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6 , SIFOW Q2W» * EfftHS’ Beating Marquard Makes Georgia Boy a Hero -i- • -i- + • %- -r • <• • -r -r • -I- Crackers Have a Big Boost for Jimmy Lavender By Percy 11. Whiting. ROYSTON has its Cobb, and Al pharetta Its Rucker And now. by heck. Montezuma has its Lavender. Also, as has been stated. Lavendei isn't a colot but, with the Giants, anyhow, a state of mind For James Lavender It was who brought to a close the most marvelous tun of games ever pitched by living man tin nine teen straight of Richard l.f.Vlai quts. alias Rube Marquard Also Jimmy has pitched* such ball that ho ranks as one of great pitchers of the big leagues today Delving into baseball histories brings to light these facts about the career of James Lavender: tAMES SANFORD LAVENDER Is J a native of Georgia, and hails from Montezuma. Macon county, where he first saw the light of day on March 20, 1885. in the Eastern league, from which he was grad uated to the Cubs, Lavender earn ed the sobriquet of "iron man" by filling the role of ready rescuer in addition to pitching in his regu lar turn or oftener. Lavender would not have had a try-out with the Cubs this spring but for the Interpositions of the national commission. Obtained by means of the draft from Providence last fall. Lavender was almost Im mediately turned over to the Mon treal club in part payment # for Ward Miller, who was purchased from the Royals earlier in the sea son. The deal was a cold blooded attempt on Montreal’s part to grab the man from Providence. The Cubs had no idea of keeping him, but merely tried to do a little friendly stunt for Montreal. Montreal, however, belongs to Ute same league in which Providence is included. Objection was made by the Rhode Island club against hav ing a pitcher taken from its ranks only to be dumped unceremonious ly into the lap of a rival club with out trial and with no chance to bld for his return. The national com mission vetoed the deal and re manded Lavender to the t übs, with orders to give him a trial, and if found wanting to give Providence first call on hl.« services. unless, of course, some other major league team refused to waive on him When Lavender was compara tively a kid his family moved from Montezuma to Barnesville and Lavender went to Gordon institute. He was not a regular pitcher for the Gordon team, but worked in some games. His first real pitch ing was done for the independent team which represented Barnes ville in neighborhod games. Later the Montezuma lad attend ed Georgia Tech, entering tn sopho more year, and undertook the course in mechanical engineering That he was serious tn his search of a profession is evidenced by the fact he was not considered any kind of a pitcher while in college. He pitched a few games for his class team in interclass championship affairs, but never made the varsity nine It was not until afterwards that he really discovered he could pitch. In 1906 his professional career began in the South Atlantic league, as a member of the Augusta team, though previous to that time he had had a brief experience with the luckless Georgia State league of 1906. Ed Ranslck. the Augusta mogul. decided that I.a vender would do. In 1907 the Georgian went to Danville, in the Virginia league and was a teammate of Martin Walsh, but that is nothing against Lavender. The next yeai found Lavender a long way from home in Holyoke, of the Connecti cut league. There he was under the tutelage of Jack Tighe, now manager of the Louisville Colonels In the fall of 1908 Lavender was drafted by the Providence club Into the Eastern league. and there m uned until rescued by the nation al commission via the Cubs. While in Providence. Lavender -erv ed under three masters, but not simultaneausly Hugh Duffy had charge of the Clam Diggers in 19"9. the first year l avender pitched for them Then Jimmy Collins was marie manager, and held the job until the middle of last season, when he was superseded temporar ily by Jakey Atz. In spite of the discouragement of working with a losing team. Lav enders record was a good one In 1909 the team finished in tile first division, and he won nearly 60 per cent of his games. The last two years h< was there Providence was a tail-ender. yet Lavender was re turned a winner in neatly half tin games he pitched in both seasons Last yeai the records show he worked tn 49 battles, and he was credited with nineteen victories, 22 defeats and one draw by the a< - countant. That gave him a pitch ing record of 163 while his team was w inning only 35 per rent of its games and was below the middle in both batting and fielding The Providence team played 155 game- and as Lavender plt< bed 49 them he < ame close to w m king every third day . am! from that wil i lingmss p, tnak< a truck-hol-e <.f WHAT LAVENDER HAS DONE IN BASEBALL Club’s Bat. Field’g Year. Team. W. L. T. Pct. . Pct. Av. Av. 1911 Providence 19 22 1 463 .355 .190 .930 * 1910 Providence 15 22 0 .405 .399 .065 963 1909 Providence 14 17 n 452 533 .134 955 1908 Holyoke 21 17 0 .533 .473 .157 978 1907 Danville 18 16 n .529 .528 .1 14 .940 himself he gained the title of "iron man.” BOUT the best thing that J. Lav ‘ * ender has is a spit ball. Says Whlt’ey Alperman, who worked with him in the Eastern league last season: "All Lavender has is a spit ter and a fast one. And he usually wastes his fast one. He never puts it over unless he has to. He hasn’t any curve to speak of. Any time he has to deliver he uses the spitter” Tommy Atkins, who has pitched In the Eastern, says: "V.ou can put Lavender down as a m ‘v smart pitc her. He Isn't a big /. . ■ ,iy- be my size or a shade larger. Rut he has a good spitter and a better head. You can put him down for me as a smart pitcher. He has a good bean, and that gets him by a lot of times.” • • • cpHAT Lavender, a pitcher the Cubs kept sorely against their will, should beat the Giants and break the winning streak of the greatest of modern pitchers, Rube Marquard, was wonderful. But Per haps a little more wonderful was the fact that the day previous to the one when he accomplished the miracle he was sent In to finish a game in St. Louis. Then, after rid ing back to Chicago, he was sent in to trim Marquard. An odd feature' of it is that Frank Chance planned that very thing. When the Peerless Leader left St. Louis before the end of the series he instructed Tinker, who was put in charge, that if a pitcher were needed to finish the Sunday game and only a few Innings remained, to use the Georgian. The condition arose and Laven der was used. He came back the very next day stronger than ever, and not only whipped the Giants, hut almost broke their hearts by breaking the winning streak of the popular "Rube.” Which shows Lavender in the role of "iron mail," and that is ex actly what he is. Lavender works better when he pitches every third day. At any ra'e, that is what he claims, and he has had much better success when worked often than when given a long rest. Not long ago Lavendet and Chance were discussing the for mer's pitching ”1 haven't had enough work." said the twirlcr it was not in the nature of a complaint, but Chance is one of those managers who likes to have the other fellow’s opinion and wants to look at it from the player’s as well as the manager's viewpoint. "I work better when 1 pitch every third day," continued Lavender, "and I’m still more effective when I am sent tn for a few innings be tween games," Take a glance at Lavender’s rec ord last year and you will see that his words are borne out by the figures. • • • /sllAN'i'E broke one of his rules w hen he held to Lavender. The West Side manager has always been in favor of the big. strong, husky tw triers. He can't see the little fellows with a Spy glass He likes the powet which should ac company .1 large frame. Rut Lav ender caught his eye. Now. don't get the impression that Jimmy is a midget He's fai from that He s a pretty hunky sort of an individual and. while scarcely husky enough to give Jack Johnson .1 battle, possesses much strength, Otherwise. lie would not be a three-day pitcher. Just the same he doesn't compare to the Overall. Brown, Reulbach type of twirlcr when it comes to size. Lavender has been .1 deceptive fellow to the Cubs. All the re ports of the scouts and the men who played with and against him in tin International were to the effect that lie was a spit ball pitch er, puie and simple, and that lie wa without anything else. That may have been true last year. Rut it doesn't go this. He is one of the best little bluff ers of tile spit ball in the game, and Io- lias a good saliva sphere. But he is shooting that curve ball across tin plate or in the immediate vicin ity about as often as lie is the wet one. Willi tlie result that the bat ter seldom guesses right. Lav< rider s start was not sensa tional and there was nothing to indicate that he would develop into tile talk <>l the league. At the start of the season he seemed to be un able to go the distance. He would pitch like a whirlwind for a few innings. Then along about the sixth or s< venth he seemed to lose every thing that he possessed with the txi eption of his glove. He's got over that habit now He's an iron man all the way. I 'm of the surprising things about :111s y -ungster is the fait that w hili he is a spit ball pitch er he has excellent control. As a m itter of r ~ t. it is doubtful wheth er then- is a twirlcr on the I'nh team who will give fewer bases on balls. \\’l I Fl' 11 EI .II 11 l-rciid.-r is .1 ’’ 1..' pitcher or mefely an ex t..i brilliant bloomer hasn't been fully demonstrated yet. They » ail him a kc ii; Chicago, but Jim is 27 year* "id H is at or nr ar th< height ot ids abiiily. If he can THE ATLANTA GEORGf AN A'TD NEWS. THURSDAY, JULY 11. 1912. keep his present stride, he is the wonder of 1912 baseball Even if he isn’t, ho will go down to utter most baseball history as the man w ho broke MarquaFri's famous run For. as they say in Chicago now : "Marquard is feeling blue—he says he prefers Brown to Laven der," This story is the first of a se ries on Georgia boys who are making good in baseball. Percy II Whiting. The Georgian's Ijiistbtdl expert wWL from time to time, contribute others, which should be of great inter est to Atlanta fans. i V X? «*:» A 'MB BENDING OVER A PUZZLING CURVE FODDER FOR FANS Charlie Carr. manager of the Kansas City team, has entered formal protest against the language used by I'mpirv Gerald Hayes Gerald might to be ashamed of himself * « « Johnny Paley. the new infielder of the Browns, is playing his second year of pro fessional ball John has kept the Mans field team up in the Ohio State league race He t ost th- Browns $1,500 • • * Lefty George, the guy that made the Stovall trade a joke, has been sent to the 'Toledo team He was once a star with Indianapolis • • - Last year baseball fans stopped going to! games in St. Louis This year there I aren't any fans there • • • The (‘tibs are pigging the batting hon ors. Zimmerman was absolutely first, at 409 the last time we looked, while Hood was absolute!* last and unchallenged at 000. • ♦ • Was it George Stovall or Harry Wolv erton who gut the Bn-wns out of the cel lar? • • * Boston -first in (he Amor.pm. lasi in the National! New York-first in the Na tional, last in the American! • • • With Bill Smith coaching and Have Bunting playing good ball in the infield Chattanooga fans arc again smiling faint ly Smith's coaching ought to add a go-'-l ] bit to the strength of the team. Richmond has released lack riouYnoy and signer*. Bol* ti ter in his p’..u <• 4 • • 'The International league has a peek of ex-Southern leaguers this year, among •l » rn Viebahn. Maxwell. McTigue. Sw < etna. Higgins and Zimmerman The ground keepers of the Cardinal path have struck because their pa* was cut fr mt C a da* t" <I L- I (ties.- the Giants art t lit civ-, during i Jimmy Lavender, the Georgia Boy IVho Downed Marquard SHOOTING HOME A FAST HOP BALL. ... z HF Z I ‘he Western trip they can settle down when the* return home and begin plan ning on the world's championship series. This is the last chance. » «■ 4 <>h. *es; in addition to suspending Ray I’aldwell for lack of condition Manager Wolverton fined him $250. • • » Altoona is out of the Tri-State league for good, the park has been sold for S2BO and the franchise is on the market. In the meantime the league is operating the homeless ex-.\ltouna club at a profit. • * • Tren; »n‘s chief of pulice has notified the baseball association that it will arrest ev- I erybody concerned if they try to play • Sunday ball, so the jig is up. • • • If you happen to get famous it's hard on your folks. It has lust come out on Rube Marquar ■ mother that she does her own washing. • 4 B Chief Leßoy. of the St, Paul team, "snapped" his arm the other da.* in a game at Kansas city and appears to be out for good B * • The White Sox are making their East ern trip with five pitchers. Eom of them are fiends for work. \* tlsh. Peters, Bern-, and Lange. Eddie llohnhorst. former Cracker first baseman with Toledo who lias been out of the game because of injuries, is about | well again ami read* to go to work. Mert Whittle*, ex-Cracker. is batting .338 with Trenton. • • • The George pierce who struck out 22 men for Scranton the other da* used to be with Augusta tn the Sally league. BAT NELSON FIGHTS AGAIN. WINNIPI-G MANITOBA. .I ll* 11. :I’ >. t ling > -on nd Mick"* M< Intyre I'.'i" flash he n mmor’ow night tit patch weights in t twelve-round go. ' - < *7M./ J GRIFFITH By William F. Kirk. Maybe the Bostons will win the flag - That is the Boston boast and brag. They have shown no signs of fear or fatigue As they breeze along in the Johnson league. Their pitchers good and their team is fast, And they play like the Bostons of sea sons past. Maybe they'll get the post-season rocks. But we're pulling for Griffith, the good "Old Fox." Maybe the team run by Connie Mack Will clean things up on the homeward track. Many fond hopes have been put in the tombs By pitchers like Bender and Plank and Coombs. Many a team from its throne has slid Because of the things that Baker did. So the old Xthleties may win out IF— Bdt we're pulling for Griff! MAY FINE DAVIS FOR FAKING PLAYER'S NAME CLEVELAND. OHIO. July 11.—Man ager Harry Davis, of the Naps, may diaw a tin of SSO or SIOO, and Just be i aufee one of Iris players "put one over" on Cinpire Hart in the game at the White Sox park on the morning of July I. When Empire Connolly re fused to allow Birmingham to go to his r.gulai station in center field Man ager Davis sent a substitute to that garden. Hart inquired the name of the new come: from one of the <’leveland play ers and the reply was "Costello." The truth regarding tjje player's name did not become known until the Naps re turned to Cleveland, where it was learned that the player was Kenneth Nash, former captain and shortstop of the Biown university team. The name "Costello" was given, not by Nash, but by another Nap. to get even with the umpires for what the player termed a bum decision on Birmingham at third. DEVLIN BEATS SCHWARTZ. BUT REFEREE SAYS DRAW NASHVILLE. TENN.. July 11.— "Yankee” Schwartz, of Philadelphia, and Tommy Devlin, of Chicago, fought eight fast rounds, to what the referee called a draw The last two rounds went to Schwartz, while the other six went to Devlin. Schwartz at no time had a change to win the fight. KIRSCH GOES TO REDS. CINCINNATI. July 11.—The Cincin nati National league club has secured Pitcher Hirsch from the Meridian team, of the Cotton St ites league. Hirsch has a record of twelve straight games won in the minors. SCULL RACE ON TODAY. TiillOXTO. July 11.- The race between Eddie Durnan. of Toronto, and William Hains, of Boston, for the smiling cham pionship of America and a pgrse of SI,OOO. scheduled to take place yesterday after noon. wa s postponed until today of a storm yesterday afternoon. Becker and Waldorf Slated To Hurl Today’s Double Bill IF the weather deigns to permit, which isn't any too probable during these watery days, a double-header will be played at Ponce DeLeon park this afternoon. The opposition will be furnished by the prize in-and-out performers of the league—the New Orleans Pelicans. Very likely Buck Bieke will hurl in the first game today. In the second game Mana ger Hemphill may decide to give Rudolph Waldorf, the Dutch Kid, another chance. If he does there will be excitement surely. For ■whenever Waldorf works there is work for all. A couple of ill-advised, watery showers beat Atlanta out of a bail game yesterday afternoon. A good crowd risked the weather and turned out for the doings at 2:30. It looked bad for Atlanta in the first spasm, for Messenger singled, with one out. Johnston lived on an error, and Almeida was walked. With the bases full, Bad Bill Mc- Gilvray selected a willow and strode to the plate. Sitton gulped, put all he had on the ball and let tty. Bill swung, the ball cantered down to Alperman. Almeida was touched out and MeGilvray doubled at first. Nothing happened after that un til one was down in the first of the second. Then one of the pesky little showers that has been run ning loose in Fulton and DeKalb counties for the last month hit the park. And the game ceased. For one hour and twelve'min utes there was nothing stirring except the vigorous efforts of the ground keeper's force to dry off the field. NEWS FROM RINGSIDE Officials of the Plaza A C.. in Chicago, are planning to lift the lid on boxing in that city July 15. when Steve Ketchel and Jimmy Murphy are scheduled to go eight rounds to a decision. • * • If the Chicago promoters carry out their plan, this will be the first effort to stage boxing in the Windy City since the “£ood old days.” • • » Al Palzer is in Chicago and many ex perts say he is loking for a competent manager. It Is very likely Palzer will Sign Emil Tliiry to look after his matches. V * • Terry Nelson has started training for his eight-round bout with Curley Jordan in Chattanooga July 18. Packey McFarland has signed articles to box Young McCartney six rounds in Philadelphia tomorrow night. « • M McCartney is from Port Richmond, where he is looked on as a comer in the lightweight" division. NEGRO PITCHER HURLS A NO-MAN-TO-FIRST GAME MOULTRIE. GA., July 11. -Moultrie claims the distinction of possessing the greatest find of the year in baseball cir cles, even though he is a negro. In a game played on the local diamond last week he achieved the distinction of equaling the world's record for a pitcher in not allowing" a runner to reach first base throughout the nine innings of play. This phenom, however, is handicapped on account of his color, being a negro. It is a safe bet that if he could change "'his spots” he would be eagerly sought by the big league clubs and would prove a sen sation. DANNY MURPHY MAY BE OUT OF GAME FOR YEAR PHILADELPHIA, July 11.- Captain Murphy, of the Athletics, probably is out of business for the remainder of the sea son Manager Mack reported today that Murphy has developed water on the knee from an injury received July 3, when in the game at Chicago he made a slide for ihe home plate. The absence of Murphy from right field is regarded here as endangering the club's chances for the championship. STATE CHECKER TOURNEY OPENS AT ENGINE HOUSE 2 ' The Georgia state checker champion ship will he decided in Atlanta this week. A tournament will commence today at 1 o’clock at engine house No. 2. corner of Washington and East Hunter streets. All entrants are re quested lo be on hand at that time, and the general public is invited to at tend'the meet. KAUFMAN AND MILLER AGAIN. SAN FRANCISCO. July 11.—Fight Promoter Eddie Graney announced here today that he had decided to stage a twenty-round fight between Al Kauf man ami Charlie Miller either July 26 or 31. Humors in the blood When the blood becomes infected with any unhealthy humor the effect > shown by some definitely marked disorder like Eczema, Acne, Tetter, 1’• riasis. Salt Rheum, etc. Humors get into the blood usually because o! inactive condition of the system. Those members whose duty it is to c 'd j all refuse matter do not properly perform their work, and an unhealthy cumulation is absorbed into the blood. Then instead of performing ’ a—natural function of nourishing the skin the cue’.: 1 tion irritates and inflames it because of its imp 1 . JTp]condition. A thorough cleansing of the blood the only certain cure for any skin disease; exte S \ applications can only give temporary relief. I I goes into the circulation and drives all humorsii 1 ' ■ i hwS. / the blood, and in this way makes a permanent ■’ complete cure iti every form of skin trou j S. S. S. supplies the blood with the nutritive qtm ities necessary to sustain the skin and preserve natural texture and perfect appearance. S S cures Eczema. Acne, Tetter. Salt Rheum, and all other skin eruptv n diseases. Book on Skin Diseases and medical advice free. THE SW7FT SPECIFIC CO., ATLANTA, GA. At 3:42 the rain was over : hostilities were resumed un an agreement to wave the > P which automatically ended th'-1 game after 30 minutes had passe,’ And they were some hostility-, too. when they got started t the mud was deep as the Pit : gummy as glue. Bailey got ; first taste of it. In the last of the second he walked. On Hemphii - short single he foolishly tried go to third. But the gooy - stuck to his feet and slowed he down. And when he got to th • he saw that there was but on, chance, and that a poor one. He had to slide. Normally it is ca 11,,; "hitting the dirt.” On this occa sion it was "hitting the mud." Bailey shut his eyes. Jumped and second later was the center of ( mucky splash. The umpire couldn see the play at all. for the spatter ing gumbo, but called Harry om on general principles. And it m. . the park force, with hoes, to dig down to his uniform. Hemphill scored a bit later on Harbison's single and In the no-, mal course of events that run would have won the game. I',r Sitton was pitching ball. It began to rain early In 1 ... third and rained gently all thro..,- •the inning, adding to the discom fort of the already disgusted play ers. And with two gone tn the last of the third the game was again called. After a bit the show, r passed and the sun came out—an infrequent happening these days But the har,m was done. The park was deep in water and Umpire O'Toole declared the game off It was a shame, for the Crack ers were winning easily. Floyd Fitzsimmons, who is promote g i boxing matches at Benton Harbor, is trying to secure Eddie McGoorty s signa ture for a match with Howard Morrow at his club some time in the near future « • • Should these two be matched a record 1 crowd would probably attend the bout, as i Morrow is a Renton Harbor product, n w being managed by Tommy Ryan • ♦ * Eugene Corri, the noted English ref ! eree. says he Is in favor of adopting th® American plan of refereeing a houi Cdrri ' believes the referee should be , '»n the inside of the ring Instead of the nut t side, as the English referees now do • • • Jack Dillon and George K. O. Brown . have been practically matched for a re , turn engagement in Indianapolis .Inly 2. Al Palzer, known as the eave man. . says he prefers to meet Jack Johnson In ‘ a short bout before fighting the blank man for the championship. ANDERSON LEADS ATHENS BALL TEAM TO MADISON ■ ATHENS, GA.. July 11.—Athens'fine “ bull team, headed by Coach Frank An derson. and with a number of Georgia . stars on the line-up. has gone to Maril , son for two games—one today and an . other Friday. Madison has aver? strong amateur team. Those who will hold up the Athens end of the score are: Rawson, cab'mu . * "Kid" Brannen and Peeler, pitcher ’ Hodgson. first; Anderson. second. Camoratta, short; Good wyn, third. 11"!. McWhorter, center: Nunnally, left, -n Bryant, right. ; FRANK WANTS TO RECALL BUNTING FROM LOOKOUTS CHATTANOOGA. TENN.. July ! For some reason which the local n “ age men t refused to divulge. Cha: my ' Frank is trying to cal! off the ' Bunting to Chattanooga. The I has played phenomenal ball in t ■ series just closing. President Andrews states that though Frank has demanded the r< rm" of the player, he is the property of ' ( local club and will remain so. WHITE SOX GET CICOTTE BOSTON. July 11- President J ; R. McAleer, of the Boston Amt >:• , ■ announced today the sale of I’'.! 1 Eddie Clcotte to the Chicago v ican-. The announcement of his tin fer to the Chicago was not pica me Cicottp atul he said he would not it-’ 1 but would go to his old home in 1 t roit. TIGERS GET INFIELDER DEAL DETROIT. July 11—The iv-tr American league baseball club has : .■based Charles Deal, a third base in tile South Michigan league. ; has been batting around .390 am l said that lie cost the Detroit club $