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THE ATLANTA GEOKUIAN AM) NEWS. Tl ESDAV. .MAY 12. HUM.
Jeff Says It Was Worth the Money
By “Bud” Fisher
Bv John (Chief) Meyers.
B ATTING ability is the high art
of True skill with the
stick hides many a minor fault.
Brilliancy in all other lines pales into
nothingness if not backed by at least
average hitting power.
There is a so-rcalled axiom in our
profession that “batters are born, not
made.” I disagree with such logie.
There is the same opportunity for
improvement in batting as in fielding
or bas»e running.
Not every one. of course, no matter
how studious, may become a Ty Cobb
or a Honus Wagner. And it is a
mighty good thing for the pitchers
and catchers that this is do. Few
athletes have the lightning speed of
Cobb, which enables him to beat
plenty of infield taps which would be
easy outs against average runners.
Few again have the muscular power
of Wagner, which enables* him to
drive the ball with rifle-like velocity.
300 Notch Real Feat.
When one stops to consider condi
tions, a .300 batting average strikes
home as real achievement. It means
hitting safely three times in every
ten chances.
The batsmen, single-handed, must
fight an army of obstacles.
In the first place he has a per
fectly round stick with which to
change the direction and propel a
perfectly round ball thrown from a
distance of 65 feet with all the force
or human power
He has approximately half a sec
ond from the time the ball leaves the
pitcher’s fingers until it is up to him.
In that half-second he must swing
his bat so that the curved surfaces
of the two objects (bat and ball)
meet fairly in the middle of their re
spective lines of flight.
Now there are nine agile and active
opponents s*o distributed throughout
the playing field that any sort of high
fly means certain retirement.
If the batter hits a fraction of an
inch over the ball be sends it down
to the ground where the speed is
checked, and where it is generally
quite easy for one of the infielders to
intercept it.
Add to these complications a skilled
pitcher who can make the ball vary
many ways in its flight to the plate,
and that little half second of grace
dwindles almost Into an infinity. The
wonder then is that so many reach
the select class.
Chief Tells Secret.
Still there are certain principles of
batting science that will help to over
come these obstacles. The most im
portant, to my mind, is that of meet
ing the ball in front of the body.
This is no more than the Swing of
the player who is termed the natural
hitter. Zimmerman, Wagner. Lajoie,
Doyle and Cobb all employ the style.
Some of them may do it all uncon
sciously. I know I did for several
years before I joined the Giants. Mc-
Graw pointed out to me the reason.
He drills and drills this idea into his
men.
A1 Bridwell is a player that I would
term a “made” hitter. In A pinch he
was one of our most trusty batsmen,
for he was sure to play every shade
in his own favor. Bridwell became
proficient by learning to meet the
ball in front of himself.
Uppercutting Is Fatal.
In the old days great hitters, like
McGraw and Jennings, used to run
out to meet the ball before it broke.
The present rule about staying in
the batters’ box prevents this. But
the principle may be applied through
the medium of the natural swing.
The swing should be made in a
horizontal arc. The bat naturally
has a tendency to propel the bah
directly in its course.
An “uppercutter" is a batsman
whose thrust ascends after the fash
ion of fun go hitters. This style of
hitter usually raises high flies or
pop-ups, and can never hope to be
come proficient.
A downward stroke is practically
as weak, for by it it is practically im
possible to hit the ball with speed
along the ground.
SEATTLE CREW TO ROW
IN EASTERN REGATTA
NEW YORK. May 13.—Permission was
’to-day granted the University of Wash
ington to compete in the regatta at
Poughkeepsie on June 21. The Seattle
oarsmen, whose expenses will be paid by
ft student subscription, will leave for
New York about June. 1.
ALBERTS MEETS LOUGHREY.
v NKW YORK. May IT “Kid” Al-
ber«s. of Elizabeth, N. J.. and Frank
1 oughrey. of Philadelphia will meet
here in a ten-round bout to-night.
Gee,i H&MtN'Y
POOL. FOR
A COUPL6 Op
I'LL up
* ND Shoot a
Gams.
\0 MOT b
to play aur i'll find a i
gemyleiaan To plat with
you it you haue mo
OBJECTION To FORE lt»N6R_S
^fcNO Hl<v\
ewe*. I’m.
plat him
1 AIN'T f*\ULH OF A
SHOOTER. SOT ITLl
o^lt cost me io cents
IE 1 Lose I
Excuse,but are
TOO Tut GENTLEMAN I
WANT PLAT Nit J
Pool
HONEST
Japan tie
school Boy
?
gF'JBfS _
3. -
fev W. W. Naugliton.
S AX FRANCISCO, May 13.—In the
balance of his journey toward the
championship goal Gunboat
Smith will have to do principally
with cowboys. The rough riders he
has to work past are Luth McCarty
and Jess Willard and if he can es
cape being thrown, roped and brand
ed he will be in a position to write
champion heavyweight of the world
after his name.
At least that is the way the heavy
weight outlook looms at present. That
the Gunboat Smith-Jess Willard bout
at Cbftroth’s Eighth Street arena on
May IT will be the semi-final in the
blue ribbon tourney is universally ad
mitted. But that Luther McCarty
will be the man the winner will meet
is not so sure. Luther is to hook
up with Arthur Pelky at Calgary on
May 24 and while it does not look as
though McCarty is endangering his
title, you can’t always tell.
Pelky Is the big husky who recent
ly held his own with Tommy Burns
and vanquished Andy Morris. That
may not be much, to be sure, but it
suggests that Mr. Pelky is “a build-
in’ up." There are no really finish
ed products among latter day white
hopes and the sporting world is apt
at any time to ring with the praises
of some new heavyweight who was
scarcely known twenty-four hours
before.
Willard Defeated Pelky.
It’s strange how Pelky’s fortunes
have been linked with those of Jess
Willard and Lute McCarty. Willard
defeated Pelky in New York. At
another time Pelky was to box Luth
er McCarty and failed to put in an
appearance. Willard took his place
at short notice and, in the opinion of
Eastern sport writers, outboxed Mc
Carty. Now McCarty and Pelky are
to meet at Calgary.
The month of May will surely cleat
the way for a decisive championship
encounter. The Gunboat Smith-
Jess Willard and Luther McCarty-Ar-
thur Pelky bouts are only a week
apart and there should be little dif
ficulty in signing the two victors for
a Fourth of July match. It is un
derstood that Promoter Coffroth has
his eye on the attraction and it is
to be hoped he lands it, for it will be
the biggest thing that has happened
in pugilistic circles for a long time.
Heisman Ranks AlabamaSecond
v • *!* *1* • v v • v v • r v • *1* v • v
Dobson Works Miracle at Clemson
By J. W. Heisman.
T ill: first two games of the Tecli-Oeorgia series were the big noise in
college circles last week. They ili.i not Ikivc much bearing on the
championship no matter how they came out. but they were of
s|K'< ial interest to all Georgians and of some Interest to all Southerners,
nevertheless.
No matter how grand a record either of these teams may make or
how punk, up to the time when they don the gloves for each other, every
body has come to understand that it is going to lie a battle to the frayed
and frazzled finish between the two despite any seeming disparities.
Over and over again this has happened in the past, and the apparently
weaker team lias overthrown the stronger to the bewilderment of all fol
lowers of the college game in the South. And realizing this to lie a fact,
as they more and more are doing, people In larger and larger numliers each
year find it well worth while to cut out some other attraction and arrange
their affairs so they can go and see the Tech-(ieorgia games, whether they
take place in Athens or in Atlanta. That is the explanation of the huge
crowds that last Friday and'Saturday witnessed these contests in Athens.
On these two days all previous Athens records for baseball attendance-
were badly shattered, notwithstanding it apjieared to the man without bias
that Georgia was bound to make a runaway affair of both games. Those
who remembered their baseball history, though, couldn’t see it that way,
and made sure of lieing on build when the factory whistle blew.
Nor were they disappointed, for if ever there were two hard-fought
and evenly-contested games anywhere, those were they. Both games were
lost by Georgia by a margin of one run only, and in both the Athenians
had men on liases when their last batter was retired in the last half of
the ninth inning.
What now about the comparative strength of the two teams? Before
these games the records of the two teams seemed to have settled that mat
ter pretty thoroughly. But when it comes to the all-around effectiveness
and playing ability of the two teams right now—as they played yesterday
and as they would play to-day—that n«ay tie a very different matter.
Despite tlie promising nature of the new material on hand this spring
at Tech, It early became evident that seven new men on the team meant
a badly balanced organization, and one that was bound to get some bad
humps from first to last before the season was over. With this fact recog
nized. higlt aims for a whole season’s record were ruthlessly abandoned,
and Pver.v word and plan and step of action was lient toward whipping
the green team in such condition of preparedness and fitness as would
result in their giving a good account of themselves in the Georgia series
alone. That result has. seemingly, been attained by the Yellow Jackets,
giid that is the season why they appear to-day to be a match for the Bed
and Black, whereas a month ago they would have been mince pie for their
rivals.
* * *
B I"T do not lie misled into beltoving that the tables are turned to any
such extent as to make of Georgia mince, or any other kind.of pie
for Tech. Far, very far, from it.
Tech won the first games by a hair's breadth only: and perhaps
they have good old side pal Mr. O’t’ontidence to thank for helping them to
even tills much margin.
* * *
P RAISE, more praise, and yet again praise, is what is overdue the
('lemson team and I 'oil cl, Dobson for tin* way they have fought their
way to the light out of ’dark wilderness and triumphed over teams that
were whole, laps ahead of them in form and condition when the season
opened. Two out of three from Auburn on the latter’s own playground
is a glorhais finish to a game, up-hill season. And I cannot forbear to
cite tlie fact, unknown to many in this section, that besides winning ten
straight from the colleges of South Carolina, the Tigers wrested a 4-3
victory from the Vniversity of North Carolina and played Trinity a 14-
itming 3-3 game at Durham. This certainly puts them up in the running
in the estimation of all fair-minded fans.
O’CONNOR IS TICKLED;
HE WINS HIS LAW SUIT
ST. LOUIS, May 13.—Jack O’Connor,
veteran ball player, was happy to-day
over the court’s ruling yesterday that
the St. Louis American League club
must pay him the $5,000 salary which
he claimed was due him. O'Connor was
demoted as manager of the club be
fore ihe expiration of his contract.
By Way of Aftermath
r
“Vanity on the highway”
still pays a ridiculous toll
for automobile travel. But
two hundred thousand new
Fords will this season go to
buyers who prefer real ser
vice at reasonable cost
rather than ostentatious dis-
play at unreasonable cost.
More than a quarter of million Fords now in
service—convincing’ evidence of their won
derful merit. Runabout, 5525; Touring Car.
$«00: Town Car. S8U0—f. o. b. Detroit, with
ail equipment. Get interesting "Ford Times"
from Dept. F. Detroit: Ford Motor Company,
311 Peachtree Street, Atlanta.
A few points that neither the box
scores, nor yet the detail of Uic games,
show of the recent Tech-Georgia, bat
tles may be worth jotting down.
* * *
I never saw amateur pitchers who can
i wheel and throw to second any quicker
or more accurately than do Corley and
Morris. They must have put in hours)
and hours of practice to have acquired
this precision: it was very fine.
* * *
Hutchens is one grand catcher much
the best 1 have seen in college circles
this year. He throws like a machine,
bats left handed, and hits them ker
plunk on the proboscis. He would make
his mark, and a wide one, in professional
ball.
* * *
YVooiton. the Tech freshman, grandly
justified my judgment in putting him
back into the game as a varsity man in
spite of his failure to get a single hit
in the entire first eight college games
in which he played. Who shall say how
.much his home run (the. only utie of
the series) the first time he stepped to
| the plate didn't have to do with the
i winning of both games by Tech?
| Ginn is the fastest and most finished
I base runner I have seen in tlie colleges
: in many, many years. He gets away
i with it at any old stage of the game, and
j no matter how we lay for him.
| * * *
I On Friday Tech had six men in the
I game who were playing their first year
I of varsity ball, and on Saturday they
j had seven such in the line up. All but
I one of the ten who played are due to
be back next year, and also every last
one of the present scrub players; so that
Tech men think they have little cause
j to worry over next year’s troubles if not
even a single new man comes in.
* * *
To my mind, the umpiring cf both the
officials was splendid work. 1 atn
thoroughly convinced that the final out
come of neither game was affected, or
would have been affected, by the chang
ing cf any close decisions that came up.
Messrs. Harmon and Holland are two
fine umpires, two clever gentlemen, two
absolute sportsmen: they typify the
best traditions of college life and col-
’ege athletics
In another year Amazon «hould size
o to t borough I > fill Holiday's shoes
it first base This youngster has even
moie natural reach and stretch than
Holliday, and he is fast picking up in
every way. Had McWhorter not been
playing unusually deep for him, every
one of his three terrific drives to cen
ter in Friday’s game should have been
good for a home run. As lie himself
puts it. though, all he accomplished was
to give Bob a chance to be a hero.
(Never mind. 'Amy,'' i am sure Bob
appreciates the courtesy.)
* * *'
Bob McWhorter is surely one good
base runner, and lie is as sure and
graceful in his handling of fly balls as
the cleverest professionals.
* * *
During the past three seasons Fax
Montague has made a success of every
position in which he has been placed.
Now he is a second baseman, and a
good one “Fax’’ is also a real cap
tain; one of tlie very best Tech has ever
had.
* * *
- You'll have to hand it to both Pitts
and Eubanks for pulling themselves up
from positions of only mediocre repu
tation to where they have earned the
undying gratitude of their college mates.
With both it was a case of tightening
their belts and their courage up to the
very last hole, then “up and at ’em.’’
and. finally, of “staying’’ with the op
position till the cows came home.
JOHNSON STICKS FINE
ON TWO MORE PLAYERS
CHICAGO, May 13. President Ban
Johnson, of the American League, has
fined Catcher Nunnamaker. of the Bos
ton Red Sox, and Third Baseman Olson,
of Cleveland, $25 each for their fist fight
in Cleveland last week.
President Johnson said the reports of
the fight were greatly exaggerated, and
that these two players were the only
ones involved in the trouble. He said
he i btained a straight story of the trou
ble from the two players themselves
SWEDES WILL SEND
TEAM TO 1915 MEET
NEW YORK. May 13. A letter re
ceived here from Sweden to-day state*
tiat (he Swedes will be represfnted at
thn Panama-Pacific games in 1015 They
will send over a strong team.
MATTY HAS PITCHED
47 INNINGS WITHOUT
ALLOWING FREE PASS
NEW YORK,» May 13.— Running
along with Walter Johnson in his
efforts to pitch a record number of
scoreless? inning is Christy
Mathewson, who is setting a mark
for perfect control that may never
be equaled.
The star twdrier of the New York
Giants finished his forty-seventh
inning yesterday afternoon without
a base on balls. Matty has given
only two passes this year. That
was in the first game he pitched
against Boston on April 17.
Matty has won five games and
lost one so far this season. He
was beaten by the Phillies on May
3. the score being 3 to 2. two men
being out when the winning run
was scored.
Willard Is Hard Man to Handle
*!•••!*
Baseball Summaries.
SOUTHERN LEAGUE.
Games Tuesday.
Atlanta at Memphis.
Chattanooga at New Orleans
Birmingham at Montgomery.
Nashville at Mobile.
Standing of the Clubs.
\V. L
Mobile. -4 8
N’ville. 13
Atlanta 15 14
M’phis. 15 14
PC
.750
.552
:S8
W. L.
Mont... 13 16
Chatt.. 12 17
B’hani. 1« 16
N. Or . 10 18
PC.
.448
414
.385
.367
Monday's Results.
Memphis 8. Atlanta 5.
Montgomery 5. Birmingham 1.
Chattanooga 4. New Orleans 2.
Nashville 5. Mobile 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE.
Games Tuesday.
St. Louis at Boston.
Cincinnati at Brooklyn.
Chicago at New York.
Pittsburg at Philadelphia.
Standing of the Clubs.
Phila.
B'klyn
Ch’go..
St. L..
W. L.
13 6
15 8
15 11
13 11
PC.
.674
.652
.577
.542
W. L.
N. York. 11 11
Boston. 0 12
P’burg. 10 15
C’nati... 6 18
PC.
.500
.400
.250
Monday’s Results.
New York 5, Chicago 1.
Boston 6. St. Louis 4.
Philadelphia 6, Pittsburg 5.
Brooklyn 4, Cincinnati 3.
/
SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE.
Games Tuesday.
Macon at Albany.
Columbus at Jacksonville.
Charleston at Savannah.
Standing of the Clubs.
W L. P C.
S'v'nah 16 5 .762
J’ville. 13 8 .61?
CTbus. 10 11 .476
W. L
Ch'ston. H 12
Macon.. 8 12
Albany. 6 14
Monday’s Results.
Savannah 5, Charleston 0.
Jacksonville 2, Columbus 1.
Macon-Albany; rain.
Nervousness May Wreck Chances
By Ed TV. Smith.
C HICAGO, Ill., May 13.- Unless Jess Willard curbs his inclination to
extreme nervousness as the day of an important ring battle draws
nigh, he is apt to wreck all of the good chances he has of getting
to the top of the heap of white hopes that are struggling for recognition
at the present time. This is the straight opinion of Charley Cutler. Wil
lard’s old friend, and the man who is chiefly responsible for getting the
elongated Kansas fighting proposition a good start on the pugilistic sea.
Cutler knows the tall Westerner better than anybody else in the world,
and while he is still friendly with Willard and eager to see him win.
whicli would justify all of the nice things Cutler has said about him, he
fears his one weakness will lie his undoing.
* * *
T OM JONES has the Willard affairs in hand right now, and is training
him in i*»rson for the affair with Gunboat Smith in Jim CofFrotli’s
arena a week from Tuesday. Coast critics are saying some nice things
about Jess and the form lie is showing out there in bis preparation, and
that Is what moved Cutler to speak at this time. “Knowing Willard as
well as I do. I can speak freely of him.” the big wrestler-fighter told me
the other day. “There is one weakness that he will have to overcome.
That is his extreme nervousness the day before a battle and on the day
of the event. 1 wouldn’t call it fear exactly, because I have seen some of
the gamest .men in the world quake as if, they had the ague just la*fore
stripping to go into the ring. It is merely a high-strung condition, and
unless lie gets over it his chances of becoming a real star will go glim
mering.
* * *
UTT is my honest opinion that Willard is as game, if not gamer, than
A any of them among the big fellows right now. At heart he knows he
can defeat all the Gunboat Smiths they can lead to him, but the fact re
mains that Willard is a terrible fretter. lie gets morbid and morose as
the fight draws near, and t\iis is followed by a state of acute nervous
ness that is apt to completely unfit him for a hard battle. Once be is in
the ring and the real work begins*, Willard is all right.
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
Games Tuesday.
Philadelphia at Chicago.
Washington at St. Louis.
New York at Cleveland.
Boston at Detroit.
Standing of tne ciuds.
W. L. J\C.
Phila . 17 5 .7.3
CTlar.d 17 8 .680
W’gton 14 7 .667
Ch'go.. 16 12 .571
W. L.
St. L. .11 16
Boston.. 0 15
Detroit. 8 18
X York 6 17
p.e
407
.376
.308
.261
Monday's Results.
Detroit 8. Boston 7.
Philadelphia 3. Chicago 0.
Washington 2. St. Louis 0.
New York 4, Cleveland 3.
EMPIRE STATE LEAGUE.
Games Tuesday.
Valdosta at Cordele.
Amerleus at Way cross*.
Brunswick at Thomasville.
Standing of the Clubs.
W. L. PC. I iV.
Wcross 7 3 .700 1 (“dele... 5 5
Th'ville. 6 4 ,600| H'wick. 6 5
V’dosta. 5 5 .500 Am’cus. 2 8
Monday’s Results.
Brunswick 2. Thomasville 1.
Cordele 7. Valdosta 0.
Waycross 6. Amerleus 0.
J .C
.500
.500
.200
GEORGIA ALABAMA LEAGUE.
Games Tuesday.
LaGrange at Anniston.
Talladega at Gadsden.
Opelika at Newnan.
Standing of the Clubs.
W. L. P.C.
G'dsden 5 2 .714
T'dega. 5 2 .714
Newnan 4 3 .571
W L.
Opelika. 3
LaGr’ge 2
An'ston 2
P c I
. 42!*
.286
.286
UT TNLESS Smith gets him quick and gets him in the right spot. I be-
iievo Willard will whip him nicely. Further, it is my opinion that
if lie does this, he is apt to enter the ring with Luther McCarty at a later
date and In* made an equal favorite with the big man from Nebraska. I
wouldn’t venture an opinion on that fight right now. preferring to see how
Willard comes out with Smith. If he can whip the Gunboat he will have
a lot of confidence, and then he will be a mighty hard nmn to lient.”
OTHER RESULTS MONDAY.
International League.
Toronto 3. Jersey City 0.
Buffalo 11. Baltimore 1 (first game)
Buffalo 3. Baltimore 2 (second game).
Providence 1. Rochester 0
Montreal-Newark ; off-day
American Association.
Todedo 2. Columbus 1.
St. Paul !'. Milwaukee 3.
Minneapolis 5. Kansas City 5
Louisville-Indianapolis; off-day.
Federal League.
Pittsburg.2. Cleveland 0.
Chicago 5. Indianapolis 4
St. Louis-Covfngton; rain.
Virginia League.
Newport New3 2. Norfolk 0.
Portsmouth 12. Roanoke 0.
Petersburg 13, Richmond
game).
Petersburg 13, Richmond 0
game).
Carolina League.
Charlotte 8. Greensboro 5.
Raleigh 7. Durham 0
Winston-Salem 6. Asheville 1.
Appalachian League.
Knoxville 14, Middlesboro 3.
Bristol 1, Johnson City 0.
Cotton States League.
Pensacola 5. Jackson 1.
Meridian 6, Selma 3.
EVEN-J.AGLEB
By Joe Agler.
M emphis, tenn., May 13.—
“King" Brady will be the se
lection* to twirl the second
game for the Crackers, with Graham
receiving. Bernhard will probably
use Kissinger and Seabaugh.
The Crackers lost the opener here.
The Turtles come from rear and over
came five runs obtained by us.
Chappelle made his debut in a
Cracker uniform and was knocked off
of the rubber. Furchner. who suc
ceeded him. was treated very roughly
by the Turtles.
The Crackers hit the ball hard, but
it seems lately that the luck breaks
with the other team. The Crackers
scored all the runs in one inning and
was not able to score again. The nec
essary wallop could not be -produced.
Chappelle had everything at first,
but weakened, and the Turtles romped
on him, which will win many ball
games for them.
‘ King’’ Brady should win his game
to-day with his steadiness and con
trol. He is the kind of a pitcher that
will win from this club.
The Turtles are drawing well. They
have big crowds and are supporting a
good team. We should at least break
even here, and that would give us an
even chance to keep above the .500
mark on this road trip.
(second
Help for the
Crippled
Children
Club Feet. Diseases of the Spine
and Hip. Joints, Paralysis and
other afflictions succeesfully
treated. Established 38 years.
Write today for illustrated cat
alog.
National Surgical Institute,
72 S. Pryor St. Atlanta, Ga.
Monday's Results.
Anniston 18. LaGrange 5.
Opelika 8. Newnar* 2
Talladega 5. Gadsden I
Linen, Canvas-or Buck
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Golf Shirts, half sleeve- — $1.50. Long sleeves— $1.00 to $2.50.
Norfolk Golf Suits—$20 to $30. Golf Caps $1.00 and $1.50.
Parks-Chambers - Hardwick
37-39 Peachtree COMPANY Atlanta, Georgia