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Southern League as Fast as American Association
+•+ +•+ +•+ -?••+ 4***i* -l-«-I-
Players Who Failed Here Have Made Good There
By Percy H. Whiting.
THE marvelous pitching per
formance of Bill Lelivelt when
he hurled a shut-out for Min
neapolis against Toledo has brought
up the old question. "How much
faster is the American association
than the Southern league?"
Bill Lelivelt, you will recall, had
plenty of chances in the Southern
league He was a fine, big fellow,
with a cheerful disposition. But
great snakes, he couldn't pitch. If
they'd paid him SSOO for each vic
tory in the Southern, Instead of a
regular salary, he wouldn't have
made a living And then, after a
short spell down in the Virginia
league, he turned up In the vaunted
American association and pitched
perhaps the greatest game ever
seen in that league The no-hit per
formance was all the more remark
able because the Minneapolis team
la one of the slowest fielding teams
In the world, and several of the
players don't cover any more
ground than Iles under their shoe
leather.
Os course, the mere fact that Bill
Lelivelt was a Joke in the South
ern and a hero in the American as
sociation doesn’t prove anything
about the relative speed of the two
organizations. But when you think
of the number of Southern league
cast-offs who have gone to the
American association and made a
big hit. the thing la somewhat sug
gestive
Another failure in the Southern
who went from the Montgomery
team to the American association
and made good was "Doc" Thomas.
Atlanta can furnish a couple of
samples In Al Bnemllier and Bill
Viebahn Al is playing In Louis
ville, and Is rated one of the best
shortstops In the league. Viebahn,
after failing in Atlanta, went to
Nashville and did likewise. Then
the big lad went to the association
and made good, ©samples could be
multiplied all day.
• • •
THE real proof that the American
association la a vastly over
rated organization is the fact that
it has sent so few good players to
the big leagues
The players who were sent up
last fall and who are still being
tried out aren’t considered here
Many of them, like Marty O’Toole,
still have us tn doubt. They may
be good, but it can't be demon
strated But counting out last fall's
crop, the American association
hasn’t sent anything notable to the
big show since Rube Marquand, Do
nie Bush, Joe Wood and Chief Mey
ers went up.
In 1909 the association sent up
only two worth mentioning—Jim
Vaughn and Amos Strunk. And Jim
isn't so much, while Amos had to
attend Cornelius McGillicuddy's
School for Deserving Young Ath
letes for several years before he
really learned the gam.
In 1910 the association sent up a
mass of players. But Hunter failed
wirh Pittsburg. Dave Altizer
couldn't show enough, to interest
Cincinnati (and, goodness knows
the Reds aren’t particular'.); Kaier,
who went to the Naps, didn't prove
any wonder: Hartly, who was sent
to the Giants, hasn't been heard
from since: Schardt, who went to
Brooklyn, could win but five of
twenty games; Richter and Doth
went to the Cubs, but Richter was
not used except as a relief pitcher,
and Doyle, after showing promise,
died.
In two years, therefore, only four
American association players even
partly made good, and today Strunk
is the only real star of the lot, and
he has just barely arrived.
ANOTHER proof of the amazing
weakness of the American asso
ciation lies in the very small num
ber of really great players devel
oped in recent years by the organ
ization.
Take, for example, the Baseball
Magazine's “All-American baseball
teams of 1910 and 1911:
1910. 1911.
Chase, lb. Chase, lb.
Lajoie, 2b. Collins, 2b.
Devlin, 3b. Baker. 3b.
Wagner, ss. Wagner, ss.
Magee. If Clarke. If.
Speaker, cf. Cobb, cf.
Cobb, rs. Jackson, rs.
Gibson, c. Bresnahan, c.
Archer, c. Dooin. c.
Walsh, p. Meyers, c.
Mathewson, p. Thomas, c.
Coombs p. Mathewson, p.
Bender, p. Johnson, p.
Johnson, p. Alexander, p.
Grogg, p.
Rucker, p.
Walsh, p.
You will notice quite a mess of
Southern leaguers there—Speaker,
from Little Rock, Archer, from At
lanta; Jackson, from New Orleans,
and Rucker, from Atlanta, not to
mention that distinguished gradu
ate from the South Atlantic league.
Colonel Tyrus R. Cobb, once of Au
gusta.
How many of the 31 players
named are American association
players? Just one. "Chief" Meyers.
That surely makes the American
association look strong! Not!!
• • •
•pHE trouble with the American
* association Is one that the
Southern league must guard
against too many old-timers. They
have recruited from big league dis
cards for so long that they are
suffering from two complaints—too
large salaries and too poor players.
You can’t get an ex-big leaguer
cheap. They always want about
twice what their services are worth.
Though their ability has sunk be
low the major league standard,
they still demand major league sal
aries And, of course, they are
worthless as investments, as theit
playing ability is constantly lessen
ing, and there is no chance that
they can ever be sold again for
anything like what they cost.
The day of the old-timer In base
ball Is waning. He has been the
real goods for years. Now mana
gers and club owners are waking
up to him
Old-timers have made the Amer
lean association a joke. They made
the Atlanta team of this season a
crime. They have slowed down the
Southern for years
The South Atlantic league this
year took the matter In its own
hands and barred the old-timers
It was believed that by doing this
they would develop a world of good
young players It can't be said
that the Sally has developed a lot
of wonders this year. But one sea
son does not prove anything. The
tnoguls of the league claim that
thej are well satisfied with the ex
periment Certainly it should work
better than the plan of stocking up
with old-timers This is the day of
the young man In baseball.
• • •
"p HE performance of Andrew
Sockalexis in the Olympic Mara
thon started folks to wondering if
he were a relation of Louis Socka
lexis—the man whose career was
the shortest and the most brilliant
ever recorded.
As a matter of fact. Andrew is a
cousin of Louis. They belong to
the ?ame tribe. They are men of
the same physical stripe. But ask
one (l s tile old tribesmen on the
Penobscot reservation about them
and they will say:
"Androv. Sock. uni goo,] boy
Louis Sock—ugh!”
For Andrew is a youth of per-
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.
sect habits, while Louis ruined a
career that might have been bright
er than Ty Cobb’s, with white
lights and what goes with them.
It was recently reported that
Louis Sockalexis, a “ghost of his
former self," was "running a ferry.”
As a matter of fact. Sockalexis,
now a 200-pound. fat, lazy Indian,
is living on the Penobscot reserva
tion, near Oldtown, Me., doing
nothing. He isn’t in poverty, for
the tribe Is a ward of the state of
Maine and Is kept on the safe side
of poverty’.
Tt takes an old-timer to remem
ber Sockalexis In his prime. “Doc”
Powers discovered him and started
him at Holy Cross. He was a won
der there, and big leaguers fell over
themselves trying to get him. Pat
Tebeau landed him for Cleveland,
and he made more than good.
Never in baseball history was there
a debut like his.
Sockalexis was at his height until
the first pay day. After that he
quit being a "good Injun.” The
lights w ere too bright and the booze
too red. He couldn’t stand the
pressure. For a w'hlle they man
aged to keep him fairly well in
line. But one night, In trying to
r, t out of a second-story window to
escape a guard, he broke his ankle.
He never got in real condition after
that.
Now he Is only a big. fat, lazy’
Indian, who smokes, eats, smokes,
sleeps and smokes.
But he knows and the world
knows that he might have been
the greatest ball player of all time
if he had but kept the control over
his appetites that he did over the
ball. "Wildness" ruined him.
CRACKERS PLAY OFF
POSTPONED GAME
WITH PELS TODAY
NEW ORLEANS. Aug 14. The
Crackers have a chance of winning a
game here after all. The scheduled
•cries was closed yesterday with four
straight victories for the Pelicans, but
Charley Frank decided this morning
that he would play off a postponed
game between the teams this after
noon.
Whitey Alperman plans to work Ved
dor Sitton this afternoon, while Frank
announced early that either Weaver or
Swindell would do the box work for the
home team.
This will be the Crackers' last per
formance here. Tomorrow will be an
off day for them, but on Friday they
open In Mobile with the Gulls.
The score of yesterday’s nightmare
was 8 to 1. Lyman Johnson, the
Crackers' latest addition to the pitch
ing staff, was slammed good and hard.
On the other hand. Nick Cullop. mak
ing his debut in a Pel uniform, held the
Atlanta batters safe at all stages
Take Your Choice
I
By William F. Kirk.
1 know that Becker's outlook isn't anv- i
thing but grim
That Whitman and his workers have no
thought of sparing him
I know the ex-lieutenant, sitting sadlv"in
his cell,
Is brooding o'er the many things he shall
or shall not tell.
Dear reader, you may take your choice; i
don't mind what others say;
But I'd just as soon be Becker as he Man- I
ager O'Day!
in dear old Cincinnati, where thev war
bled in the spring.
Dreaming of flags and champions while
their -ant was on the wing.
O'Day was crowneu with laurel wriaths
so numerous and green
That when he took his hat off not one
stray tress could be seen
I But oh. the way they pan him now And
that is why 1 say
That I'd just us soon' be Beeker as be
Manager O'Day!
••••••••••••••••••»•?•••••
• HARBISON GETS ONLY*
: ONE PUT OUT while:
: PLAYING FIRST BASE:
• Dug Harbison played first base •
• for the Crackers yesterday, Joe •
• Agler being laid up, and he prob- •
• ably created a new record. He •
• secured only one putout and had •
• no assists. In nearly every game •
• the first baseman receives almost •
• as many putouts as the other •
• eight players combined. Harbison •
• had his lone fielding chance in the •
• first inning. After that he did •
• nothing but watch his teammates •
• put out the vicious Pelicans.
• It has been said that Jiggs Don- •
• ohue, while playing first base with •
• the White Sox, went through a •
• game without being credited with •
• a single putout and having only •
• one assist, but the record books •
• fail to show it. •
••••••«•••••••••••••••••••
KNOWLES MS
EASY VICTORY
IN 20 ROUND
Herr are the results of the matches
played to date In the five flights for
the Perry Adair trophy at the East
Lake course:
First Flight. ’
First Round—E. T. Winston defeated
H. C. Moore, 2 up and 1 to play; C.
Knowles defeated C. E. Corwin. 3 up
and 1 to play: A. H. Lippold defeated
J. B. Martin, 7 up and 1 to play; D.
Jemison defeated C. W. Phillips, 6 up
and 4 to play; G. W. Adair defeated
H. Block, 6 up and 4 to play; W. R.
Tiehenor defeated R. G. Blanton, 1 up;
C. P. King defeated W. F. Spalding. 5
up and 3 to play.
Second Round —C. Knowles defeated
A. H. Lippold. 4 up and 3 to play.
Second Flight.
First Round—R. E. Richards defeat
ed J. P. Callaway, 3 up and 1 to play;
P. H. Whiting defeated J. W. Bach
man, 1 up; J. O. Burton defeated C. A.
Thornton; t> up and 5 to play; W. O.
Marshburn defeated J. O. Smith, by’
default; W. J. Tilson defeated J. Moore
1 up 20 holes; J. P. Eby defeated E. G.
Ottley, 1 up 20 holes; T. B. Fay’ de
feated C. M. Sciples, 3 up.
Second Round —P. H. Whiting de
feated R T Richards, 2 up.
Third Flight.
First Round—W. M. Markham de
feated H. P. Nicholson, 2 up and 1 to
play; H. J. Hopljlns defeated W. Al
friend, 1 up 19 holes; J. D. Raines, Jr.,
defeated L. H. Beck. 1 up 19 holes; R.
P. Jones, Jr., defeated A. A. Doonan,
5 up and 4 to play; R. F. Jones de
feated T. H. Latham, by default; L. D.
Scott defeated T. A. Hammond, 2 up;
Dr. T. P. Hinman defeated E. D. Dun
can. 2 up.
Second Round—H. J. Hopkins de
feated W. Markham. 2 up.
Fourth Flight.
First Round—J. M. Beasley defeated
i A. W. Hodnett. fi up and 4 to play;
J. C. Michael defeated C. G. Lip
; Itold. 3 up and 1 to play; C. Angier
d> seated H. M. Ashe, 2 up and 1 to
play; E L Fleming defeated W A.
I Jackson. 5 up and 4 to play; s. Hard
1 defeated S. Williams, 2 up; H. C.
Butler defeated P. Adair, 1 up; J. t\
Thompson defeated T. L. Cooper. 5 up
and 4 .to play; W F. fpshaw defeated
M. Saul. 3 up and 1 to play.
Second Round—W. F Fpshaw* de
! seated C Thompson. 4 up ami 2 to
| Play.
Fifth Flight.
Second Round—H. L Graves defeat
ed W. C. Barnwell
MOOSE TO PLAY BELL.
The Southern Bell team will try to
put a crimp tn th, winning st eak of
the Moose club Saturday astern, n as 1
4 o’clock, when these two teams meet
at Ponce DeLeon The Moose team has
won nine straight and are tied for first
place in the amateur league. A good
game Is confidently expected.
Fast Red Sox Have No Startling Lines of Play
Boston Team Is a Perfect Balanced Combination
By Damon Runyon.
IF the Boston Red Sox win the
American league pennant, as
now seems probable, it will be
a victory of a steady, beautifully
balanced, practical baseball ma
chine—a machine that has *ew
fancy trimmings in the way of
stars, no startling new lines of of
fense or defense, and no vast
amount of color —but which is a
great organization, take it by and
large.
It is a machine that early In the
season impressed Atlanta observers
with that indefinable something—
which is as definite in ball clubs as
in individuals —known as “class.”
It was generally conceded through
out the baseball world that the Red
Sox had a chance to beat the Ath
letics for the championship, al
though few really expected them to
do it. The belief was general that
the Mack aggregation was a shade
stronger than the Stahl collection,
but It was also generally predicted
that the Bostonians would be the
runners up.
The position of the Sox is due to
no flashy run at any stage of the
race. It is due to a steady, inter
minable grind; they got away well
. up. and they have remained there.
They had the ball players—which,
after all, count heavily.
Change Comes With New Owners.
It is a team that is "due.” It
has been gradually rounding into
championship form for several
1 years. Jim McAleer, the new pres
ident of the club, does not believe
the change In management had
' any effect—that the Sox would be
out in front if the old regime had
remained —but the fans are not
likely to coincide with this view’,
1 except In so far as the team leader
is concerned. If other managers
had had the same support being
accorded Jake Stahl, the club, as
now constituted, would probably be
right where It is at present, but not
until the general management
changed was that support forth
coming.
It is not a young club. It is not
an old club. It is about half an I
half If the Giants meet the Sox In
the big series they will have no
great advantage over their Boston
rivals in point of experience. True,
the Giants have played in a world's
series, but even at that a majority
of the Sox have been campaigning
longer than most of McGraw’s men.
Fellows like Tris Speaker, Joe
Wood, Carrigan. Stahl. Gardner,
Hall and Wagner are no callow
kids in baseball.
Stahl was born in Elkhart. Ind.,
on April 13. 1880. which makes him
about the youngest of the big
league leaders. He was a great
football player at the University of
Illinois under the famous coach and
scout. George Huff. He has played
at Boston, Washington and New
York, managing the Senators in
1906. during which time they made
the sensational spurt that brought
him the title of the "Born Leader.”
Stahl did not make the Red Sox;
he had no part in assembling, or
even in welding together, the ma
chine as it now stands—he is es
sentially the driver of a perfected
team —but he must be given all
credit for the skillful manner in
which he has performed his duty.
The ball players now under
Stahl's control were picked up by
the men who preceded him. The
team was there, and it seems rea
sonable to presume that it would
have threatened to win the Ameri
can league pennant with any man
ager of ordinary judgment at the
helm—and yet* Jake Stahl is the
man who is turning the threat into
a certainty, and to Jake Stahl must
be given proper acclaim.
In compiling an all-star club,
picked from the members of the
two major leagues, a majority of
experts and fans would probably
include just two members of the
Boston Red Sox. They are Tris
Speaker, outfielder, and Joe Wood,
pitcher. There are half a dozen
players in each department of the
game who would likely be selected
over any other members of the Sox
for the respective positions. In
Speaker and Wood, however, the
Sox have two men who could hard
ly be omitted from any unbiased
all-star pick.
Speaker Is undoubtedly one of
the greatest outfielders in the world.
Some rank him the equal of Ty
Cobb—all place him at least sec
ond only to the Detroit wonder.
Speaker is a great hjtter, a great
base runner and a great outfielder.
Apparently he has no weakness.
As for Joe Wood, his record
speaks for itself. He is the Math
ewson of the American league.
Many fans place him first among
the right handers of that organi
zation, although that claim will al
ways be vigorously disputed by
Walter Johnson. They call the
Kansas City boy "Smoky Joe,” be
cause of his wonderful speed. He
is a heady pitcher, who, like Math
ewson. makes a study of his oppo
nents. His delivery is not wholly
unlike that of "Big Six.”
One of Greatest Outfields.
Speaker, Harry Hooper and Duffy
Lewis furnish one of the best out
fields, if not the very best, in the
big leagues, because of the almost
perfect balance. There are numer
ous other individual outfielders
who would be chosen ahead of
Hooper and Lewis, but whether
there are any two gardeners who
would be selected above this pair,
outside of Speaker, Cobb. Milan and
Jackson, for practical team pur
poses, is another question. As it
stands today, the Boston outfield
apparently outclasses any in either
league, but with any one of the trio
removed it is a different proposition.
Neither Hooper nor Lewis is a
star slugger, but each is a wonder
ful thrower and a good fielder.
Each is comparatively slow on the
bases.
Stahl Adds Strength to Club.
Jake Stahl is not generally re
garded as a great first baseman.
H* is not considered In the same
class with Hal Chase, Jake Dau
bert, Fred Merkle or Stuffy Mcln
nis, and yet he has played great
ball for the Sox this season. Pos
sibly the Sox might have done just
as well with another first baseman
of equal ability in mere ball play
ing on the bag, and Jake on the
bench, but there is no denying that
the presence of the leader in the
line-up adds to the balance.
Steve Yerkes is not a great sec
ond baseman. Certainly he would
not be classed by many fans with
Collins, or Doyle, or Knabe. or
Johnny Evers, and yet he is a
greatly improved ball player this
year, who is constantly going along,
and who has held up his side of the
infield beyond criticism.
Charley Wagner, the Boston
shortstop, is handicapped by his
name, strange as that may seem.
He has long been one of the best
men on the Boston club; but some
how he never gets proper credit
for his work, and many believe that
it is largely due to the fact that
he wears the same name of the
greatest of them all—Honus Wag
ner, the Demon Dutchman.
Yet Charley would not be picked
ove/ Donie Bush or Jack Barry, or
several others that might be named.
He is no youngster. McGraw had
him ten years ago. and John I. Tay
lor insisted on him being tried out
at short in 1907.
Gardner Plays Well at Third.
Pat Donovan always claimed
that Larry Gardner would do bet-
ter at third base than at any other
position on the diamond, and Larry
was finally placed there, to fulfill
Pat’s prediction. He has always
been a high class ball player. He
is a strong hitter, and a quick
thinker, yet he. too, might be
placed behind Lord, Baker, Foster
or even Zimmerman.
The Sox are well fortified behind
the bat with Bill Carrigan, Cady
and Nunamaker, the latter two of
the most promising young back
stops in either league. Carrigan
came from Holy Cross, where he
wm picked up by one of Taylor’s
scouts, and was developed at To
ronto by Joe Kelley. Nunamaker
was developed from a raw young
ster who was hot considered good
enough for the Chicago Cubs, while
Cady came from Newark this spring
almost ready made. In this one de
partment, the Sox are practically
on equal terms with any club in the
league.
As for the pitchers, the name of
Joe Wood leads all the rest. The
writer has a peculiar admiration for
"Smoky Joe,” and may be a bit
biased, but it is his belief that Joe
is the man the Giants have to beat
If they hook up with the Sox in
the world’s series, although Char
ley Hall have to be reckoned
with. Hall discovered a kink in his
arm a few months ago. and when
that was removed he turned in and
pitched the Sox into the lead, In
collaboration with Wood.
Ray Collins is a good young left
hander, not yet a Rucker or a
Plank or a Marquard, perhaps, but
a youth with the world before him.
Hall Is better than the average
this year. His experience is some
thing to be considered.
Buck O’Brien is a sptt-baller of
the type of Marty O’Toole. There
are days when he seems to be a
star and days when he is decidedly
a busher. He is pretty wild for a
young man who may have to face
patient waiters, but there is no
question about his future.
RIVAL GOTHAM CLUBS
HOT AFTER J. JOHNSOA
CHICAGO, Aui. 14 nniv civ
the Garden Athletic club, and’jesT Mc-‘
rival°New Y* Nlcholas Athletic club
" ,' ew V Promoters, both arrive,
m Chicago today In an attempt to sig,,
' ' ohnson for a Labor Day battle.
Lil Arthur declared last night that he
was not particularly Interested in which
° n * a 01 ,,? h ‘ m first ' Both Promoters
looked alike to him, he said, being per
fectly Willing to box for either or both
provided they met his price.
While the promoters are here they will
endeavor to sign Packey McFarland anti
Ad Molgast for ten rounds in New York
on October 3. Ad Is to meet the promot
ers here.
DUNDEE AND BROCK GO
12 FAST ROUNDS TO DRAW
CLEVELAND, OHIO, Aug. 14.—Johnnv
Dundee, of New York, and Matt Brock, of
this city, fought twelve rounds in the
Luna park arena last night to a draw
Both boys fought like wildcats al) the
way. During the opening rounds and in
fact up To the closing round. Dundee had
the better of the milling.
In the last one. however. Brock made
a whirlwind finish and clearly earned the
right to an even break. Dundee was
much the more clever at long range, while
Brock did his best execution at infight
ing.
SMITH AND FLYNN MIX
IN NEW YORK TONIGHT
n l ?' Aug 14 —Heavyweights
will furnish New York fistic sport tonight
when Gunboat Smith, of California meets
Porky Flynn, of Boston, in a ten-round
bout at the St. Nicholas Athletic club.
Smith's decisive victory over Sailor White
and Andy Morris have established him as
one of the best light heavyweights in the
country He is favorite in the betting.