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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.
First Punch May Win Fight, Says Bill Smith
*•* *•* +•+ +•+ +•+ +e+ +e+ +•+ +•+
Dent Hurls To-day With Conzelman in Reserve
By Bill Smith.
W E’VE 'anded the first punch—
and the first punch has won
many a battle, believe me.
Not that this battle’s won. not by
a long shot; but It’s not lost by two
or three long shots, and while there’s
life there’s hope, you know. And I’ll
confess right now that there’s a good
deal more of hope pounding away in
kite manly breast of yours truly than
.jere was at this time yesterday
* * •'
f KNOW Mike Finn, and I know his
1 club, though. For more than two
weeks ,they have regarded the South
ern League pennant for 1913 as their
personal - property. Not until yes
terday did they realize that they had
a scrap, a heluva scrap, between"them
and that old rag.
And will they fight? Will a baby
cry? Will a duck swim? Why. I
could see the fight rising In that fat
Irishman every second yesterday
ifternoon. If I don’t miss my guess,
there’s going to be some sweet bat-
ling ahead.
• • •
IF I didn't know the Gulls for the
1 good, game ball players they are,
I might think that the smash we
handed them yesterday would make
them dog it the rest of the way. But
I don't think so, knowing Mike and
Sis men. We’ve got to fight, and
we’ve got to fight every minute we
are on that ball field, and pretty near
ly every minute we are off of it, too,
"or that matter.
• • •
E are in pretty good shape for
** the going. I guess both clubs
were on a pretty fine edge yester
day, but they will both be steadier
as the series grows older.
I know I can count on my men to
go the limit. Every man is jusi
as anxious to win as I am, and every
bit of baseball in their systems is
going to be shown this week. Once
or twice yesterday It looked squally
for a moment, but I never saw a club
come back to earth quicker and play
steadier, headier baseball.
* * *
I ’M handing: myself a few medals
for picking: Gil Price to hurl that
opening: same. We realized that it
was all important to beat the barrier
/ I
the trick.
That’s not throwing off on any
of the other pitchers, thougrh, but
Price was mentally the man for the
lob.
The baseball world was pretty well
abounded in 1906, you will recall,
when in the first game of the world’s
series between the White Sox and the
Cubs. Fielder Jones, of the Sox, se
lected Nick Altrock to pitch. He did
this with Ed Walsh and Doc White
m the bench, and both of these men
<vere considered Altrock’s superiors.
Well, Jones* won a world’s title by
picking Altrock. He knew that that
eccentric southpaw would not be
frightened by the man-eating repu
tation of the Cubs. He knew he would
pitch against Chance’s mighty ma
chine with the same confidence he
would have in working against a
bunch of bushers. That confidence
won for Altrock and he broke the
Cubs’ spirit.
And I remembered this in this
pinch.
• • •
p RICE is a cool, self-reliant fel-
* low, with no nerves—but all the
nerve in the world. I knew he would
go in confident he could take the
Gulls’ measure, and he did it to a
queen’s taste. Even with the bases
choked, with one down, in the early
innings he never wavered, but kept
right on pitching ball, and he held the
Gulls scoreless until we had the game
packed away in the finest little cold
storage plant in this part of Georgia.
• • a
I’M depending a whole lot on my
4 pitchers, you can bet. To-day,
unless my plans go awry in some un
looked-for manner, I am going to send
Eliott Dent to the hill.
Dent is ready. I believe he wUl
work the game of his life. But I’m
taking no chances.
If.by any chance he should falter.
I will have Conzelman always warmed
up, ready to step into the breach at
any moment. Joe will be the reserve
force, and the reserves have done
their share toward turning the tide
of victory.
• * •
T HURSDAY, according to my pres
ent plan, I will work Conzelman.
with Thompson and Love in reserve,
and if we get away—and I believe
we will—who will I come back with
for the supreme test Friday?
Why, Gil Price, of course.
I guess you guessed it.
• * *
P RICE is of that stocky, sturdy
class that can stand going the
route twice in four days, and if he
works Friday I believe he will b Q
Just as good as he was yesterday—
and that's 9ome good.
I’m mighty glad we got Cavet out
of the way. 1 have always regarded
him as the Gulls’ most dangerous
pitcher. Of course, I have no dope
on whom Finn will work to-day, but
he kept Heinie Berger warmed up all
yesterday afternoon, and It wou'dn’t
surprire me to see the veteran Dutch
man on the mound to-d?\y. He is a
cleveT old fox. too. and is Hkely to
cause us trouble, but I’m not looking
for it.
A FTER the start we n ade yesterday
I don't see how trouble can .exist
for anyone on this good green earth
—except for old Mike Finn.
>OI
fs
©G
Agl
7
er I
hat
Maying PL
Saved Of
W
)ener
Despised Bunt Turns Tide of Victory to Crackers
+•*!• 4*#4 > +•*!• *[••►!• •!« • 4* +•+ +•+ *!••+
Gull Machine Crumbles Under Unexpected Attack
Agler was
easily the hero
of the day,
both in fielding
Bv Fuzzy Woodruff.
T OO often have the chroniclers of
things baseballic indited this
sentence: “He Laid down a
sneaking bunt.’’ The adjective is ap-
probrious. It suggests the kiss of
Judas Iscariot, the hidden rapier
thrust of Tybalt, the tonsorial treat
ment of Samson, and the doping of
Jim Jeffries.
But the sportive prints have made
This photo
graph was
snapped by a
Georgian
camera expert,
who snapped all
the feature
plays of the
game. This
was by far the
most important
play of the
afternoon.
it as classic as “Give me liberty or
give me death,’’ the sextet from
“Lucia,” and Hamlet’s soliloquy.
Wherefore fandom has grown to re
gard the bunt much as knoek-out
drops in an enemy’s beer, the impor
tation of a gang of repeaters for
political purposes*, and the flashing of
a $1,000-bill in the face of a doubtful
legislator are held in popular esteem.
The method is useful, exceedingly us*^ uad the Gulls played a “waiting ’em
THE elongated Gull stood in the
1 box with a patch over his eye,
like the knights of old did when they
had worn themselves to some deed
of chivalry and hadn’t made good,
and he gave every Indication that he
was striving to perform ihat deed
on this particular occasion.
On the other hand. Gil Price seemed
to possess sublime courage, a stout
heart, a glove, and nothing much else.
onstantly in the hole, and
Crackers Face An Old Task
•j.e* -he* +•+ +•+
In Same Fix Nine Years Ago
CAST-OFFS FAIL
TO BEIT LOCALS
By an Ex-Sport.
A TLANTA’S desperate fighting
chance for the Southern
League pennant this year had
an almost exact parallel nine years
ago when Ab Powell’s team was faced
with the task of winning nine straight
games at the close of the season in
order to capture the so-called gon
falon.
The parallel goes so far that the
next to the last series of the year
was against the leaders, New' Or
leans—managed, as now, by Chubby
Charley Frank. In one particular, all
fans join in the hope that the par
allel will not be carried out. Atlanta
lost one of the necessary games, and
the pennant as well.
They played later in September
then than in these effete and degen
erate days. And along about the
first of the mqnth of oysters. FTank
and his Pelicans left New Orleans,
far in the lead in the league race. It
was regarded certain that the flag
would come back with the team.
So Frank made a triumphal march
of it. He had the team photographed
before leaving home, had half-tone
engravings made of his stalwart ath
letes, labelec as the “1904” cham
pions,” and prepared to distribute
these among all newspapers in towns
in which he and his band appeared.
* * *
UNFORTUNATELY for Frank and
^ his premature champions, everv
night on that trip was a big night
for them. The popping of corks made
more of a fusillade than the crack
of their bats against the ball.
And by the time the Pelicans
reached Atlanta this situation existed.
By defeating the Pelicans in four
'straight games and then defeating
Shreveport (yes. Bobby Gilks was
managing ’em then, as usual) the
Crackers were sure of the pennant,
with Lew Whistler’s Memphis team
only an eyelash behind.
So Ab Powell and Atlanta went
right to it. Powell sent down to
pill Smith’s Macon team and bought
the late Alv n Bayne, Georgian-born
and as rem irkable a youngster as
ever hurled a curve. He sent over to
Charleston and bought “Doc’’ Childs
of Butts County, Georgia. Thus for
tified by new pitchers to help out
oid Charley Smith and Jack Ely. it
appeared that the Crackers had a
bure fighting chance.
And. take my word for it, there was
something in the nature of a base
ball fight put up at Piedmont Park
for four successive days. Frank’s
team was really no slouch, and by the
time they had reached Atlanta and
had sweated the alcohol out of their
systems at a Turkish bath, they were
fighting mad and ready to put up a
real scrap for the pennant.
* * •
O N Saturday the reason opened and
Doc Childs, wild a6 a hawk, but
unhittable, w as put in to tame them.
Doc did it admirably. Atlanta won.
On Mondav, Charley Smith, now of
the Cubs, ha 1 them eating out of his
hand, and Victory No. 2 was marked
up for the Crackers.
On Tuesday, Alvin Bayne who had
won 40 games and the first South
Atlantic League pennant for Billy
Smith, pitched, and the Pelicans were
almost licked for the year.
But there was one more game to
the series.
Powell sent Doc Childs back in to
wind it up. Frank, offered Winsome
Winnie French, who had a round
house curve and consummate courage
as his excuse for pitching.
The game opened badly for At
lanta. Childs hit the first batter, then
cut loose with a wild pitch on which
the runner went to third. A fly to
the outfield scored what turned out
to be the only run of the game.
After that Childs was the master
of the Pelicans. The only trouble
war that French was the master of
the . Cracker And it so happened
that two a were out in the ninth
•zinin* afv s A axid iha aanaant
gone a-glimmering when Childs him
self came to bat.
Doc’s normal batting average was
.038.
Doc singled.
Then Doc stole second bare. Doc
weighed 210 pounds and was slower
than old Harry Meek. But he didn’t
know when to quit fighting! So Doc
lit out and stole third.
• • *
I LL never forget the finish of that
game. George Winters* was at bat,
nervous for perhaps the only time in
his life. A hit from him meant may
be a pennant. There were two strikes
on him, and there on third base was
Doc Childs, puffing and dancing and
sweating and blowing and fighting
as game a fight as ever man put up
for a chance to save the year.
French *ut loose a curve, Winters
swung misred, and the game was
over. But only a tenth of a second
before Childs hurled his tremendous
form across the plate.
* * •
S O Atlanta didn’t win the pennant.
New Orleans didn’t, either, for
Lew Whistler and his Memphis team
had gone one game ahead while the
Crackers and the Pelicans were bat
tering each other.
But so long as certain old-time fan:’
know a baseball from a tomato can,
Doc Childs, of Jackson, Butts County.
Georgia, now a tiller of the soil, will
stand out as a man who played out
his string In the face of certain de
feat and who never said, "I quit.”
For in thi§ one game Doc threw
out his arm forevermore. And in
this one game he stole more bares
than he had ever done before in all
his life.
McNeil Benefit Races
At ‘Drome’ Friday
The Jock McNeil benefit races at the
Atlanta motordrome will be staged Fri
day night. The races were originally
scheduled to take place last Friday
night, hut were called off on account of
rain.
The entire proceeds from this race
will be sent to the Scotchman’s mother.
McNeil was one of the most popular rid
ers In Atlanta, and it is hoped that a
big crowd turns out.
No passes will be honored at this
meet Newspaper men, clerks. Judges
and other officials have all agreed to
pay The riders, who are also giving
their services free, have agreed to race
as they never have before. They were
all great friends tt> Jock and will do
most anything to help the cause.
Experts Travel to
Game in Cartercar
The Georgian's baseball experts
were taken out to the opening game
of the series between the Crackers
and Gulls at Poncy Park yesterday
afternoon in a Cartercar, driven by
the local manager, W. C. Mahoney.
The Crackers and Gulls may have
played a fast game, but their speed
was tame compared with the trips
given the experts by Mr. Mahoney in
his beautiful seven-passenger car.
Welchonce 3 Points
Behind D. Robertson
Harry Welchonce is right on the heels
of Dave Kobertson for the batting hon
ors of the Southern League. Harry-
managed to get one hit out of four times
up yesterday, while his opponent was
held hitless. . . .
Iattest figures give Robertson a hat
ting average of 341, while Welchonce
Is hitting the ball at a .338 clip. But
three points separate the two outfield-
I ers
By Tnnis Brown.
I T’S a long lane that has no turn
ing. Likewise and also, all signs
fail in dry weather, which may
account for the fact that even a
Aonest-to-goodnese jinx may be-
slipped a double cross at rare inter
vals.
Slip a casual glance over the roster
of the Mobilians and you will lamp
the presence of Messrs. A1 O’Dell and
P. Sentell, one-times Crackers and at
present diligent laborers In the fold
of Finn. Time was when local bugs
would draw a sigh of relief on view
ing the nervy A1 strolling to the plate
when a pinch hit meant profitable
business. In fact, we always enter
tained an idea that A1 curried the
stuff that enables a* fellow to deliver
best when said delivery is most
needed.
Likewise, Mr. Sentell has been
known to wallop the hide off of the
old pill at most opportune moments.
Paul would likely be regarded as a
desirable citizen in any minor league
city between April 16 and a corre
sponding date in September. In fact,
he would readily be classified as
skilled labor on a ball field, and no
body yet has found cause to label
him a quitter.
All of which is predicated to show
that the old jinx was slipped a clean-
cut, straight-forward knockout, for
neither of the above gentlemen was
able to hook us for the count in Tues
day’s game, despite the fact that
fortune passed them opportunities on
a silver platter.
* * *
T HE chance of a lifetime was put up
to O’Dell in the third. Gil Price
was breezing along on smooth seas
until this frame. But trouble was
started when Chapman dropped a
third strike on Clark, first up, and
then did a ring-around-rosv in a
frantic effort to locate the ball. He
grabbed it up in time to peg to Agler,
the throw caught the fleet Mr.
Clark in the vicinity of his left
shoulder, and caromed into Joe’s
mitt, saving an extra base, since the
Gull gardener had already reached
the bag.
Miller forced Clark, but Price threw’
Cavet’s bunt high to Agler. Stock
watched four wide ones pass and the
bases were all inhabited. Starr
popped a hign foul to Chapman, and
two hands down. Enter Mr. O’Dell.
Imagine, if you can. a more luscious
opportunity to add several streaks of
gray to the ebony thatch of B. Smith,
and incidentally to smother all hope
remaining in the Crackers of landing
in front at the finish, for be it re
membered that Mr. Cavet was going
like a house a-flre, and a couple of
runs would have looked like a fair
sized mountain.
But Al. even with the aid of the
cast-off luck, failed to deliver. He
watched one good one pass, and then
played a straight shot to the corner
pocket guarded by H. Holland. The
ex-Jacket siezed it in big league style,
and whipped it to Agler in time to
nip Al, aided by a nice one-handed
stab by the agile Agler.
• * •
T HE ninth frame presented Mr. Sen
tell with his opportunity. Charley
Schmidt took one of Gil Price’s shoots
and galloped dovrii to first. Clark
shot a straight one to Bisland, atid
the play was made to nab Schmidt at
second. In his hurry to effect a two-
ply killing Wally Smith dropped the
throw, and all hands were safe.
Price appeared to be weakening and
at this Juncture, sounded two bells
for Mr. Sentell, and he substituted at
the bat for Mons. Cavet. To all pur
poses and intents, Paul had the desire
and determination, and in justice to
him. it may be said that he carried
with it about everything else except
the finishing touch. He shot one
straight to the slab that looked
wicked. However. Price knocked it
down, and managed to kill him off to
Aeier.
SIDELIGHTS ON FIRST
GAME AT PONCY PARK
By W. S. Farnsworth.
B OTH Pug Cavet and Gil Price
were kept busy during tile open
ing encounter. The Gull twirler
pitched 118 balls during the eight
times the Crackers were at bat, while
the local boxman made 115 separate
and distinct chucks.
Cavet pitched the most balls in one
inning—nineteen in the eighth. Price
pitched the fewest—seven in the sixth.
The following shows just how many
balls were uncorked by each hurler
in each Inning;
Inning Price Cavet
First 16 12
Second 9 16
Third 17 16
Fourth 13 11
Fifth 16 16
Sixth 7 10
Seventh 9 is
Eighth 15 19
Ninth 13 »
Total ....1)6 113
•Crackers didn’t bat in ninth.
* • •
Holland didn’t cover the ground he
was standing on when O’Dell’s single
passed him in the opening spasm.
* * *
Price worked his curve ball on
Cavet as much as possible. It was
good judgment, as the shade Pug
wore kept him from getting his eye
on the benders.
• «* *
Cavet sure is a cool young man.
Even when the going was rough and
stormy for him he took his time and
figured out his every move.
* * *
Price fell down going after Paulet’®
puzzling grasrer in the second, and
while flat on his stomach, chucked
with accuracy to Agler.
• • •
Holland should have smothered
Schmidt’s foul in second, but seemed
to be afraid of knocking a picket out
of the left field fence.
• * *
Schmidt was dead lucky on this
trip to the platter. He immediately
followed with another foul hoist that
Tommy Long let slip out of his wait
ing hands.
• • •
Chapman dropped the third strike
on Clarke In the third. He made a
quick recovery and chucked to Agler.
The ball bounded off Clarke’s back
into Joe’s waiting hands, but too late
for an out.
• • »
Pfenninger was all to the bad in the
last of the third. He happened to
call ’em all wrong, but neither side
suffered. But how Cavet did bark
and yell!
• • •
Fans who were minus the price of
admission jammed themselves into
the trees and on the fences in left
and center field.
• * •
Manush did some bad coaching in
the last of the fourth when he let
Agler run all the way from first to
third on Long’s grounder that O’Dell
booted but didn’t let get far away
from him. Al simply picked up the
pill and waited for Joe to run into
it for a most foolish-looking out.
• • •
Cavet’s fast ball developed a pretty
hop during the latter part of the
game. With the hop Pug seemed tu
lose a bit of control.
» • •
Paulet had a Just kick coming to
him in the fourth. He hit a ball in
front of him that should have been
f called a foul. Pfenninger, however
called it fair and Chapman tagged
the batter out.
• • •
Robertson, heavy hitter and league
leader, failed to connect safely. He
has made only three hits on the local
pasture this season.
• * ?
Robertson waited out four in a
row in the fourth. And not one of
them was anywhere near the plate.
• * •
Agler. besides being the batting ana
fieldimr hero of th« dav. was tb** first
to get a hit off Cavet. It was a
single that came in the fourth.
• * •
Holland should have kfiocked down
Stock’s liner in the fifth and held 1*
to a single. Ah it was, it was a two-
bagger.
• * •
Price can not hit a left-hander’s
curve. Which was very plain in the
seventh, when, with one down and
Holland on third, Gil did a Casey on
three benders in succession. And hi;
didn’t come within a foot of connect
ing on any one of the occasions.
m m m
O’Dell didn’t field any one of his
chances cleanly. Al seemed to be a
bit “up in the ozone.’’
Cavet sneaked one over on Wally
Smith in the eighth for a perfect
strike, put Pfenninger was as much
asleep as the Cracker captain, and
poor Cavet was charged with a ball.
* * *
It was a hard fight from start to
finish, but the players put up a cleau
exhibition and no signs of trouble
were noticed at any stage of the
battle.
• * *
Holland was anxious to get in a
long wallop in the eighth. As a re
sult of trying to kl i the ball he proved
a fine “fish” for Cavet’s fast ball.
* * *
Robertson played Agler’s triple like
a busher. First he ran in for a ball
that was over his head and then made
a bad recovery cnee he got his hands
on the ball.
* • •
The Crackers lacked a lot of pep
and ginger. They played good ball,
but here’s hoping that they make a
bit more noise to-day. Those Gulls
were talking and jabbering away likf*
a lot of college players all the way.
* * *
MiKe Finn never lost his famous
smile at any time.
• * •
Bill Smith was as calm, cool and
collected from start to finish as a bull
pup with a bunch of firecrackers tied
to his tail orr a Fourth of July morn
ing.
Harry Holland is going to show
more class to-day, or we’ll miss a
strong hunch. The youngster was
nervous yesterday, and. at that, he
handled five chances in good shape.
He’ll look a lot better the rest of the
series, now he has taken the plunge.
* • •
W T hile the last Grocers and Butch
ers’ half-holiday was last Wednes
day, there is a move on foot to per
mit all the employees that can pos
sibly be spared to go to the game this
afternoon. Most of the employers
have signified their intention of let
ting as much of the help off as pos
sible.
Milwaukee Manager
Signs for Two Years
MILWAUKEE, Sept. 3— Harry
Clark, Milwaukee’s righting third
baseman and manager, who has pilot
ed nis team to the top of the Ameri
can Association this year when most
of the sporting editors about the cir
cuit picked Milwaukee for second di
vision. signed a two-year contract to
manage the team to-day.
Mrs. Agnes Havenor, owner, refused
to divulge the terms of the contract.
Chick Evans Makes
New Golf Record
GARDEN CITY. N Y.. Sept. 3.—
Chick Evans, Jr., of the Edgewater
Golf Club, Chicago, so far shown
the best golf In the national amateur
golf championship here yesterday. His
round of 71 a coin's** record.
This, with his 77 of Monday, made
a total of 148 for the qualifying round
of 36 holes, and wpli 1 he Chlrago^r
lL j aold iaeiia.1 for the lowest score.
CRACKERS ARE
By Lou Castro.
I T was one of those old-time ex
citing battles and the home boys
won a thrilling victory. At times
I couldn’t help but think of the great
series between the Turtles and Crack
ers In 1907.
During the latter part of that year
the boys from Memphis traveled to
Atlanta to meet us in a series that
practical!*- meant a pennant. True,
the series didn’t mean as much as
the present one means to the locals,
as we had several more games to
play. But the teams were the leaders
In the fight for the rag and the rerit s
meant much to both teams. We won
the series and the pennant. I hope
the Crackers do the same.
But, going back to yesterday’s
game I can’t help but take my hat off
to the boys pla . ing under Billy Smith
1 know- the strain they are playing
under, and I hope they can keep
themselves together until the end of
the series.
Every game the boys go into they
must feel that it is their last. If
they lose, it is all over. If they
win. they have another game to think
about. On the other hand, Finn’s
men need but one victory. They can
take chances that Bill Smith’s men
dare not take.
* * •
THIS w*as proven in the fourth in-
1 nlng. Agler reached first on a
scratch single. Later he attempted
to take third when O’Dell fumbled
Long’s bunt. He was out, but as
luck would have it the Crackers man
aged to win out later. Now, at the
time there was none out and had the
locals lost there would be many fans
to-day blaming Agler for taking his
daring c hance. As it turned out. Joe
played wonderful ball, and it was hi.**
triple that helped the home boys cop
the bacon.
The men playing ball for the honor
of Atlanta at Ponce DeLeon are real
fighter* and they will battle to the
end. If they win, they will be ac
complishing a miracle. Think of it.
They have three more games to play
Mobile and they must v.ln all of them
One defeat and it’s all over. Surely
this seems impossible. Every play
and e very move must be figured out
T) NE rally by the Gulls, one mis-
play, or one error of judgment
may lose one game. It may lore a
pennant. This is the strain the boys
are playing under I watched yes
terday’s game .and couldn’t help but
pull for Smith’s crew. I fought with
might and main under him for vic
tory and can just feel him urging
the boys on.
Gilbert Price was the big boy yes
terday. Although a little wild, he ap
peared like a giant in the pinches
His curve ball had the visitors puz
zled, and I would advise Smith to
use him again by all means. He has
the nerve and courage. He appeared
confident at all times and seemed to
be strong at the finish.
Cavet pitched himself out in the
first six innings. He started out as
if to pitch a no-hit game and put
too much stuff on every ball. In
fact, he appeared overanxious to win.
I hardly think he will heat the Crack
ers in this series. The stinging de
feat of yesterday must have takei*
some of the confidence out of him
ful, but hardly ethical; no not hard);
Atlanta’s faithful can arise in uni
son to-day and give thanjes for the
invention of the bunt even as the
children of Israel gave thanks for the
convenient parting and closing of the
waters of the Red Sea; Lord Welling
ton for the arrival of Blucher, and
the American people for the fact that
It was the custom of soldiery m Revo
lutionary times, even as now, to get
tanked in celebration of Christmas.
• * *
UOR to the bunt is due the fact that
1 the Crackers are still leading a
pennant hope to-day and the hope is
not near so forlorn as it way 24 hours
ago.
Wherefore it is moved, seconded
and unanimously carried that all
ignominy be removed from the afore
mentioned bunt, and it be placed
among the things that are noble and
good, such as the morning cocktail
and the accommodating friend with
$2 excess change in his pockeds.
Had it not been for the adoption of
a bunting policy at th? first moment
when the break in luck came the
Crackers’ way, there is no telling
what might have been written in
Dixie yestere’en. It is probable that
darkness would have stopped hostil
ities with both teams glaring at each
other and cussing themselves for the
failure to shove over a single run. If
is equally likely that the game would
have been the Gulls’ and Mike Finn
would have departed from Ponce De
Leon Park with the Southern League
gonfalon as re?urely packed away as
any of the securities and cash in
any hank vault in Atlanta with the
whole police force awake.
To an innocent observer, who knows
nothing and pretends to know nothing
of the Maohlavellan machinations
molded in the minds of the baseball
strategists on the benches, it is mar
velous that the bunting attack was
not resorted to far earlier in the
game.
Especially did tnl3 mode of assault
seem propitious for the Crackers.
• * •
A | EMBERS of both teams went on
the field as nervous as a noviti
ate In the goodly game of draw poker
who finds he has drawn a king and
a pair of aces to a couple of mon
arch?* and the gentleman next to him
has Just bet a gob.
And when a club is nervous then
the bunt reaches its highest state u f
effectiveness. Especially did Al O’Dell
seem to be afflicted with a realization
of the importance of the series. The
erstwhile Cracker, always tempera
mental, seemed to possess more of
that stuff yesterday afternoon than
a $10,000 tenor, and mind you, he was
guarding the third corner, the place
where the bunt Is wont to go.
Again, it wouldn’t have taken a
Mack or a McGraw to discern that, in
the early innings, "Pug” Cavet had it
on the Crackers in large quantities.
Not until the Gull gang had flown
high and wierdly in the sixth inning,
after the bunting began, was there
the semblance of a clean hit off his
southpaw delivery.
out” game, instead of attacking too
eagerly, the beans might have been
spilled for the Crackers early in the
session.
This is said in no spirit of en
deavoring to detract from the mag
nificent work of the Cracker hurler.
He labored as gallantly as ever war
rior did and it was Price who started
the bunting game that brought ulti
mate victory.
He was the first man up in the
sixth inning. Price is no Wagner,
and as Cavet was going along as
smoothly as a canoe In a mirror-like
pond, the Gulls were expecting little
or nothing from the Cracker pitcher.
In a second he realized the enemy
was off its guard, and on the first
ball Cavet pitched over he tapped it
to the infield, just fast enough to
get past the pitcher, just slow enough
to compel Starr to come on at Casey
Jones’ speed to have any chance of
making the play at first bare.
Result, the ball eluded the Gull
captain and Price was on first base
with no one down.
• # *
T HEN came the real play of the
game. Joe Agler walked to the
bat. He is recognized as one of the
most skillful sacrifice hitters in the
league. Paulet crowded down the i
first line. Al O’Dell edged In from
third. And tnen Agler outguessed
them.
I don’t know, but I would wager
that he purposely misred his first t\vj
attempts to bunt and, when he did s>,
the Gulls smiled their satis*faction.
They reasoned that the Cracker first
sackpr would not dare take a chance
of bunting at the third strike, and
Agler knew what they had reasoned.
He took his position to slam the
ball as O’Dell returned to playing a
deep third and Paulet moved back
behind first ba/?e.
Cavet confidently hooked the next
one over. Joe didn’t swing. He j
dropped his bat and the ball nestled
along the third line with Joe scam- |
pering to first like all the demons
below the earth were after him.
The Gulls, completely surprised,
were unable to field the ball, and then
there were two on with no one down.
Long, next up, twice tried to sacri
fice He failed, but the Gulls were
not to be fooled this time. Oh, no.
They kept right on playing close in.
And what did Tommy do? Why, ne.
hit one so sincerely on the nose that
Stock had difficulty in handling th?
ball and getting it to second in time
to stop Agler, while Price had raced
to third and Tommy was on first.
* * *
T HERE the Gull defense was broken.
There the brave heart of Cavet
quailed. The mighty Welchonce was
up and the day was done, the field
was won, or words to that effect.
No use to recall Welchonce’s drive
and the drive of Wally Smith. They
but completed ihe work that the bunt
ing had done, and to-day Atlanta
realizes that by bunting they have
a chance for the bunting (which little
sally should be forgiven by all kind
and generous souls).
THE CRACKERS’ ALPHABET
By Misses Borough.
A—is for Agler, the Atlanta Fans' pet;
B—is for Bill Smith—best manager yet.
C—is for Conzelman. pitcher of fame;
IVs—for a Daddy—Wally Smith is his name.
E—is for Elliott, king of the mound;
F—is for Frank Manush, pinch-hitter sound.
(i—is for Gilbert, some southpaw, by heck!
II—is for Holland, our new star from Tech.
Uh—“Izzy** Bisland, too good to be real;
J is for Joe Dunn, who settles their “steal”
K’s—for the kicking the fans can't afford,
Long as our Tommy hits 'em to the board,
M’s—for the money the flag winners cop;
N—is for Nixon, who ranks near the top.
O—is for option—a manager's scheme;
P’s—for the pennant, the aim of the team.
s—for the question, early and late;
n
S-
T
U
V
-is for runs that dent the old plate,
is for Slim Love, whose future looks bright;
is for Thompson, who started out right,
is for umpires, icho don't get much praise;
is for Voss, star of old college days.
W’s—for Welchonce—can he hit it? lie can!
XYZ we'll give Chappy, who backs up the pan.
& for luck and the happiest days,
Which the fans hand the Crackers, deserving all praise.
American Sonders
Easy Winners Again
MARBLEHEAD. MASS.. Sept. 3.—
The Americans defeated the Germans
even more decisively than Monday in
the second of the international sender
yacht series yesterday. The race was
a repetition of Monday, so far as lack
of wind was concerned, and was won
by the Eller, owned by Charles P.
Curtis, of Boston, with the Cima,
owned by Guy Lowell, second, and tho
Sprig, owned by John L. Saltonstall,
third.
TOBACCO HABIT
■ prove your health, prolong yo
T O-DAY’S game is now the
the Crackers must win.
battle
Also,
they must face the pitcher whom I
think to be the strongest of Mike
Finn’s hurling crew when facing th*-
locals. W. Robertson has beaten the
Crackers on many occasions this sea
son and seems to have their number.
Finn says Robertson is on edge, ami
when he is there are few twirler*
in the Southern League who have
anything on him.
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