd Finn, especially Mike, are the best men in the league on schedules. Of tho Mobile deal i « less said until the Cotton States meet ing the better. ^The leag. \ wanted to make a secret of its feel- ings in the matter and weiAinto executive session. Of course there were leaks nud now thACottpn States League knows that tho Southern is engaged in th.tfrtoble American game of “bluff.” * If the Southern League had wanted to keep the thing secret the best way to have done it would have been to let the news paper men attend the meeting, with the request that they do not mention what happened. However, far be it from the newspapers to tell any league how to run its business. * ANNUAL MEETING A BIGJUCCESS Good Staff of Officers Selected, Mobile Turned Down and Player Limit Increased. TRADED THESE MEN HOWSOUTHERN TEAMS BATTED AND FIELDED 429 454 473 1613 1813 1423 1687 1910 1761 1671 1624 H. P.C. 1179 .249 1018 .248 1108 .247 1072 .237 1089 1046 .233 954 .226 1096 .216 E. P.C. 178 .967 189 .966 176 .964 212 .961 220 .961 231 .958 246 .957 226 .966 The team batting average* complied from the official record* of the South ern League follow: Club A.B. Muhvllla.' .. ..4710 Memphis 4109 Atlanta 4491 Nsw Orisons. . ..4(27 Little Rock 4600 Montgomery 4475 40S Shreveport 4214 430 Birmingham. . .4632 493 | j Omul batting average of league .239. The team neldlng averages of the league clubs are as follows: Club. P.O. A. Memphis 3(53 New Orleans. . ..3(49 Shreveport. . . .3230 Atlanta 3612 Birmingham. . ..3(49 Little Rock 3(32 Nashville 3552 Montgomery.. . .31(2 Grand fielding average of league .9(1. Tho team that won the Southern League pennant at the end of the past season—Atlanta—batted no better than third and Aelded no better than fourth. Charley Babb’s Memphis club, that Anlahed second, batted and Aelded bet ter than the Crackers, winning second honors with the stick nnd Arst In the Aeld. The Nashville club, which brought up absolutely the rear of the procession, did the beet batting and almost the worst Aeldlng. The heavy stick work of Hardy, McElveen, Wells, Wiseman, Morse and Dobbs brought the swatting average way up. One fact which shows how by a mere whisker Atlanta won the pennant Is that the Crackers scored less runs than any other club In the league barring Montgomery. Nashville led In the number of runs scored, with (14; end Birmingham, a second dlvlelon club also, was second with 493. Memphis scored 441 and Atlanta 429. Nashville players made the most hits, 1179, and Atlanta was second with 110*. The only club which mode less than a thousand was Shreveport. Memphis, New Orleans. Shreveport, 200 268 139 204 140 Atlanta and Birmingham wtere pretty closely bunched In Aeldlng. The honor of making the largest bunch of errors went to Nashville. The Dobbers sprung 240 during the season, and only stopped there for lack of time. The Shreveport players made the least, 170. Other figures about the hitting and buse running of the teams follow. The column of per cents shows the percent age of times the hits made by the team members were good for extra bases. P.C. Club. T.B. E.B. E.B. RH. S.B. Atlanta 1493 385 .347 233 182 Nashville. . .14(8 279 .237 138 170 Birmingham .1405 309 .283 191 164 Little Rork. .1830 241 .221 Montgomery .1293 247 .236 Memphis. . .12(9 241 .246 New Orleans .12(3 181 .169 Shreveport. .1223 288 .281 On the long-distance hitting propo sition Atlanta had all the best of It. The pennant winners “swatted ’em out" for a total of 1491 bases, 385 of which wers extra. That Is, 34 per cent of the hits made by the Crackers were good for extra basss. Nashville was second In the total number of buses hit for, but Birmingham hit for the second largest total of extra bases and <vas second on the per cent proposition. At sacrifice hitting Montgomery led easily, putting 268 to her credit. The pennant winners made 233. At the manly art of pilfering bases the palm goes to New Orleans, Tha Pelicans got aw-gy with 217. The only other club with over 200 to her credit Is Montgomery, with 209. The cham pions grabbed 182, while Memphis and Shreveport were tied for the emallest number, 148. If you had been given theee figures and asked to pick the pennant winner you would hardly have gueeaed Atlanta, though the Crockers undoubtedly figur ed pretty well up In every department. What the figures do not show are Inside ploy, nerve, determination, hard losing, Billy Smith and good luck. And these were the thing! that won the rag which was on Saturday awarded to the Atlanta club. The seventh annual meeting of the Southern League hss passed into his tory without a Jar. The end came about 6 o'clock Saturday night. President Kavanaugh was re-elected president and Captain W. R. Crawford, of Shreveport, succeeded Lowry Arnold, of Atlanta, as vice president The request of Mobile that the South ern League pay the 12,(00 necessary to draft the Mobile territory from the Cotton States League was politely but firmly declined. "This means Cotton States ball or nothing for us," said the Mobile delegates after the award. But It may be that this attitude le a bluff and that Mobile will eventually pay the necessary $2,(00. It Is now up to the Cotton States League, which meets December 17. The players’ limit was raised from fourteen to fifteen men. The salary limit remains unchanged. The officers elected were: President, W. M. Kavanaugh, Little Rock; vice president. Captain W., R.; Crawford, Shreveport: directors, R. H. Baugh, Birmingham: W. R. Joyner. Atlanta; H. C. Rather, Little Rock; F. P. Coleman, Memphis; board of trus tees. R. J. Chambers, Montgomery; F. P. Kuhn, Nashville, and At B. Heine- man. New Orleans; auditor, W. R. Crawford, Shreveport. President Kavanaugh named on the advisory schedule committee Mlko Finn, Little Rock: Charles Frank, New Orleans, and R. J. Chambers, Mont gomery. Tho meeting was called to order In the assembly room of the Piedmont Hotel about 2 p. m., with President Kavanaugh In the chair, and every club represented. The president’s report was read and accepted. Judge. Kavanaugh pointed out that the year had been a successful one; congratulated the league on re taining Its position In class A: spoke with regret of the reslgnatlon'of Vice President Lowry Arnold, and served notice on all clubs that In future the salary and players limits and the wai ver rule would be enforced to the letter. The Western Union was voted the exclusive right to run wires Into tl>e baseball parks. The proposition to continue the wai ver rule In force the year round was brought up. The vote on It stood 4 to 4. A motion to raise the waiver price to 1500 brought on a lot of talk, with May or Joyner favoring 1600, Fisher asking for 1300 nnd Mike Finn on record for a graduated scale from 37(0 down. It was finally voted to keep the price at $400. President Kavanaugh was, as usual, authorised to draw up the schedule. One hundred and forty games will he played, as last year, and the general ar rangement of the schedule wall be the same, with the eastern clubs opening In the east and the western clubs open ing in the west. Then the eastern clubs will go west. The season will end In the east. The opening games will be played April 1(. The president was empowered to ap point a committee of three to confer with the railroads to see If the train schedules can not be arranged, better to suit the convenience of the ball clubs. A committee composed of Messrs. Joyner. Rather and Chambers was ap pointed to confer with various commit tees representing theatrical organiza tions, and If necessary go to Wash ington and appear before the Interstate commerce commtsslon'wlth-a view of getting the old club n«e of 2 cents a mile put back In force. Little Rock was given the honor of holding the spring schedule meeting. The meeting then took a recess. At the meeting of the executive com mittee, held before the regular session, a large number of protests were taKen up. Five protests were withdrawn. The $300 fine nssessed-against Nash ville because Dobbs took his team from the field will stand, and the Nashville association must pay. But President Chambers has announced that he will return the check uncashed. The famous doped batters’ box case, In which Charley Frank claimed that Memphis people fixed a batters' box to keep his players from batting, was dropped. The day the Incident happen ed Frank withdrew his teom from the field, and was fined $300. He protested against this fine, but Saturday with drew the protest by submitting a let ter, part of which follows: "To tho Board of Directors: I here by withdraw my appeal In the matter of the forfeited game at Memphis July 2, and am ready to pay the forfeit of 3300. 'in withdrawing the appeal I do so on account of persopat feeling toward President Coleman, and In obedience to a strict and technical construction of the rules. "But I am still of the opinion that I was justified In my action. I still be lieve that I can prove that the box had been doctored and that certain mem bers of the Mem'-hls club had knowl edge of It. I knew they refused to remedy It, but I would havo to draw Innocent and disinterested people Into the con troversy as witnesses. Rather than embarrass these people I have decided to take my medicine, regardless of how bndly I have been treated In the mat ter by certain members of tho Mem phis club. Yours respectfully. "CHARLES FRANK." LEAGUE MOGULS LEAVE SUNDAY Delegates to Big Meeting Depart After a Good Session, a Big Time and Some Trading. About 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon there was much shaking of hand* and bidd|ng of goodbys In the lobby of the Piedmont. For the Southern League moguls were parting after probably the smoothest meeting that the or ganization has ever held. President Kavanaugh, Secretary Clark Miller and Manager Mike Finn returned to Little Rock, where they re side. * President Frank Coleman, the only : one of the Memphis delegation who did not pull out Saturday night, went west a,* far as Memphis with the Little Rock party. So did Charley Frank, i who winters In the Bluff City. X Tom Fisher went down to Shreve- ' port to talk with Captain W. T. Craw- fohd, owner of the Shreveport fran chise; and to And out where he Is at. If Shreveport stays In the league he will manage the Shreveport club. If Mobile gets the Louisiana franchise, Tom may manage there, though It Is pretty certain that the Mobile owners do not want to pay his price. If he does not manage In . the Southern League. It is pretty certain that he will bo with the St. Louis Nationals, either as a pitcher or an outfielder. Robert Baugh, of the two Birming ham delegates, went to Birmingham with the bunch. Harry Vaughn, man ager of the Barons, returned, to Cin cinnati, where he winter*. The Nashville delegation, W. W. Taylor and W. H. Fletcher, left on the morning train for the Rock City. . Jimmy. Ryan went back to Chicago Sunday, and does not expect to return' South until along In March. "At home I api right in the center of the baseball world," said. Jimmy, be fore he left, "and I think I can gather In players a lot better u£ there than I can down here. I knojv 'em by the thousands and I stand pretty well with the baseball people around Chicago." Jimmy, at first glance, does not look like any veteran, but he recalls train- RUTT AND STOL GREAT SIX-DAY RACE intestants Got Instead of Being Worn O Fat and Ate Tons of hood While Race Was On. New York, Dec. 16.—Suit and Stot proved the winners of the six-day bike race. Foxier and Moran finished sec ond. Georgett and Dupre finished third, in fourth place was the Downlng-Dow- nc-y team, made up of the race-surviv ing partners of the firms of Walthnur and Downey nnd Butler nnd Downing. Galvin and Wiley were fifth at the wind-up. Rutt and Stol and Fogler and Moran were tied nt the seml-wind-up. The teams had covered 2,312 miles, ( laps, in the rldc-off Rutt won. Instead of being a terlrble strain on the contestants in the six-day cycle race, some competitors have, according to ult assurances, gained In weight. For them the contest has proyed an eating feat from the start. Rutt, for Instance, weighed 1(61-2 pounds at ths start nnd ut the finish tipped the scales at 1721-2 pounds. His COTTON STATES LEAGUE HOLDS MEETING TUESDAY Bpeclal to Th<* Georglsn. Jackson, Mies., Dec. 16.—A concerted ef fort Is being made by the directors of the Cotton State* League to Induce President D. 8. Compton, of Vicksburg, to consent to re-electljn for another term. President Compton’s attitude Is somewhat •kin to that popularly attributed to Presi dent Rooserelt prior to the latter’s recent letter. He does not desire a third 9 term, and bsa positively stated that he will not accept It, but at the same time It Is be lieved that sufficient pressure can be tilougbt to beer to*retaln him In the posi tion he has filled with exceptional credit during the pest two seasons. In event Mr. Compton flatly refuses to consider re-election when the board of di rectors meet In Gulfport on Tuesday, It Is likely that several other names will be proposed. Vleksburr Cash man. for aeTeral the league, and the J offer A. C. Crowder, a member of tha board of directors. Kelt her of these gen tlemen. however, la an avowed aspirant. Meridian and Gulfport urn also ilkely to pre«ent " resent Indication ••tors will force toe H par the forfeit prior to accepting the Southern league franchise. There Is ’-err little likelihood that the body will con- nt to a compromise of any sort Mobile to Join higher company. ■ lose her chance g may present Frank I yenra the secretary of Jscksoa directors might Baseball Banquet Enjoyable Affair The banquet given by the Atlanta Hax-ball Association to the Southern League mogul, who attended the an nual meeting wae a notably pleaeant affair. The menu wax one of the Piedmont's beet; the after dinner epeechee were excellent and. In the Word, of the coun try correspondents, "a large time wa. had.” Absolutely MATHER’S Parlor Base Ball Game PLAYS ALL THB FEATURES Endorsed and played by Mathewson. Lajota, Reulbach, Stone and other atara of the diamond. Retails tor <63.00, The only new game on the market. * We only have 300 on hand and they are going in a hurry. This game is highly enjoyed by everyone who has tried it. ■MADDEN AT HOME. Lexington. Kjr, Dec. 1(.—John E. Madden, accompanied by hie aon,. Ed ward and Joseph, lute arrived from Washington, and will apend the winter at Hamburg Place. The hotter * ht campaigned during the aeaaon are no-7 at Bennlng and will be wintered then. KING HARDWARE CO., 53 Peachtree Street. Ing In Columbus, Ga.. In 1886, ,o ha must date back atvays. He ha, nlay- ed In Atlanta at various times while with the Chicago Nationals, on his way North after spring trailing. From Nashville comes the new, th»t Cqrtls Gardner, who played in the oqtfleld for the Ndshvlle team last year has taken a clerkship under,the g 0 v-’ emment In Pqnamn, and If he likes It down there he will not pjay baseball next season. The Nashville Baseball A«soclation has bought for $12,000 Athletic Park In Nashville, and will put up a grand stand there. The Rock City club will not go Into the building game as ex tensively aa Atlanta did, but for all that will have a nice park. If Mike Finn can get Rockenfeld out of the league he will sell him to Jer sey City. “He Is a good ball player when he wants to be," said Mike. "But he did not play the kind of ball for me that 1 liked.” The Southern League Reason open flvd days later next year than It did this. In consequence there will be a long Intermission between the de parture of the major league clubs and the opening of the championship ho,, tllltles. However, the big leagues may open later themselves. As the Eastern club, are to open against Eastern clubs. It Is a cinch that Atlanta will ‘get an opening day and a pennant raising April IS. Quite proba bly Nashville will get the Other opening game In the East. OOtBWOOOOOODMaQOOOtlOOOOiW, 0 BOBBY WALTHOUR 0 HOME ON TUESDAY. 0 0 Bobby Walthour, Atlanta', 0 0 great bicycle rider, will return 0 O froni New York Tuesdn}- night for O' 0 a visit here, T '„ 0 00000000000000000000000000 • limAW i ttCHOPF, Who may go tq Montgomery. ATLANTA GETSTWO Secures Sorrell and .Walsh, Both Good Right- Handers. Blit Smith pulled off two trades while the meeting was in progress, securlm Bill Sorrell for Baxter Sparks am Walsh for Schopp or Burkett or another pitcher,’name not announced. This brings two first-class pitchers to Atlanta. Two years ago, when Sorrell started out in the league, he looked like a. marvel. He was hurt early In the season'and - was out of. the game all summer. Last year he was in no kind of condition. However, he was .with the Nashville- club nnd that probably ac counted for It. Bill Smith always feared him while he- was with Nashville, und he believes-that he can make a good performer opt of-him. 00000O00000000O0000000000O O 0 URBAN MACDONALD 0 DIES FROM INJURIES. 0 0 • 0 New York, Dec. 16.—Urban Mac- 0 O Donald, the bicycle rider Injured 0 O In the six-day race, died Satur- 0 0 day night. 0 0 • 0 OOO00O0O000OOO00OOOO0O0OQO partner, Stol, who from apearances weighs 155 pounds, started at.165 ponds and gained five pounds before the weak was through. Moran sallied forth on the Jaunt at 176 pounds nnd wound up, fresh anil well,- at 180 pounds, while bis- partner, Fogler, weighing 170 pounds when the pistol was fired for the start, accumu lated an additional six pounds. Fogler and Morah between them ate six chickens, six pounds of steak and six pounds of chops a day, w hile during the week they consumed between them a bushel of celery. Neither took eggs, except as n detail In sherry flips. Their drink consisted of twenty-four bottles of Boss’ ale a day. while In the 144 hours they also disposed of eighteen pints of champagne. Fogler drank neither tea, coffee nor cocoa, but Moran ■wcaslonally drank weak coffee. In ad dition each took a large quantity of distilled water. - Rutt and Slot's appetites were such that their chef, when seen, said: ’’Walt until they see the bill." Dally the pair averaged five pounds of the tyeit cut sirloin, seven pounds of chops, five chickens, and during the week they dis posed of a ten-pound bay of the beat rated rice, several pounds of oatmeal, a dozen pots of marmalade and six dozen newly laid eggs. MUCH BUSINESS DONE AT S. L A. A. MEETING One-Year Rule Passed, New Officers Elected to Several Positions and Card System Regulated. Special to The Oeorglam Clemsop, S. C„ Dec. 16.—The annual meeting of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Assocldtton w-as held here Sat urday. The most Important business was the passage of the one-year rule. Among the Important actions taken were: . ..The admission of NortV Georgia Ag ricultural College to membership In the association. Resignation of Cumberland aocepted, but that of Southern University- and Kentucky State College refused because of non-payment of dues. College presidents were recognized ns the- representatives of all colleges in official cases. ■ , ' ' .. Decided that In future all official communications from the association shall be addressed to the presidents of the colleges. The presidents shall des. Ignate ome person In the college with whom the vice presidents shall conduct business; The constitution was amended to provide for the following officers: A president, four vice presidents nnd secretary and treasurer. The six hamed officers shall constitute the executive committee. In case of a tie vote the president will be allowed to cast the deciding vote. The- card system was slapped at as follows; 'It shall be considered unlawful for any student to receive an Income through any card or correspondence system of selling or soliciting. In or der that a student may engage In the business of buying and selling, he must actually take or. deliver goods. Any college shall .have the right to protest against such a system by which an athlete receives compensation and the vice president shall consider all such protests and shall refer the matter to the local authorities, and upon receipt > ! of theln reports shall pass uik# the legality of the Wo>k dons and compen sation received. Appeal from his de cision may be made to the executive committee." The certificate rule was changed at follows: “The certificates, together with a 11*1 of'the players certified to by the presl. dent or his duly authorised represents, tive,, shall bo transmitted to the dis trict vice president at' least five dajri previous to a contest. He shall send a list of the eligible men to each col lege In his district. No player shall be considered eligible until his certificate has been filed with thd district vice president." With this addition the amendment passed. The responsibility of a team captain was made aa follows: "The, captain of any team of this as sociation wlfio lends, orders, or In any way permits hi, team, or any member thereof, to violate nny law of this con stitution or Is In any party to auch violation, shall be suspended from play, lng In future contests, of this associa tion.” The .following onerVear rule waa adopted: . . "Add to section 3, article 9, no foot ball player In 1908 shall be eligible to engagement In college athletics unlees he has been In attendance at the college as a student for nt least five collegiate months or preceding session and for 1909 nnd thereafter for the entire pre ceding collegiate year, provided title re striction should not apply to student! offering for entrance 14 unlts under me Carnegie system." ... , The officers elected were: w- **■ Dudley. Vanderbilt, president; B. I* Wiggins. Sewanoe; W. M. Riggs. Cleat- son; L. D. Boyd. Louisiana Stnte; Pat. terson. University of Georgia, vice pres idents; E. F. Holmes, Mercer, secre- tary, . ' Dr. Dudley nnnouncod that he not be a candidate for president In me next convention. GREAT BASKET BALL PLAYED BY FOUR Y. M. C. A. TEAMS Two more fast games of gasket ball were pulled off at the Young Men's Christian Association gymnasium Saturday night, the Cs walloping the As by the safe margin fo 26 to 12, and the Ys defeating the Ms a small mar gin of 3 points, the score being 24 to 21. The game between the Cs and As was hard fought, but the Cs took the lead early. This seemed- to dishearten Captain Dickey and his men, and after that the Cs had little trouble in win ning. For the Cs,' Wright again put up a fancy, article of basket ball, scoring 16 of the 26 points for his team. The work of Hudson was good. For the losers, Dickey, Avery and Itodsktns put up a good Individual game, but team work was lacking. The trouble with the A team, from the writer's point of view. Is that they lack practice, -and ,are Inclined to play a game for Individual glory. Whatever disappointment was felt by the lovers of good, fast basket bal In the game between the Cs and a* - was assuaged by the fast, snappi game put up by the Ys and ** has already been stated, the Ms »» by a very small majority. At the . of the first half, the score stood l- 4, with the Ys holding down the•"» end. In the second, half. « p twenty minutes of basket ball corked, the Ms making the fight •<< life, having the score at one time to points ahead of the Ys. The la recovered, and In the last few nilnu " of play threw three goals In quhse cession, thereby winning the gnmt. The games .were refereed . W. Homing, of the University !»" for Boys, at Stone Mountain, an* gave entire satisfaction.. HIS w,,r all times was above question. ... The Young Men's Christian As- tlon second team clashes with the . ■Mountain team Thursday night, an the 8tone Mountain team ... championship last year, leading <-J[ e soclatlon team by one game. It * B . dieted that this affair will be s na ( men »•