Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, December 02, 1912, HOME, Page 12, Image 12

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12 ®CMAN WOW COT® * DMKS* EDITED Zy W, S FARNSWORTH _ Salary Limits Are a Joke; They Do Not Stick ->•<• +••}’ •(•••I* •’•••s* -i-*-:- •:•••!• Yet Most Minor League Clubs Are Losing Money By Percy 11. Whiting. THE man who invents away to make a salary limit stick ought to get a pension of a million a year from the club own ers of organized baseball. As a business proposition the ownership of a minor league base ball club is a fright. It costs money like a prodigal son. Look over the whole field The first thing that strikes you are the exceptions. There are a few minor league clubs in the world that net good money almost every year. Possibly they number 5 pet > cent of the whole. The rest make money occasional ly. Almost any club can make money when it wins a pennant. More than half of those in the i country can show a fair profit if they finish one-t wo-three. And that's the reason salary limits don't stick A man owns a franchise. He is bound by a salary limit which says that he can not pay over a certain sum a year for players. He knows that that sum is al! that the league can stand, provided more than half the clubs are to make money. Hut ' then he knows that a pennant win ner makes big money. So he gam bles a bit. He goes ove the limit, gets a ni* .-s of player*. and takes a chance. If the team comes through a winner he makes his ex tra salary money back—-and a lot more. If It doesn't —oh. well, he took a gambler's chance. • * * THE Southern league has been wrestling with the salary limit ever since it was organized. I've been to most, of the meetings, and I know what happened at the rest. The club owners argue the thing over as seriously as judges, they talk about salary limits as though they were sacred things. You al most never hea anybody admit that the salary limit has been ex ceeded by anybody. Onee -that was the meeting after the Mem phis club spent more than a thou sand dolars a month over the limit all the season- the owners admitted openly that the limit had been a jest and a laughing mallei But generally they are as earnest about it as fraternity lads discuss ing the ritual. And then, after an earnest meet ing, all of them go home and devise means of exceeding the limit with out getting caught. It can be safely said that the only clubs that have not gone over the limit in recent years have been those which couldn't afford to take ,he chance. • • • VARIOUS means have been tried of making the limit stick. It is ' likely that the Southern league has the strictest salary limit rules of any minor league But do they limit? You all know the answer. Salary- limits will amount to nothing until such time as the club owners get together and make a "gentleman's agreement" not to go over some set sum. You can't make them do it by rule A campaign of education is need ed. When the club owners can be brought to see that what's for the good of one is for the good of all they may let the salary limit stick. Until they do. all the talk about it Is fooliah. For no salary limit rule can be devised so air tight that any manager can’t blow through it any time he really tries • • • u'T' HE American Association Is * the biggest joke league in the world,” a man who owned a elub In that league told me once "It is made up of a half dozen youngsters and a couple of hundred old-timers. The old-timers arc drawing salaries not in proportion to their present ability, but accord ing to what they did once. It's a fine league and everybody in it Is losing money." That the association is a verit able old players’ home is demon strated by a survey of the ofticial averages, just promulgated. It shows that 53 per cent of the play ers are old-timers with big league experience, and that 69 per cent of those who took part in as many as 100 games were veterans of the Big Show Listen to a few of the names: Dolan, Lush. Schmidt. Bell, Bemis Beck. Titn Jordan. Parent. Sey mour, Bradley, Conroy, Lord. Ber gen. Thoney. Beebe. Beckendorf, Street, Bransfield. Mattern, Betch er. Holmes. Frill, Keefe. Bent, REAL CROSS-COUNTRY RUN PLANNED BY BEAN Joe Bean, who is in charge of ath letics at the \tlnntu Athletic elub. is working tentatively on a scheme for a real cross-country run. something At lanta athletes have not had in a very long time. It is the liop< of Mr. Bean that he van arrange for a run from the club house of the A. A. C. at East Lake to the town elub at Auburn avenue. You will find that druggists every where speak well of Chamberlain's Cough Remedy. Th. y knov from lone in tin sjlv of it that in of coughs and colds it can alwui s Pended upon, am! that it i- p'.as ■MgSlld safe 1,, ml,. |,, , p Barger, Frock. Donovan, Winter. Kleinow, Stricklett. and so on through 139 names—l 39 out of 261. Leagues are waking up to the fact that old-timers aren't worth what they cost that they got sal aries out of all proportion to the service they render and that their market value is constantly grow ing less, while young playeis if they are any good, which some of ’em are. sometimes arc constantly Increasing In value. SevetHl leagues, including lhe Sally, han limit'd the number of players from big leagues who can bo carried. This move is in the right direction, and it may be taken // a • -k / / ■ I I jflK . Not /f % Jil • A I ' \ . 'll z W \ \\ /y Sr . ... ' \ toOSMI Uppercutting With Uis Left. GIBBONS TO MEET M'GOORTYFOR KETCHEL TITLE NEW YORK, Dec. 2. —The mid dleweight boxing title, which , has been kicked around like the Ozark dog- since the death of Stanley Ketchci, is in a fairway to be decided here Wednesday night when Mike Gibbons and Eddie Mc- Goorty, generally recognized as the best middleweights in the world, wtll fight ten rounds in Madison Square Garden. It will be the most important bout of the year, and the immense amphitheater is expected to prove inadequate for the throngs that will apply for entrance. Since the referee will not be permitted under the law to name the winner, the battle will not be exactly a title match. but if there should be a knockout, or if either man should win in decisive fash ton. the championship will be set tled. to all intents and purposes, it util he a battle of cleverness against terrific punching power. Gibbons, the ‘■phantom." ami Mc- Goorty, the "Oshkosh whale." have proved themselves out of the class of all other fighters of their weight In America. In less than a year both have fought their way from pugilistic obscurity to the front rank. Gibbons a year ago was a wel terweight and as such whipped all the aspirants in that brigade, and whipped them proper. He became widely recognized as the cleverest boxer in the ting. His poundage, however, was a trifle large for the welterweight division, so he en rolled with the middleweights, not withstanding tfmt he suffers a dis advantage in weight in fighting members of the latter class. Proved He Had the Wallop. McGoorty by his one-round knockout victories over Dave Smith, the Australian champion, anil .lack Harrison, holder of the r British middleweight title, topped off a long siting of triumphs that ’ proved him 3 real ing general with 1 a great wallop. The followers of Gibbons ate an enthusiastic legion who have i watched his ring work Wt amazed ’ admiration and believe that noth ing less than a heavyweight can get 'I inside his wonderful defense with . I a finishing punch McGoorty says I j that the S 1 1 <t;. boy is a good .welterweight, but that his career THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. MONDAY. DECEMBER 2, 1912. up In good time by the Southern. It happens that the South Is the ideal country for old-timers —that they warm up tine in the hot weather of Dixie. But this is one of the very easons why the Sojithern lias overdone the old-timer gag. The clubs are paying big money for small services and ate not (level- , oping as many young players as they should. If the league, at its coming meet ing. should pass a rule limiting • vi ry cluli to four players who had P (-viously s* n big league service they would put money in their pockets and incidentally increase the speed of ilie league. |C. ENGLISH GUTS OUT BIG JOB IN WHITNEY BOUT A FINE little Job Clarence Eng lish has taken on his broad and manly shoulders. Mr. English has agreed to stop the pu gilistic aspirations of Mr. Erank Whitney, a scrapper of more or less renown in ten rounds. This is the sort of job that John L. Sullivan used to undertake when he was playing melodrama, drinking booze, and stopping all comers. Mr. Eng lish has no histrionic ambitions. He eschews the flowing bowl, but he declares he can beat any bloke that will give away as much weight as Whitney has promised to do in this match. I’nder the teims of the agree ment. Whitney must be on his back and the referee must have pro nounced his "units, duo. ties, quat tler. etc.," chant before he rises for English to win. And, as we re marked before, it’s a nice job. Whitney will not be giving away a whole lot of avoirdupois to the Omaha veteran. Whjtney always weighs ch se around 138. while Eng lish can make 142 with all expedi tion and ease. In addition to this. Whitney has proved to Atlanta fans that ho is always able to take pretty good care of himself under I any and all conditions. of course, a slashing, rough house worker like English is liable to stop anybody at any time, and of course there is not the scintilla of a chance for Whitney to halt him for though Whitney is a man of marked cleverness he doesn’t pack a punch. Still the battle should be mighty lively—-a finished boxer against a tear-in scrapper, and that’s the kind of fight to see. M’FARLAND VS. MURPHY. < HIi'AGo. Dec. 2. - Packev McFar land and Eddie Murphy , the south Bos ton lightweight were matched here to day to go ten rounds at Kenosha on the niglit of December.lG. The boy’s have agreed to do 135 pounds at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. This will be the second meeting of the pair. Backey defeating Murphy at South Bend last February. as ti middleweight will end tomor row. Eddie has gone so far as to announce his plan to take on Frank Klaus next. Klaus ha the strong est claim foi a match with the new champion, if one is discovered to mo i-ow. Klaus has defeated Jack 11 hard-hitting Inbanap- G ' ■c c ' '' I. - pentier, the fallen idol of France. I Spider Britt, Best Little Scrapper in the South ~ '<»>», • X ’’!•! 'X- I ■ - ■■■ otA 1 Wk ■> n ” ——_______ w / ’'OMr 1 L I ! £ whs? 1 B, ‘-a, I I Il FM WnrJ 'MI ba / C y 7 / "Hr Irak ■ 7 cOxb\ • wl \ W /- J, \ uriiiiMri' I \ i Working Ont NVith Clarence English. Starting a Shift. Harris Cope. Picks an All-Sewanee All-Time Team Famous Coach Selects Eleven That Is a Peacherino By Harris Cope. IT is a rather difficult matter to pick an all-Sevvanee, all-time team for the reason that they have been playing football at Se wanee for so many years, and be cause it is difficult to get in touch with any authority’ who has seen both the old-time players and those of today. My own experience dates from 1897 to the present time, and in se lecting the players I have stayed within the years between 1897 and 1912—the years I played and coached. • • • J? OR left end I select Silas Wil liams. He was a man 5 feet S inches tall, weight 150 pounds, and was on the team in 1906. 1907 and 1908. He was picked as an all- Southern end two years. He was a good, hard player and had plenty of brains. For left tackle there is little ques tion but that Lex Stone should have the call. He was a man 6 feet 2 inches tall, neighed 190 pounds and played three years on the team —1905, 1906 and 1907. His record is well known. He was a marvelously good man, able to hold his own with the very best. W. S. Claiborn, of the 1897, 1898, 1899 and 1900 teams, is picked for the left guard. He was a six-foot er. weighed 210, and was a steady, clever player. He was an all- Southern man. At center goes another all-South ern man, W. Poole. He was a six footer, weighed 200 pounds, and had four years experience on the Se wanee teams—lß97, 189 S, 1899 and 1900. He was a sure passer, a good, defensive man. and steady. He was always to be counted on. For right guard there is no ques tion but that the honors should go to H. D. Phillips, who played five years with the Sewanee team — 1900. 1901, 1902, 1903 and 1904. He was 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighed 190, and was a corking all-around man. 1 recall that he was picked by J W. Heisman on his all- Southein, all-time team. The right tackle job goes to ' "Pap" Boling This man was a splendid player. He was 6 feet Here Is All-Sewanee Team for All- Time Position. Player. Played When. Left, end—Silas Williamsl9o6. 1907, 1908 Left Tackle—Lex Stone 1905,1906,1907. Left Guard—W. S. Claiborn 1987. 1898, 1899, 1900. Center—W. Poole 1897, 1898. 1899. 1900. Right Guard—ll. 1). Phillipsl9oo. 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904. Right Tackle —“Pap” Bolinglß97. 1898, 1899. 1900. Right End—“Jinks” Gilleni 1910, 1911, 1912. Quarterback —Alvin Browne 1908. 1909, 1910 Right Halfback—Aubrey Lanierl9o7, 1908, 1909. 1910. Left Halfback—H. G. Seibelslß96, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900. Fullback—Ormond Simpkinslß97, 1898. 1899, 1900, 1901. tall, weighed ISO pounds, and play ed four years at Sewanee —1897, 1898. 1899 and 1900. “Jenks" Gillem. another all- Southern player, is selected to play the right end. He is a tnan six feet tall, weighs 160 pounds, and has played in 1910, 1911 and 1912. We all know what he has been doing and can do. Enough said. * « * \ NOTHER all-Southern man. A. L. Browne, is selected for our quarterback. He is a very small man. a feet 7 inches tall and weigh ing 127 pounds. He was on the team in 1908. 1909 and 1910, and was one of the best ever. He had cool judgment and was the fastest man 1 ever saw playing football. 3 he right halfback position goes to another light man and to an all- Southern performer In "his day, Au brey Lanier. He was 5 feet 10 Inches tall and weighed 165 pounds. He was one of the best all-round backs ever produced in the South. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. The other halfback position goes to another 165-pounder, H. G. Sei bels. He was a man 5 feet 10 inches tall, light, but clever. He was on the team in 1896, 1897. 1898. 1899 and 1900. He was an all- Southern man and one of the best ground gainers I ever saw. The fullback position goes, of course, to Ormond Simpkins. He was an all-Southern man. 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighed 175 pounds, ami was a terror. He played live Spider Britt May Pugilistic Map 1 Way to Top o By Fuzzy M oodruff. THE South did not lose all hopes, all possibilites of developing a champion when Joe Mandot en tered his foolish match with Mexican years on the team, too —1897, 1898, 1899. 1900 and 1901. He was a great player—as a defensive man seldom equaled. ® « » tyITH Lanier, Seibels, Simpkins, Browne. Gillem, Stone and Phil lips carrying the ball, and with Gillem to punt and do the drop kicking. and with Browne and La nier to run back punts, the of fense would be very powerful and very sure. The defense would be very strong, as all the men named are good defensive players,. 1 should name Seibels paptain. He led the famous 1899 team. WOLGAST WORTH $200,000. IS CLAIM OF HIS MANAGER SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 2.—Ad Woi gast has been deprived of his light weight crown, but he has enough of earthly wares to act as somewhat of a j balm. Manager Tom Jones made the statement that during the three years Wolgast was the lightweight cham pion of the world he made $240,000. Half of this big fortune was made up in purses and the rest was accumulated in bets, theatrical engagements and outside Investment. "The beauty about it. too," said Jones, “is that the German has been thrifty enough to keep the major part of it. 1 venture to say that he is worth close to $200,000 today. He has property in I.os Angeles valued at $160,000, and he has his farm in Michigan. His money has been wisely invested and Wolgast has never handled more than SSOO in his life. . .—— r Put South on by Working His )f Bantam Class Rivers Thanksgiving day. Right in At lanta is a boy that has everything that a champion is made of, and plans are being- made right now to give him a campaign that will put him in the p u . gilistlc elite in a year’s time. Atlanta's hope for a glove champion, ship rests in Spjder Britt, the' nineteen year-old paperweight, who has so suc cessfully trimmed every boy of his class arrayed against him in an Atlanta ring True it is that Britt has never won ;i decisive victory over Mayer Pries. an . •other Atlanta youngster, but he has one decision to his credit and in addition has always shaded Pries, although the last named scrapper has several pounds the advantage on him in weight. It seems that the time is mighty ripe for Britt to come to the front. The bantam class is looking for a champion Johnny Coulon, the present title holder was outpointed a few nights ago i n New York by an unknown named Kid AVilliams. and for almost two years Coulon has been fighting far below the ■ standard that he maintained when was unaniiWusly picked as the king of the little fellows. Britt weighs but 109 pounds, of course, right now he is too light to mix with the good bantams, but Pritt is only nineteen. He is getting big-er every day, and it will not be many months before he can tip the scales around 116 pounds, and when he does he will be the hardest hitting ,16- pounder that has ever crawled through three ropes and shucked a bath robe. Os course, Britt has a lot to learn, but tire natural stuff is there'. In the first place, he has tl.e heart of a lion. Again he min assimilate as much pun ishment as Bat Nelson. He is not a bad boxer and when he lands with his right swing some one is going to drop. His trouble now is trying to send his right hand too far. He is trying to remedy this, and is working each day with Clarence English, the veteran wel terweight. who knows all there is tc know about how and when to hit. "Spider is a natural hitter." says English. “His only trouble is t b he shoots from his hip instead of from his shoulder. When he gets over tiiat— and it's not a hard thing to get cured of —he will be as dangerous as any boy of his poundage in the world.” Britt is an Atlanta boy. born here and reared here. He has never fought anywhere else and has never lost a fight, though he has been matched against the toughtest “papers" that club managements could frame for him. He is a modest little fellow, has no bad habits and no swelled head. But he does pack a punch. Watch out for him. "baseball I Diamond News and Gossip | Now that the election is over, ami Hor ace Fogel has been eliminated from civ ilized baseball, the Tafts will make an other effort to sell the Philly club. Thej re sick of the publicity and want to make their retirement complete. • • • If Murphy wrote the famous ' Fogel In terview.” as has been virtually proved, why not fire Murphy out of the league.’ Answer: Lack of nerve. * M » Mordecai Brown won 188 games for the Cubs in ten years; lost 94. * & » The Three I league is threatening to throw out tile Terre Haute team. This will leave the Terriers leagueless. « * • On second thought the Connecticut league recliristened itself the Eastern :*-• sociation instead of the Eastern league Foolish. Association is an awful word 'o fit into a newspaper “head.” • o • Monte Cross and Frank Leonard want the Fall River franchise. Why? Oh, they’re making a collection. » •« » Catcher Ulrich, tried out and rejected by Atlanta as being too dopey for use n this league, was a wonder in the X'" Englund league again this year. V> Lawrence he batted .311.. seventh ant"*- the regulars, and fielded .981, which him third among the catchers who to™ part in more than 50 games. • * • The New England league ran to slii'f. wferd names last season. For exaiii’ 1 ' Daum, Higg. Hee, Gaw. Klett, V- H Blum. All “short and ugly.” » a • Eppa Rixey, of the I'iiillies. * .*■ ■ to golf and is said to shine. Robert 1.. Stevenson. Connie M*o I.> re cruit, will coach the basketball learn v inter of the Gustavus Adolphus eolle- ■ of St. Peters, Minn. Most of us M' heard of Robert Louis Stevenson am* tavus Adolphus, but St. Peters, Mmu a new one on us. | Get the taste 1 in this glorious, miW I Burley BdrummdndH E] Natural Leaf B CHEWING g H TOBACCO g g 104 J