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Here’s the Only Time That Georgia Gave McWhorter Any Kind of Interference-—and It Wasn’t Much
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1 i,j has same likely football material, bill in (lie game against Vanderbilt Saturday their attack was verv
much 'bush league. Me\\ lmrt< r. a wonderful offensive player, tried linn* and again to make decided' gains,
hut nearly always wn dropped in his tracks because his team mates gave him no help. Georgia’s interference
amounted to naught, and Coach Cunningham must work hard to improve this important pari of the game, or a
Atlanta Is Off Again on Football-less Week
Georgia Plays Alabama Saturday and Will Wiir
By Percy H. Whiling.
AT LANTA is off again on an
other foot ba 11 less week. <>n
Saturday the Tech team
plays- hut it plays in far-away
Jacksonville. Not until a week
from Saturday will there b< a
contest in Atlanta. And that day
there will he a real one. for Au
burn plays here that day. and the
Auburn-Tech game is always some
performance.
Georgia has a verv moderate
game Saturday, with the i’niversi
ty of Alabama as the opposition.
The following Saturday Cunning
ham’s men get busy with Sewanee.
A’anderbilt takes on a light game
Saturday, with the i’niversity of
Mississippi (provided that team
doegn’t cancel), but the following
Saturday gets bust in earnest with
Virginia. At that the fact that
Virginia was so unmercifully
trounced Saturday by V. M. 1.
fwhich latter 1 team lost the pre
vious Saturday. 31 to 0. to Prince
ton), makes this game look rather
clnchy for the Commodores, and it
will not surprise anybody here If
the Commodores run up almost the
score on the Virginians that they
did on Georgia
Sewanee plays Tennessee Sat
urday in Chattanooga, and it
should be an interesting game. The
Knoxville team is all of an uncer
tainty anti nobods is absolute
ly sure as yet Just what to expect
of Sewanee.
It appears that, in the South at
least, the coming week doesn’t
promise any stirring football do
ings
• « •
W'V that the mud, lashed up into
the semblance of a billowv
ocean by the heroic struggle on
Ponce Deixmn field Saturday after
noon. has begun to settle back to
its normal smoothness and the
football folks have had a chance to
think oxer the strange happenings
of that fateful game. Georgians aft
asking themselves a lot of things,
among them this "How the dick
ens did It happen anyway?"
Forty-six to nothing scored by
what appears to be only an aver
age Vanderbilt team on what
s. emed an ex'-cpi tonally strong
Georgia eleven 46 to 0! It wasn't
a mere defeat, it was a merciless
drunbing.
it will not take over <mr mote
At Lyric this week, the
“Mother Love’’ drama,
“Madame X.’’
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game like that for everybody to
reconstruct their notions about that
Vanderbilt team. I’nless the dope
is badly deranged, it is a wonder
team an eleven so good that it
will make history for itself that
will not for many years be forgot
ten.
There wasn't any license for an
average team to beat Georgia the
wav Vanderbilt beat them. There
was not a lot of difference in the
weight. In experience the Athe
nians had perhaps a slight edge.
Georgia had the advantage in con
dition. The Commodores’ vaunted
speed was nullified by the muddy
field.
And yet. despite all this. thiu'gs,
Vanderbilt just everlastingly
romped. Then* wa|n't a time
when there appeared any real
chance that Georgia would score.
Once, and only once, was there a
worried expression on a Vander
bilt face. It was when Georgia had
made a couple of first downs in
succession and were going good.
It even looked had enough so that
Joe Covington. who was re
served for rear I rouble, was stuck
in Whether it was Joe's peppery
- presence or just the petering out
of Georgia's sprint, but. anyhow,
the ball was lost, and Vanderbilt
was off again on the mad chase on
ward and ever onward to Georgia's
goal line.
If the Vanderbilt team has no
hard luck with injuries -and in- /
Juries are always a dangerous pos
sibility, for the Commodores have a
tolerably fragile back field —the
Vanderbilt team will not have trou- >
ble this year, except w ith one game
and that one with Harvard And.
say what you please, if the Com
modores get up there in. good
shape and with everybody on edge,
look out for surprises! it is like
ly that the Crimson will have
enough power and drive to down
the Commodores, but they are like
ly to be treated io forward passes
and end runs tlial will startle
them.
• • ♦
ZANE tiling about the Georgia team
they had some clever play*.
One was a fake end run which was
built around the known fact that
evfry opposing team will play to
hold McWhorter. (>n this play
McWhorter and the interference
are started, around one tmi. Then
the hall Is passed to somebody e-l-e.
who comes tearing through center
for a good gain. Owing to the
eagerness of tile Vanderbilt men
not to let M< Whorter get through
. their fingers, this worked capital
ly several times. Cunningham's
men also uncorked some neat dou
ble passes and showed that they
knew a lot of advanced foothall.
\\ nat they fell dovvn on. often, was
i lack of aptness and training in
tie rudiments inability to tackle,
start fast, to charge hard and
the like. And these are things
that Georgia teams mum learn
f r<im assistant coaches, if at all
For they do not lie within the
scope of a head coach. If the Red
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.MONDAY. OCTOBER 21, 1912
and Black is to show well through
the rest of the season, it needs
some of its many loyal alumni to
come to the rescue and to give
their time as individual coaches.
If the Georgia material can learn
the rudiments and can leave Alex
Cunningham free to teach the big
principles of football, it will vet
come through the season with the
record of only one defeat. For the
material is surely there.
• * •
SATURDAY'S game was adver
tised as a duel between Mc-
Whorter and Hardage. It came
mighty near turning out an un
equal but mighty brave fight be
tween McWhorter and the whole
Vanderbilt team. It wasn't quite
that, for Henderson and Peacock
played good ball and several other
Georgia men did fairly well. But
in the main McWhorter played the
largest part of the game for Geor
gia.
It is pointed out that McWhorter
did not gain as much ground as
Hardage Well, hardly.
Suppose conditions had been re
versed and McWhorter, aided by
the brilliant Vanderbilt interfer
ence and starting 'behind that
hard-charging Commodore line, has
played with Vanderbilt against
Georgia! And suppose Hardage
had been working with the demor
alized Red and Black eleven.
Would Hardage have gained as
much ground as .McWhorter did?
We don't know the answer. But
it's worth considering.
No danger that we shall try to
detract anything from the brillian
cy of Hardage's performances.
There's a halfback worthy of the
very highest position! What John
Craig at his best had on him we
don't pretend to know. Also, be it
mentioned, his running mate. Col
lins. is only a step or two behind
in brilliancy, but he is a shade
fragile to compare with the Com
modore captain.
• • •
I T was our impr< ssiun that, after a
' fool hall game, til* ball belonged
to the winning team. If this Is
true. it was tutor sporisnu nship on
the part of the Georgia team to
attempt to get awa\ with tin ball.
From our own personal viewpoint,
it would seem that. w to the Geor
gians, that bull would he a rather
sorry soiivtjiir.
GORDON AND RIVERSIDE
IN BIG BATTLE TODAY
BARNESVILLE, GA. Oct. 21 The
Gordon football team emerged from the
Locust Grove game wlrti only a few
bruised players. Today Gordon Journeys
to Gainesville, where a game will be
played with the fast Riverside team. Both
teams appear to be pretty evenly match
ed. and a bard game is sure to be the
result.
BIG PREP GAME TODAY.
LOCUST GROVE, fl A Oct 21 An In
teresting Kame in prep school circles will
be played here today, when the Stone
Mountain team comes to Locust Grove
for a game with the locals
Eugenie Blair in “Mad
ame X,” at the Lyric this
week.
*
good team of husky, likely-looking players will have a bad season. The Georgian photographer snapped nearly
evert scrimmage when the ball was in possession of Georgia, and in this picture alone did the Athens eleven show
any interference for the man with the ball—and surely the interference in this play doesn't amount to much.
Coach Cunningham verilv needs some assistants at Athens.
SOMEGEORGM
DOPEPICKEDUP
IT SIG GAMES
By W. S. Farnsworth.
Ji ST before the last game of
the world's series in Boston I
had a long talk with Frank
Farrell, president of the New York
league club. He tipped me off that
he doesn't believe Tommy Mc-Mil
lan, ex-Yellow Jacket star, will
stick up in the fast company be
cause of his inability to hit.
"I am going to give McMillan
another chance next spring.” said
Mr. Farrell, "but 1 don’t believe he
will do. He can’t hit. The little
fellow is a mighty good infielder
and a fair man on the bases, but
I have got to get some hitters for
my team next season, and unless
McMillan takes a big brace I fear
I will have to ask waivers on him.”
a PHILADELPHIA scribe at the big
games told me an, interesting
story about Claude Derrick, former
Georgia crack, who has been secur
ed by the Yankees for next year.
It seems that Connie Mack let Der
rick go to Baltimore the past sea
son. where he played corking bull.
Mack tried to get him back by draft
this fall, but Washington drew him
and then traded him to New York.
The shrewd Mack hung onto Der
rick for two years, but Claud went
to the bad after the Athletics had
made their first Western trip to
Chicago last spring. Mack sold him
to Baltimore, believing he had
reached the end of his career be
cause of an accident that happened
in the Windy City. But Derrick
soon recovered in Baltimore and
today is considered the best of the
youngsters drafted by the Majors.
The accident was the result of a
10l of tomfoolery. A member of one
of the swellest clubs in Chicago in
vited the Athletics one hot night
down to his club to lake a plunge
in a big pool. In the party were
Derrick. Bris and Rube Oldring.
Oldring and Lord thought they
would have some tun with Derrick
am! began holding him under the
water. First one ami then the other
would pu-h him down. Finally he
became exhausted and nearly ,
drowned. It took two physicians
al! that night to bring him around.
The shock Derrick suffered was
so great tltai he went al! to pieces
anil was unable to play any kind of
ball. Mack as a result sold him to
Baltimore. But the Georgia lad
is t > K. now and all the scouts at
the series predicted that tlie Yan
kees have made a swell "catch."
pHORGE S'I’ALLINGS believes
he will land in the first divis
ion with his Boston team next year,
"All I will need to finish better than
fifth is of pitchers," he told
me on the return to New York after
the deciding game.
Wise baseball men consider
Stallings as great a manager as
McGraw and Mack. Hughey Jen
nings claims that the Georgian
knows how to handle players bet
ter than anybody in the world.
"Look at the way he carried that
New York bunch into second place,"
said the Detroit manager. "And
look what Chase did the next year
willl the same outfit," he added.
Twenty-Five Greatest Southern League Players
■(•••I- •:•••? •(-••I- -i-*v +•+ +•+
No. I—Sparks Wore Ball Room Pumps at Debut
By Fuzzy Woodruff.
A PAIR of pumps, entirely prop
er for a ball room, but
strangely out of the picture
on a ball field, and a pair of hose
as red as a blood-stained Balkan
hiljside made a debut of a career
notable. And the career afterward
made baseball history, and base
ball history |hat the lovers of the
game are proud to boast about.
The shiny slippers and the in
carnadined hosiery were worn by
Frank Sparks on his first appear
ance as a professional ball player.
They were discarded the next day,
but the brand of basebail that the
youthful hurler pitched to the ac
companiment of the fancy foot
wear remained to keep him as one
of the most formidable slabmen the
National league knew for years.
Not more incongruous to his sur
roundings than the adornment of
his nether limbs was the man who
made his debut that afternoon in
the early nineties.
The scene was set in the old
Highland park grounds in Mont
gomery. Birmingham was the op
posing team. John McCluskey,
afterward manager of the St.
Louis Cardinals, was manager and
ilrst baseman of the Montgomery
club. He had dug Sparks out of
Howard college, where he had
starred for Alabama's Baptist in
stitution of learning and basebail.
Fans Have Never Forgotten,
McCluskey's club was dragging
along in she race, and then, as now.
the finances of the Montgomery
club were not of J. Pierpont Mor
gan proportions. The attendance
was slim that blazing August aft
ernoon. but right now Columbus
himself could not discover a man
between the ages of eighteen and
eighty in Montgomery who will
not swear that he saw that debut.
'1 here were tine and resounding
whoops <>f derision when Sparks
took the slab and began tossing to
old Heinie Peitz, who caught him.
Those crimson stockings and that
pair of pumps could not be over
looked by the native wits. Some
choice Jests were flung across the
field for the benefit of the embry
onic star.
He seemed as much like a ball
player as Roosevelt is like Taft,
lie was not of a. pitche.r’s size ami
helft, though those were not the
days of the gigantic hurlers. He
was blushing a beautiful accom
paniment to his hosiery and his
delivery was as awkward as a real
debutante's.
The Birmingham batters were
not slow to go after him. Old Dad
Phelan, with his brigand mus
tachios. and all the rest of the
rough neck crew threw badinage
that added to his discomfiture. The
home fans settled back to watch
the revelry.
Was Sold to the Phillies.
Then Sparks began to pitch. He
used the same slow hall and
sweeping curve and absolute con
trol that later made him a terror
••••••••••••••••••••••••••
X FUZZY WOODRUFF I
: WRITES SPARKLING J
J BASEBALL SERIES J
• •
• This is the first of a series of •
• stories The Georgian will print on •
• “Twenty-five Greatest Southern •
• League Players,” written by Fuz- •
•zy Woodruff. There is no one •
• better acquainted with Southern •
• league doings for the past fifteen •
• years than Mr. Woodruff, and all •
• his articles, like today’s, will be •
• filled with spice and ginger. He •
• opens his series with Frank •
• Sparks, who, after graduating •
• from this circuit, went to the •
• Philadelphia National league club, •
• where for years he was consid- •
• ered one of the world’s greatest •
• pitchers. •
••••••••••••••••••••••••••
to National league hitters. That
.tight he owned Montgomery. The
next season saw him in a Birming
ham uniform, but he was sold ear
ly in the race to the Phillies, and
for nearly fifteen years he drew a
salary and earned it. too, as a
slabman servant in the City of
Brotherly Love.
Sparks’ career in the National
league is too recent in date to re
count. Managers came and man
agers went, but Sparks stayed. AH
the time he pitched steady, heady,
consistent baseball. He was rarely
brilliant, but he nearly always
managed to go thiough a. season
with more wins to his credit than
losses, however poor the team be
hind him happened to be.
It is extremely doubtful if a
hurler ever remained in the major
t leagues so long with so little stuff.
His fast ball was absolutely of a
negative quality. His curves were
Wide, but broke nicely, and he had
that great asset for a pitcher—an
ability to outthink a majority of
batsmen.
Was a Gentlemanly Player.
He was one of the first of the
"gentleman” ball players. He was
a rare bird when he first broke
into fast company. Those were
the halcyon days of the roughneck.
Sparks shunned demon rum. to
bacco, eir.se words and all those
other pleasures we are told to
eschew when we are young and
practice when we learn "wisdom."
He never played Sunday ball. He
was always immaculate in his
dress, being in appearance a rather
tinnicky business man rather than
a demon athlete. His voice was as
soft as the whisper, of a spring
zephyr and his words as carefully
chosen as those of a Sunday school
superinjendent when he explains
why the lions didn't eat Daniel.
Until 1810 Sparks remained on
the Philly pay roll When he was
through he was given an uncondi
tional release as a reward for Ions:
anti faithful service ami was not
stow to grab on with Johnny
Dobbs, of Chattanooga. Though
the Lookouts finished fourth in
1910, Sparks led the league in
pitching.
Arm Gone, Won With Hoad.
The next season found him a«aln
with Dobbs, only this time he was
back on his old stamping ground
tn Montgomery, where fifteen years
before he had faced his first pro
fessional batter and bravely brook
ed the taunts In reference to his
pumps and crimson stockings H«
pitched Dobbs' outfit into second
place tn 1911, but his arm was
practically gone. His thinking ap
paratus remained intact, however,
and he was able to be one of the
league's leaders.
He saw that his baseball days
were over. His careful living in ths
days of his prime had guaranteed a
fat bank account and 1912 found
him, still looking the business man
and now a real business man, en
gaged In the pleasant pastime of
making two dollars for one In the
little north Alabama town from
which he emanated.
There he teaches a Sunday achool
class and votes for Richmond Pear
son Hobson and other prohibition
ists. but among his holy of holies
are a pair of patent leather pumps
and a blazing set of hosiery. He
has never forgotten that baptism of
blood and native humor.
VANDERBILT LEADS
SOUTHERN ELEVENS
WITH 307 POINTS
A'anderbilt. with 307 points snored
against their opponents, leads the South
ern football teams. Here is how the
Southern teams rank this morning
Vanderbilt.
107 Bethel .. »
100 Maryville ~ ~ •
54 Rose Poly.. .. .. .9
46 Georgia.. .. .. 4
307 J
Sewanee.
34 Morgan .. *
101 Florence Normal .. .. .. .. .. .. ®
27 Chattanooga .. ». .. .. 1
162 ’
Auburn.
36 Alumni *
56 Mercer.T
27 Florida .. ')
27 Clemson* ••
... .
146 ♦
Alabama.
52 Marion .. . •• •• •• '
62 BirminghamJJ
3 Tech '■ •
0 Mississippi Agricultural and M
Hl' '
Clemson.
59 Howard,
26 Riverside • ?
6 Auburn
91
. Georgia.
33 Chattanooga '
33 Citadel
0 Vanderbilt
66 ♦"
Mercer.
29 Gordon.?
o Auburn■
36 Howard
0 Tech h
65
Tech.
0 Eleventh Cavalry.. f
20 Citadel •
20 Alabama
16 Mercer
31 *