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6 QCWM ®OW GOW® * ttKHST EPITLD /x S FARNSWORTH Mutt and Jeff Are Full of the Christmas Spirit :: ;; ;; :: By “Bud” Fisher \ - - ' | ■ • .... , ~ -x / PAL's . i* Cll O.CIL , J DON'T * AiGLL, VuWat ISo LONG THAT |T 1 ’ ’ i i f To **BOUT *T, X WA7 ’ ' US To VCU ; LL r U/A'T j I 4IU seNT<^eNTAL,B W T r . ' > rneGonna G'we I ruC T °. 1 ir To n\6 / ,T ' s * ) . h /h ' ~~ 1 sPl *"**0 I U i PP > h i^,c *t OS ' N ' T ’ southing and " f - > " - " J STEAS’*' A t I NEVM YF\!U V 1 N ' eR ' Rs ' « ,7 I » I ,'• I .rV. y fiwLl I / frw I ' ' '’•feT ■ '3 g/ Uq, Viurti i '~' M iuD -.. <lt 7E .<jh) 1 •iyJwri' I i <■?.••:♦ - ...JSI f 'rami zz fijll-i i (i ** * -4U fflfcr W^JpE'-IMIW Mks 9 ---- ■ • , I ■—•■■"- —..„.■ ■ - , ■ - ~ ~" ..—I __ . . n HMJL j_jjj____ r ■— - - " •** y'-FVX^'»-zrz> 7 97/ 1312JDNAHYEAH FDR CHAMPION FIGHTERS L By Ed. W. Smith. year 1912 will ro down I into sporting history as one *■ of the most disastrous ever know n as far as the upste of pugll istic idols, champions and near champions is concerned. Two world's champions had their titles taken away from them and eight more champions of restricted ter ritory were upset and beaten, al though some of them did not lose their titles through the defeats. When the word “disastrous" is used it Is merely from the view point of the defeated ’ men. <>f Course the year will be found en tireh enjoyable by the fortunate men who upset th' champions. But the defeat of a champion usually is disastrous to the general betting public, which invariably makes it a point of backing the man on top. Wolgast Leads Disaster. The biggest upset of the year, of course, was the trimming handed nut to Ad Wolgast by Willie Ritchie, the San Francisco stat. Little less surprising was the de feat of Ahi Attcil at the hands of Johnny Kilbane for the feather weight title. Then there was the defeat of Georges Carpentier, tin French middleweight star, w ho claimed the championship of Europe, at the hands of Billy Papke. This followed the defeat by Car pentier of Jim Sullivan, the Eng lish middleweight champion. Matt Wells, champion of Eng land's lightweights, w«is compelled to hand over his title to Freddie Welsh, from whom he won it n year ago. Jim Sullivan, champion of Eng land. succumbed to Jack Harrison in a battle for tin English middle weight title. McGoorty Whips Two. Harrison came to America seek ing fresh honors, but was knocked out In a punch by Eddie McGoorty. , Arthur Everndon lost his title as welterweight t hamplon of England. Pave Smith, Australian middle nnd light-heavyweight champion, was knocked out in less than two minutes by Eddie McGoorty . Digger Stanley was beaten for the bantamweight championship of England. Billy Wells. English heavyweight (hampion, was knocked out by Al Palzer in New Ymk. W i lls, how ever, is still ehamtii'in of England, as is Jack Harrison. I'nder the rules prevailing in England no body but. an English man tan win and hold one of the Lord Lonsdale belts, emblematic of the titles in the different (lasses in that eouii try Year Is at an End. Since th- r. an no moic I, _ lights scheduled betwet li now and the first of January It I- safe'to cull , the fifetic year at an end In discussing the change of own iiship of titb s. one can not f« • 1 anything but ( latlon, no mate r how one may stack up in tin ’H it ter of sentiment or friendlim ss for this man or that one. The one point that stands out more slur ply than any other is that a constant change of title is an cm client thing for 'he game of boxing. it serves as a matter of , imotr ag( cent to tlie y oung boxer coming up and shows him that there al ways is a (han’e it hl will attend ■ aiefuily to his Knitting and not stray Hom tin- l» ;it<n path of so b’iet.t and endiaKH Public Likes Changes. It st i inula to. th< |iuldl< . v ich "■U'i- to,, i. am g. tii' iit of a linan '■‘■d c 'o, 11 ' I" •■ : tigilisiic em-.-un- S ay- si 'in f aiog Crackers, Pelicans, Lookouts And Barons Will Be in Pennant Hunt in’ 13; They Spent Money By Percy H. Whiting. r T~s HE teams that will make the race for the Southern league pennant in 1913 are Atlanta (don't smile). Birmingham. New Orleans, and probably Chattanooga. These arc likewise the ones which will probably be In the hunt the tear after and the year after that. Os course, not alt of them will be In the hunt. But one or two of them will be. And most of the pen nants will be divided among these teams. The reason is just this: Those .ire the teams which spend money I’m players." And in the long chase they will take a majority of the pennants. Time was yt hen anybody, with a team of kids, could win tiie pennant in this league. Newt Fisher did it twice running, with nothing at all to help him but Inis big catching mitt and Fid Abbatticeliio. Times have changed now Every thing costs more. Newt Fisher used to have a little old ball park In X'gshvllle that he mostly patched together himself at odd times. It was the one dry goods box stand of the league. Every winter Newt would buy another consignment of goods boxes, haul them down to the park himself, get out his trusty saw and hammer, and tinker away all winter. I'sually ho built a lit tle addition to the bleachers. It didn't cost money, except for the nails, and now and then there was need for it. A park liki that wouldn't attract n crowd of boy- for u grammar school game now. Parks of today must tie handsome, big structures. The mod'-m ones are steel and con crete. They cost a keg of money. Ball players could be had for a song tin years ago. Now they cost thousands. Railroad fares haven't varied much, but players today ex pect to travel as luxuriously as rail road presidents. And ns for ho tels -they are more expensive now, and the ball players demand that they stop at t he best. So it costs money to run a ball team, more than fans dream. Os course. It stands to reason that the tennis that spend the most money will year in and year out. get the best teams Os course, it doesn't always follow. The last two Atlanta teams cost a mint, and both finished well, you all know where But in a long siring of y ears tile expenditure of that amount of momy will bring a team that will, ts not win pennants, at least stick up around the top. THE t- :i!Vb that snrib’.ing th< inonex sos yem after \t.u, in At''<ni;». I‘.irmingiia i.. Nr\\ f’rbans nix' :ii present. <‘haita- The Ytkin’a club !.. ■» ''pent mono. And as a result tin* Stand consolidated standing for thr* i if. oi ih< ami' 1 giv< > it -<■< ond place. The New <>t leans club bus been another willing spender. It has fin ished first thtii times in twelve years. and ha- been consistently in the running. The Birmingham club was not al ways run on its present lavish scab But after It got going it linished first, fifth, lust seventh, second, third and first. Last year it was the willingness o shoo; a couple of thousand at ■me clip which gavi the Batons tie i pennant The I'inelntiatl club pat Almeida on the market. The Pi ice was steeii, hut that didn't hot lo t Itu-k Wood wai li • Buy yto.< ~ ' >... ml. Mo , I THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24. 1912. addition to the Baron team that made a pennant possible. Without Almeida’s batting the Batons would hardly have finished better than third. Since O. B. Andrews has had the Chattanooga elub. he lias shown himself a good speqder. And thus far it. hasn't netted him anything. The average standing of the club since he has had it has been a shade worse than fifth. But if he sticks at it long enough and if he will be content to sign the checks and to let the managers manage, he will begin to make a showing. ♦ ♦ ♦ ixt<’W, consider the case of Mem ’ phis. Back in the old days a game lot of spenders owned the elub. And after two failures It won the pennants of 1903 and 1904. The following year the backers, tinder the direction of Lew Whistler, went the limit. They spent a keg of money, going further over the sal ary limit titan any Southern league club ever went, before or since. The money was injudiciously spent, however, and the Whistlers did not even get in the first division. Then the old backers, sole at this fact and wearied of a tight with tlie papers, sold out. Since President Coleman has been in charge the money does not appear to have been lavished on the team. Every body speaks of Mr. Coleman as a good spender and all that. Bitt the team doesn't Show it. He has a good manager. He has the same chances at a lot of players that other managers do. Hut he doesn't get them. In consequence, the Tur ties haven't been in the race since 1908, and never w ill be again until some money is turned loose The Mobile team, under the wise I direction of Mike Finn, pulled one of those occasional miracles last year and made a good race with a cheap team. It is done now and then. Finn’s affiliations with the Giants helped him. In the long tun, however, the Mobile team will not be heard from often. The city is small, the baseball owners are not good spenders, and you can’t make bricks without straw (or at least they say you can't. I never tried.) It takes money to buy winners, however, and Mobile isn't given to spending money for baseball. The Montgomery club has been an In-.ind-outer. Some year money has been spent for it. More often It has not. The backets of the club have found, to their not inconsid erable sorrow, that the Montgom eryites will not support a winning team. And now the franchise is on the market If the team goes to Little Hock, it will be a steady loser, sot they don't believe ill spending money for ball clubs over in that burg. Nashville is anothi r town wh .-ii isn't destined to have a club until something is done to ease a little momy out of the pocketbooks of the baseball folks. Baek In 1908, a year of miracles .which found Memphis third. Montgomery fourth. Mobile fifth. Atlanta sixth and Birmingham last. Nashville won a pennant. Bill Bernard did it with a cheap team. How he did it nobody pretends to say The next year the Nashville team made a good race with a cheap team. The last two years it has not been dangerous and owed what little life it showed to the superlatively good managing of Bill Schwartz Some day they will wake up to thetn selvi s in that town and spend some money When they.do. they will discover that it's a good ball town and deserves every cent they spent on it. INTERNATIONAL OPENS APRIL 16. N'FA\ VUKK. Pc. J* The Imernato’o al b ague's 1913 «<•.<s. n w ill ..neo April -i lull w I! I-e Adopted at A eeiing ■■ be he’d in .laiiuarv. LARRY LAJDIE ED OUITOASEBALL IF PAY IS CUT C, LEVELAND. Dec. 24. —Larry Lajoie, one of the greatest ball players that ever graced the diamond, may quit the game for which he has done so much. The mighty second baseman had a contract with the Cleveland Naps which expired at the close of last season, and it is stated here that the management of the club intends to cut Larry’s salary. Prominent baseball "fans" in this city who are close friends of Lajoie say that he would not stand for a reduction in salary. Larry would retire from the game rather’than play ball for less money than he re ceived last season. Lajoie is well off financially, and he does not have to worry a great deal about the high cost of living. Larry has been classed with the leading men in the game for many years and has always received a fat salary. He has saved his money and has invested It in safe business enterprises. Tlie result is that he is now able to laugh at the powers that be in the Cleveland club it is rumored here that Ole < tie son, who covered shortstop last year, will take Lajoie’s place at second base if the big Frenchman refuses to report. $15,000 BID: $20,000 ASKED FOR BILL TEAM; MTTLTE ROCK, ARK . I'er. 24. Little ' Rock business men and baseball enthu- | siasts. at a mass meeting yesterday, an- ( thorized President \V. \l KaFanaugh. of. the Southern league, to offer $15,000 for. 1 the league franchise, held b\ Richard i’ll- | Ills, of Montgomery. i President Kavanaugh secured an option . |on the Montgomery membership, but it | was unanimous:.' decided at the meeting; that the price asked- .$20,000 was ex- • uessive becaust of the few players re tained by Montgomery. Assurances have been given bj the other clubs in the league that the trans fer of the Montgomery franchise to Lit tle Rock would he agreeable. SEWANEE ELEVEN WILL PLAY TECH AND GEORGIA SEWANEE. ’I’KXN.. Dec. 24 The Se- •’ wanee fotoball schedule for 1913 follows: I October 4 Morgan prep school at Se- ! wanee. October 11—Universitx of Tennessee at : Chattanooga October IS Georgia Tech at Atlanta. October 25 University of Texas at Dal las. Tex. (probable). November 1 University of Chattanooga at Sewanee. November 8 Universit.s of Georgia at Sewanee November 15 University of Alabama at Itirmlngha m November 27 Vanderbilt at Nashville RICHIE RECEIVES SI,OOO BONUS FROM CUBS OWNER (’lilUA’lo. Dec. 34. I'itchei I >ius • Richie, <»f the Chicago National league , club, will receive a t’hristmas check fur SI.OOO from the club for winning more ■ than 6«» per cent of his games last sea- ; «op. President Murphy promised Richie j <SOO if h< would exceed that average in 1911, hut Richie missed the mark Vo a I few points. The offer was repeated a> . the beginning of last season, in addition o the .<sot‘ that Louis failed to obtain in 1911. Richie is visiting his teammate, .lames Lavender, at Montezuma. Ga. HIGHLANDERS PICK UP THREE N. Y. SEMI-PROS. NI’.VV YORK. Dec. 24 Secretary Davis, of the New York American league club, has announced that three young semi professionals. I Finley, r. Martin and .1 Orton, had signed contracts for next season. Finle.v. of this city, and < u ton, from lersev Citj . are infielders, and Mar tin. of Brooklyn, is h pitcher The trio will get a trial <ni the spring training trip and will probably be farmed out for proper seasoning BRITTON GETS ONLY DRAW IN BATTLE WITH AHEARN XTW Yt’RK. I A i. .id i\h.- tin best that .1..' . Britt.ill. . CliicHß... could crot in t•- ten-r.iutul bout with Young (’ . art lit ...kit it a Ust, .azzilin.- •’Ji" “Man Can Be Taught Football InTwoSeasonsjßaseballTakes [_ Vastly Longer/' Says Heisman By .J, W. Heisman. THE varsity football season is over for another year, but this does not mean that the colleges have shut up show and are peddling no more football wares. On the contrary, there is hardly a college in rhe South that is not busy with its training of class teams, and every Saturday witnesses the completion of a couple more rounds in the Intel class series of each college. As there are about five class teams each year to one varsity team it follows that while interest in class ball is not so intense or high strung as in varsity ball, yet it Is more widely diffused. Also, it may be taken for granted that dur ing thisj class season a far larger number of students are making a personal study and living to mas ter the science of football than is the case during the regular varsity season. For this reason 1 will write briefly of the elements which enter into the development of a success ful football player. Later I shall treat the subject from the stand point of the team. These articles may not be of much interest to lay men. but they should be of some slight value to participants in class football games. They Have to Begin Some Time. 1 find that many well built fel ! lows are diffident about coming out I for football, on the ground that they never played before. Tiny fol get that everybody had to make a start once upon a time, and that with a very large number of our 1 best players that start was never ' I made until after the man entered college, playing first, perhaps, upon his class team. Now, it takes a deal longer time to become an expert baseball play er than to become a good football player. Many young men know j how long it takes to develop base [ ball skill, but they don't know; that they can nearly all become fair I players with one season of football .- "scrubbing," and good ones with two seasons. That is why they I haven't the heart to come out for , the game. Any well built man i.- justified in going In for class foot ball. even if he has never tackled the game before. t will now set down a table show ing the natural elements which en ter Into the composition of foot ball players. Counting a finished player (a rtira avis. Indeed! as be ing possessed of a total of 100 points of playing excellence, we may assign to each element a !a- I the value about as follows: Experience . 30 Natural athletic ability 15 Grit 15 Weight 15 Speed 15 15 Ruggedness 10 Total 100 The question of general intelli gence and mental adaptability en ters in. to be sure, but I have con sidered it to be included In expe rience and natural athletic ability. Weight Is Not All. It is generally supposed that any heavyweight can become a good football player How fallacious this supposition is may be seen by re fe ring so. a moment to the above table A perfect mark 'tom the standpoint of weight would count for but 13 points out of a total of JOO. If a man has had no expe rience whatever we must lop off a full 30 per cent of his chances for becoming a varsity player in Ids first y—i.. Anu then again, there ■c plenty of men who have played '■ • -itba" ■•■■ ■ some time who weigh t-plenty. who have undoubted g-q and ruggedness, and who may even have a fair amount of speed. And yet they never make the varsity. Why? Because they were born with no talent whatever for athletics; they have no natural athletic abil ity. To the eye they may look just as well as a Jim Thorpe or a Briekiey; but the fact remains that they are not men of athletic mold, and so we have to pass them up. Natural ability includes a man’s mental and physical aptitude for the game. There are different kinds of athletes. Some excel at tennis, some at baseball, others at track work. Each game has its peculiari ties, and in football some of these are not easily mastered. Ordinarily, a man w ho has a fair amount of speed and has mastered The elements of baseball to a rea sonable degree quickly learns how to straighten out his football kinks. But he improves more rapidly still f he knows anything of boxing and, particularly, of wrestling. What “Ruggedness” Means, By ruggedness is meant a man's ability to stand punishment and come back tor more, it also means 1 a more or less natural immunity from injuries. No man can be come a great player who is always getting hurt, m> matter whether these regrettable accidents can he said to he ills ow n fault or not. To be laid up most of the time on the hospital list means not only that a man's tire and "pep" arc bound to be sapped in the end. but that In is of no real use to his team be cause so seldom available. Football "ruggedness" calls for a hardy con stitution, much power of endurance and great vitality. It also takes the mental noise that disregards trifling injuries and which ran sup port even great pain with fortitude. Football takes a "husky." and a husky’ is something more than a mere "big fellow I have seen some grand "LITTLE huskies." Grit counts for quite as much as any tiling else except experience: and 1 don't know but I have given it too low a valuation. With no grit at all. one could get no further in football than he could if pos sessed of no weight at all. Most players that we see on varsities do have grit (else they would never have been able to make their var sity). and so we don't have so many opportunities to compare and con trast players with one another in this regard as we have when matching up their speed, weight and e.xperiem • . But let a fellow get out on the Held with "cold feet' .mu most inexperienced girl in tin- grandstand can tell what's lacking in him almost as well and as quickly as can the .ouches— that s a -ufti; ii iit indication liow I necessary it is that I. is ingredient should not be lacking in the player's composition. Weight ang Sneed Help. Tile value of speed, indeed the utter necessity for it in football. I presume every one can comprehend for themselves. And weight, it must not lie overlooked, is a most valuable asset, other things being equal, the heavier man must always get the place in foothall Much more might l>. said on every one of these subjects, but the above is sufficient to indicate to a novice what lie needs to make good in the game. If he has only grit, natural athletic ability and some ruggedness in i'.is makeup, he can safely undertake tie sport, fm speed, weight and . xp< l ienee may all be artificially and subsequently acquired. Indeed, they generally are acquired by steady participation in tin- gam- . Ami persistency f n tiie game is bound also to in. -i.-a-so nd , nprox. tin- oth. : tin -. ■■ i. t ;. uro ' .-I. m itts as w< 'l. 'PITCHERS FAVOR NEW BITING SYSTEM By Harry Glaser. NEW York; Dee. 24.—Bar Johnson’s announcement tin the American league will adopt a new method of compiling pitchers’ records is being highly in dorsed by the twirlers, many of whom have long protested against tlie system in vogue. Just what system will be'employed to rat' the boxmen is not known, or at. least has not been divulged by tit. American league chieftain, who in tends to seek the advice of expert statisticians in iinding a suitable method. That th<- present system fair short of giving a true, rating has long been admitted and deplored by baseball men throughout the lanil There have been numerous si’lienie devis"d to displace it. but tlie best by far seems to be the one recently tried by Secretary John Heydler. o the National league, as i suppit • meat to the old method. In whirl tiie percentage is based on gam- I won ami lost. This now plan gives the pitcher rating on tim average number r rims e.ii n I oif him. Thor,, is s ' another figured on the pernntam of hits allowed per inning, but ■ tile two tlie first mimed seems !■ l» the better ami this will prob tblv be adopted. Seeretdry Hey tiler's double rat ing was for file purpose of cow parison Iretyyeen -ystems, and "I showed clearly that t!’" gootl pile. - • 's with weak teams suffered in prestige according to the old metbo A ompu'alive record of ' American league pitchers wot. ■ have slioty it ti nt tlie Yank pit' ir< suffered in tin's respect mot thsin tiiose of any other team ' past season. This was particular true concerning Ford, Mcfonne' ami Warhop. although nearly all " f the staff had days when the team kicked the game from under the ■ and for which they wety charg'd with a demerit in the record.’. No sot of tivirlros yvere rat'd ytorse than the Yankees in 1912. a.- though it is admitted generally by' baseball men that hoy are bnxni' ii of no mean ability. Not one of them had a percentage of .500. am! the three leaiting members. F"- McConnell and Wnfhop, yvere cred ited with ty inning about one-third j of their g.nnt s. Figured on tin- basis of (.tilt'd runs allowed by them, they won!'' have been classed with the stats of tlie winning teams, as the poor playing of tlu b teammates, will' ■ illy marred then records, v not affect their standing. New System Welcomed. Big George McConnell will t: o' It v' Iconic the nett sy stem at" F" 'I -md W arhop, too. prefer t" r il' d that way. McConnell t" part iti lit only ganm < •)f tin -■ tvas credited with winning old.' eiglit. TO say that six of twelve loss. - were in no way (lit' to his work is a conservative (s' mate, not did he gain many, if any. of the tight victories so yvhieh la- Is credited that were un deserved or due ’ entirely t" good playing of his teanmlat' -■ Tots- Warhop finished the ' yvitli a percentage of .345, beilis charged yvith nineteen losses twenty-nine games. Rated by atty other system. Tots could not suf ft i mucii yt tn-se, and it is appar ent to any one yvho lias folio"'*' Ills yvork the past year closely that he deserve.- to lie listed mm furthe- up, as iu doubt le-s ""0 be by tlie neyv method. The sici applies Io Ford ami others of ' Vankei team, is well as t" ' yilct'ei -of tli< ofhe r Weak mid ' "ig' idzeil teams that . ni'-ig'd !■' . t lie peirtiant mi t .