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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 i M \ x \ - % t )1 ( } I JX A / / A'-~ A.'.'- A' //. // W/ N '' B 0? / . r/ -4A i ■T/ // u & wHf// ' v \ ] " few// I JMw /JL ' 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.