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12
ffIOMAN SMB (OMPTMEB
EPITLD W. S FARNSWORTH
Crabapple, Ga., Lad, Who Made Start in Atlanta, Is at Top of Heap
NAP RUCKER IS GREATEST SOUTHPAW OF THE AGE
By Percy H. Whiting.
Napoleon bonaparte, of
Ajaccio. was reputed to have
been a consistent winner in
the Red Blood league a century ago.
or thereabouts. He did his "Cy
Young" in a world's championship
affair at a burg called Waterloo
nearly a hundred years ago. He was
a good winner while tie lasted, but
he had to depend on air-tight sup
port
Napoleon is dead now —has been
for some years, in fact■—but the
name goes grandly forward; borne
proudly by G. Napoleon Rucker, of
Alpharetta. Georgia. And the chief
difference between the two Is that
Rucker does all his winning with
out any support at all. He pitches
fer Brooklyn. If he had the sup
port of the Corsican for whom he
is named he would have a record
for consecutive victories that would
stretch from Marietta, Ga., to the
moon and back byway of Macon
and Augusta.
When Rucker passes out of base
ball. which will not be for many
years vet unless some accident be
falls. and the historians of the na
.tlonal game get their estimates ad
justed and trued up. they will rank
Napoleon Rucker, the Georgia boy,
close to the top among the left
handers of his generation. If they
do not give him the very front rank
It will be surprising There will
be southpaws a-plenty who will
show up with better records of
games won. but they will have
them because they pitched for real
ball clubs. For genuine, cold
blooded, deep-dyed twirling ability,
they must all take places behind
the husky Georgia lad who, less
than ten years ago, wasn’t good
enough for the Cracker team.
• • •
IT’S an odd thing about celebri
ties. but it’s an awful job to
And where they were born. Two
states. Georgia and South Caro
lina. claim the birthplace of Ty
Cobb; Cyme. Smyrna and a half
dozen otftera wrangled long over
the birthplace of Homer. It's the
same with the justly famous G.
Nap Rucker. Three or four little
Georgia towns, and a couple of
places which aren't towns at all,
claim Rucker. But the historians
are inclined to give the honor to
Alpharetta, or, mere strictly, to
Crabapple, which is a suburb.
Rucker's early life was not
crowded with stirring incidents He
got a first-class country school
education and learned the rudi
ments of baseball.
Up in Nap Rucker’s country, as
in all rural and most of urban Geor
gia, they go baseball crazy every
summer, Nap, being a husky,
red-blooded Georgian, took up the
game He was big. strong and had
a good head. Also he was left
handed
Now In the country, and usually
In the cities, too, when a boy is
left-handed they try him out as a
pitcher, because they know the ef
fectiveness of a good left-hander
So Rucker was stuck in all hls kid
games as a twirler. And since It is
Impossible for a left-hander to
Nap Rucker’s Curves
Nap Rucker's curves are full of guile;
So fast they fairly hiss;
Then, with seductive change of pace,
float and Tag
and
deftly
' drop
like
thia
throw a straight ball, anyway, and
because Rucker was born with a
natural gift of control, he soon
became the wonder of the country,
and wae grabbed up by the Crab
apple club for work against the
teams of the surrounding country.
In Rucker's early games he pitch
ed either right-handed or left
handed, just as the notion hit him.
And occasionally, when he couldn't
get a catcher to hold him. which
happened now and then, for Nap
hurled a tremendous ball, even in
those days, he would go behind the
hat and catch for some of the other
hurlers of the team
All in all. Nap developed Into
enroething of a ball player
* • *
wtOW. it happened at this time as
IN ft happens now and ajfaln, even
unto this day, that Atlanta had a
bum ball team It was owned by
that demon manager. Abner Powell,
and it was surely going punk. The
p«ople of Milton county, of which
Alpharetta is the county seat, be
gan writing interviewing and tele
phoning Alt Powell that they had a
real ball player, and that they
wanted him tried out Ab. whose
team didn't have anything in the
way ot pitcm;.' save ('mill...
Smith, was willing to listen to rea
son and sent Nap transportation.
• • •
Trl.'i KER'S d> but was made early
in ISVA. And It lacked about
seventeen degrees of being aus
picious. According to the prints
of that season, Rucker was given
a trial in the spring, but proved un
steady. so was released When
Powell got al) to the bad for hu l
ers h< bought George Suggs, now
Cincinnati's best pitcher, and sent
to Canton, Ga., for Nap. Transpor-
Nap Rucker's Record Since He Broke Into Game
Team Batting Fielding
W. L. Pct. Pct. Ave-age. Average.
1904 Atlanta 11 .500 .578 .286 .875
1905 Augusta 13 11 .542 .445 .125
1906 Augusta 27 9 . 750 .609 .148 . 973
1907 Brooklyn .15 13 .536 .439 .155 .918
1908— Brooklyn ...17 19 .472 . 344 .179 .968
1909 Brooklyn .13 19 .406 .359 .118 .946
1910— Brooklyn ...17 18 . 486 .416 .209 977
1911— Brooklyn 22 18 .550 .427 .202 .969
tation was sent August 13 and he
reported a couple of days later.
Rucker broke into Southern
league baseball on a Friday, Sep
tember 2, 1904, when he finished out
a game In Birmingham for Hardy.
His real debut came, however, on
Monday. September 5, the same be
ing Ijabor day. Five thousand fans
turned out. the normal attendance
being swelled by everybody In
t'rabapple. Marietta and Alpha
retta Nap was most fngloriously
trimmed, the score being 8 to 2.
The Nashville team, led by Newt
Fisher, furnished the opposition,
and Harry Nickens, of Goal Hill,
a classic suburb of Nashville,
hurled against the Georgian.
Rucker really pitched a fair
game, but that let him out. He
couldn't field his position, he didn't
know baseball and he was a boob—
that was all there was to It.
What happened to Rucker after
Ab Powell washed hip hands of him
history does not record, hut the
chances are he went home to fa
ther’s farm. It was a good, safe
place, and. even if the bright lights
were lacking, at least there was
nobody to bunt balls at him, and
that helped.
The next year (1905) found him
with Augusta In the South Atlantic
league Atlanta forgot to draft him
in the fall of 1905 and Nap started
the season of 1906 with Augusta.
Hls twirling during that season at-
Phis story is the second of a
series on Georgia boys who are
making good in baseball. Percy
H. Whiting. The Georgian's ex
pert, will, from time to time,
write others just as interesting
as this one about Nap Rucker.
traded the attention of the scouts
for Brooklyn and Nap was drafted
by the Super has In the fall.
• • •
£)URING the Dodgers' training
trip in 1907 Rucker displayed
the form which has made him fa
mous, and he won a permanent
place on the Brooklyn staff Nap
was a little unsteady during the
early part of the 1907 season, but
by mid-summer he began to show
the class that has made him the
best southpaw In the National
league, if not the best in baseball.
In the battles of 1908, 1909. 1910 and
1911 he has been the leading box
man of the Superbas' staff.
Rucker Is of a retiring nature
and does not care for the limelight.
He bellevs in the maxim of "early
to bed and early to rise," and prac
tices it religiously.
"Baseball is a business to me,”
he explains, "and a man must al
ways be in condition. To keep in
condition he must limit hls smok
ing, cut out drinking and get plenty
of sleep. I learned the lesson that
a player must take care of himself.
Too many youngsters fall in base
ball because they do not adhere to
the rule of strict living."
• • •
M AP carries his 27 years lightly
and takes a great Interest in
all current topics
He can discuss any national ques
tion Intelligently and studies close
ly each city he visits during the
playing season. He understands
the national game and keeps a
watchful tab on ths work of other
players. He modestly refuses to
talk about hls own abilities, but
gives due praise to the work of his
teammates "No team has a li
cense to beat Brooklyn," says he,
"as the boys are on their toes all
the time, and when some of the
youngsters have received more sea
soning our fellows will make the
other teams go some to beat us."
Rucker Is a Democrat; he could
not be anything else politically and
still be a Georgian, and he expects
to see a Democratic victory In the
fall He loves hls native South and
is glad to return home in the fall.
He spends his winters in Alpharet-
NEW YORK COMMISSION
LIFTS BAN ON ATTELL
ALBANY, N. Y„ July 19.—The six
months ban placed on Abe Attell. ex
featherweight champion, by the New
York state athletic commission was
lifted yesterday The commission sus
pended Attell for alleged faking in a
bout here with Knockout Brown, and
ordered him not to enter or participate
in a bout in ant boxing club In this
state.
It is said that the former champion
will return to New York in the neat
future to attempt to recoup some of his
lost fame and fortune. Attell is at the
present time on the Pacific coast. H<
will meet Tommy Murphy in a twenty
round bout next month in San Fran
cisco.
Should Attell decide to return here,
he will probably seek a return match
with Johnny Kilbane at one of the lo
cal clubs.
THE ATLANTA GEORGTAN AND NEWS. FKEDAY, JULY 19. 1912.
ta, with the exception of a month
he takes each year for fishing In
Florida.
Nap Is 5 feet 11 inches in height
and weighs about 160 pounds in
playing condition. His hair Is a
trifle red. but that docs not bother
him. He dresses neatly and in the
best of taste He smokes moderate
ly and does not drink All in all,
he is a splendid example of the
modern ball player.
7 f
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' SHOOTING ACROSS A FAST ONE.
WELLS STOPS KENNEDY
IN 8 FURIOUS ROUNDS
NEW YORK, July 19. Eng
land may yet furnish the
"white hope" who will
tackle Heavyweight Champion
Jack Johnson in behalf of the Cau
casian race Many of the 6.000
spectaetors who saw Bombardier
Wells, heavyweight champion of
England, whip Tom Kennedy, for
mer amateur heavyweight cham
pion of America, in eight rounds
at Madison Square Garden last
night, expressed the belief today
that Wells is the logical opponent
for Johnson.
Wells fought a winning fight
from the first tap of the bell, and,
after knocking Kennedy down three
times with sledge hammer right
hand swings to the jaw. the Ameri
can's seconds tossed in the sponge
and gave up. Kennedy was so weak
he could hardly stand.
This was Wells' second appear-
READING TRI-STATE CLUB
BOUGHT BY CONNIE MACK
PHILADELPHIA. PA., July 19.
Connie Mark, manager of the world's
champions, and Bert Leopold, of Al
toona. have purchased the Reading
Tri-State franchise and players and
« ill operate the club under the name of
Reading Exhibition Company. The
franchise originally belonged to Al
toona, but when the business fell off
the club was transferred to Reading
Failute to post the Jj.tiou bond re
quired by the league resulted iu th'
franchise being sold.
Nap Rucker, Dodgers*
Great Southpaw, Who
Hails From Georgia
; BL* \
i A- ’
\r**
ance here, and he adopted a new
style of fighting from that used
against Al Palzer when he was de
feated. The Briton relied on sci
ence and fought with his head and
feet as well as with his hands.
Kennedy's only flash of form came
in the second round.
in the eighth Kennedy tried to
take a brace by remaining on the
floor till Referee Billy Joh had fin
ished the count of nine, but the
trick failed. It is estimated that
each fighter got close to $2,000. The
gross receipts were figured close to
SIO,OOO.
Each man weighed 191 1-2
pounds, so there was no advan
tage in weight. \\ <lls showed up
better in appearance than his op
ponent and entered the ring the
favorite. He had the appearance
of a well trained athlete, while
Kennedy looked a trifle heavy. Both
were in the best of condition.
JOE PATCHEN II WINNER
OF CELERY CITY PURSE
KALAMAZOO, MICH.. July 19. -Joe
Patehen II proved a remarkably heavy
track stepper, easily taking three
straight heats in the Celery City $5,000
purse for 2:10 pact's. There was never
any doubt as to the ability of Joe
Patchen's son. and at no time vas he
forced to go his full limit to win.
Chatty Direct won the 2:10 trot in
straight heats, although Elizabeth Ray
finished close up in the first two heats.
Branham Baughman furnished the
surprise of the day by deflating C. The I
Limit in straight heats in the 2:05 pace.
Golfers Start on Match Play Rounds at East Lake Course
EIGHTY BATTLE FOR HONORS IN FIVE FLIGHTS
r~ |~yHE 80 golfers who qualified
I yesteiday afternoon in the
medal play rounds in prog
ress all day over the course of the
Atlanta Athletic club, at East Lake,
started this morning on the match
play rounds which will last until
. ’
A
\ \
UNCOkKING a curve.
The Big Race
Ty Cobb didn't get a chance to boost
his batting mark yesterday, as all the
games scheduled in the American
league were postponed on account of
rain.
Here is how the "Big Five” in the
Ban Johnson circuit are clouting the
pill right up to date:
P'ayers. AB. H. P.C.
COBB 313 129 .412
SPEAKER 337 133 .394
JACKSON 326 121 .371
LAJOIE 216 72 .333
COLLINS 297 93 .313
ATHLETICS SIGN FAHEY.
PHILADELPHIA. July 19.—Connie
Mack, manager of the Philadelphia
Americans, announced today that he
had signed Fahey, of Dartmouth. Fahey
is a shortstop.
(TV
'.Sana:/ :■/ /
/\ \ LY /e? .A*.
WILMER L. MOORE, President.
THE REPORT
"The Finance Committee pays close attention to the investments of the
Company’s funds, and it should be heartily commended for a resolution it has
adopted for its guidance. It is provided by this resolution that no member of
the Committee shall, either directly or indirectly, borrow any of the Com
pany's funds, nor shall any member, directly or indirectly, receive or take any
commission for 'oans made, or upon securities purchased for the Company.”
He also says: “The Company's minutes are well kept, and set out in de
tail the action of the Directors and various Committees.”
And in his final comment he further states: “The officers of the Company
must be complimented for their administration, which is without reproach,
and for the earnest desire they have ever displayed to conserve the interests
of the policyholders.”
JOHN F. ROCHE, of New York City,
April, 1912. To the Insurance Dept, of Ala.
The above is in keeping with the preceding reports of other eminent
actuaries who have investigated the condition, security and operation of The
Southern States Life Insurance Co. This company takes the world into its
confidence and publishes such annual reports.
Men of character and ability can secure desirable territory in which to
represent this company, noted for soundness, security and never contesting a
claim where death was established. Make applications with home office.
THE SOUTHERN STATES LIFE INSURANCE CO.
W. S. McLEOD. A .1-
Supervisor of Agents for the State of /A I I d Ta TCI I x
Georgia. Home Office: Candler Building. xlliailia, VJCI.
8
late Saturday afternoon, and which
will reduce the 80 to a mere ten.
In the morning matches the play
ers will clash in five flights. The
winners continue in the same di
visions. The losers in each flight
constitute the losers divisions, and
they meet in the afternoon in the
first rounds of the losers divisions.
Tomorrow the semi-finals will be
played in all flights in the morn
ing and in the afternoon the finals
will be decided.
Owing to the fact that 40 couples
had to be started from the first tee
this morning in time so that all
could finish their match rounds and
he ready to duplicate this after
noon. the start was an early one
and the pairs were smashing away
with their irons for the first green
before the fog that covered East
I.ake had fairly had time to blow
away. After a scattering start the
players began to pilt*up at the first
tee, and from that time forward
until nearly 11 they got away at
from three to five-minute intervals,
depending on the time it took the
couple ahead to get off the green.
How They Are Paired.
Following are the pairings for
the five flights as drawn by the
golf committee:
First Flight.
R. E. Richards vs. Smith Cullum,
H. G. Scott vs. G. W. Adair.
L. Arnold vs. R. H. Baugh.
G. H. Atkisson vs. E. W. Daley.
C. Knowles vs. L. Sheifesee.
\V. R. Tichenor vs. Dr. F. Hol
land.
T. B. Fay vs. C. P. King.
R. G. Blanton vs. S. Probasco.
Second Flight.
\V. E. Wilson vs. E. B. Craw
ford.
C. V. Rainwater vs. R. P. Jones.
D. Jemison vs. E. G. Brown.
A. Davidson vs. \V. G. Holley man.
A, A. Doonan vs. E. Martin.
E. H. Barnett vs. H. G. Seibles.
C. J. Holditch vs. C. E. Corwin,
E. T. Winston vs. W. P. Ward.
Third Flight.
E. F. Mayberry vs. J. D. Eby.
W. H. Glenn vs. O. P. Adair.
I. L. Graves vs. H. P. Thorn,
C. S. Davis vs. E. R. James.
C. M. Sciple vs. J. Moore.
H. C. Moore vs. J. S. Raine, Jr.
H. Block vs. T. B. Paine.
C. Angier vs. G. N. Blanton.
Fourth Flight.
J. D. Osborne vs G. A. Nicholson.
H. E. Bussey vs. T. J. McGill.
W. M. Richards vs. W. H. Grif
fith.
H. B. Lowndes vs. E. G. Ottley.
T. H. Latham vs. J. Burton.
D. R. Henry vs. L. D. Scott.
W. Z Hazelwood vs. J. W. Bach
man.
W. O. Marshburn vs. T. P. Hin
man.
Fifth Flight.
W. C. Warren vs. T. R. Ham
mond.
M. Saul vs. S. C. Williams.
I. L. Ingram vs. W. W. Cunning
ham.
B. M. Blount vs. W: T. Colquitt.
.1. M. Rivers vs. A. H. Lippold.
H. E. Harman, Jr. vs, F. L. Flem
ing.
J. C. Thompson vs. .1 J. Hastings.
H. K. Neer vs. W. G. Lippold.
The Qualifying Scores.
The following are the cards turn
ed in in the qualifying round;
C. Knowles (Atlanta), 80.
E. W. Daley (Nashville), 83,
C. P. King (Atlanta), 84.
S. Probasco (Chattanooga), 86.
W. R. Tichenor (Atlanta), 87.
H G. Scott (Atlanta), 87.
G. H. Atkisson (Atlanta), 90
L. Arnold (Atlanta), 91.’
R. H. Baugh (Birmingham), 92.
Smith Cullum (Birmingham). 92
R. G. Blanton (Atlanta). 92.’
L. Sherfesee (Charleston) 93.
Dr. F. Holland (Atlanta), 93.
G. W. Adair (Atlanta), 93.
A. A. Doonan (Atlanta), 94.
T. B. Fay (Atlanta). 94.
C. E. Corwin (Atlanta). 94
R. "E. Richards (Atlanta). 94.
Dick Jemison (Atlanta). 9,>
_E. B. Crawford (Birmingham).
E. T. Winston (Atlanta). 95,
E. H. Barnett (Atlanta), 95.
W. P. Ward (Birmingham), 95
R. P. Jones (Atlanta), 95.
<?. V. Rainwater (Atlanta), 96.
E. G, Brown (Birmingham), 96.
('. J. Holditch ‘Atlanta), 97.
W. C. Holleyman (Atlanta), 97.
H. G. Seibles (Birmingham), 98.
A. Davidson (Atlanta), 98.
H. P. Thorn (Atlanta), 98.
E. Martin (Chattanooga). 98.
C. P. Davis (Atlanta), 99.
E. F. Mayberry (Charleston). 100.
0. P. Adair (Atlanta), 100.
G. N. Blanton (Atlanta), 100.
H. C. Moore (Atlanta), 100
J. S. Raine. Jr. (Atlanta). 101.
E. R. James (Atlanta), 101.
I. L. Graves (Atlanta), 101.
H. Block (Atlanta). 102.
T. B. Paine (Atlanta), 102.
W. H. Glenn (Atlanta). 102,
<'. Angier (Atlanta), 102
Dr. J. D. Eby (Atlanta), 103.
H. B. Lowndes (Atlanta), 104.
.1. Moore (Atlanta). 104.
M. Sciple (Atlanta). 104.
W. O. Marshburn (Atlanta). 10
E. G. Ottley (Atlanta), 105
J. W. Rachman (Atlanta), 106.
Dr. J. D. Osborne (Atlanta), 105.
T. J. McGill (Atlanta). 106.
H. E. Bussey (Atlanta), 107.
G. A. Nicholson (Atlanta). 107.
T. H. Latham (Atlanta), 107,
Dr. T. P. Hinman (Atlanta). 108.
W. H. Griffith (Atlanta), log.
D. R. Henry (Atlanta), 108.
■Joe Burton (Atlanta). 109.
W. M. Richards (Atlanta). 10?.
W. P. Hazelwood (Atlanta). 109,
L. D. Scott (Atlanta), 109.
W. W. Cunningham (Atlanta),
110.
F. L. Fleming (Atlanta). 111.
W, G. Lippold (Atlanta). 111
S. C. Williams (Atlanta). 111.
M. Saul (Atlanta), 111.
C. J. Thompson (Atlanta). 111
H. E. Harman, Jr. (Atlanta). 112,
J. M. Rivers (Charleston), 112.
T. A. Hammond (Atlanta). 112.
A. H, Lippold (Atlanta), 113.
W. T. Colquitt (Atlanta). 114.
B. M. Blount (Atlanta). 114.
H. K. Neer (Atlanta). 114.
T. M. Ingram (Atlanta), 117.
J. J. Hastings (Atlanta). 117.
W. F. Upshaw (Atlanta). 118
W. Alfriend (Atlanta). 118.
W. C. Warren (Atlanta), 118.
W. Markham (Atlanta), 119.
J. S. Drew (Atlanta). 120.
H. L. Dix (Atlanta), 121.
Dr W. A Jackson (Atlanta) 121.
A.'W. Hodnett (Atlanta), 122
C. B. Malt (Atlanta). 124.
George S. Tigner (Atlanta). 133
BUYS N. Y. LEAGUE FRANCHISE
BINGHAMTON. N. Y.. July 19.-
George F. Johnston Irak purchased thf
Binghamton franchise in the State
league and will continue the team ir
the city. Hollis M. Gitchell will be ap
pointed manager.