The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-11
BEST INDIVIDUAL
BALL PLAYERS
ALL SOUTH ATLANTIC TEAM
DIAMOND STARS HAVE WON THEIR
WAY TO THE FRONT.

A Matter of Individual Opinion, But
Records and Facts Stand for
ThemseIves-Savann Gets Larg-
est Number-Mec Execution
Not the Only Consideration in Sc
IectinE "A Ball PIayer-Pitching
Stan the Hardest Picking.
With the close of the South Atlantic
season comes the question of what is
the strongest team that could be Sc
lected from the entire league. No one
person would be able to select a team
that would meet with the idea of gen
eral excellence entertained by ~thers.
In accordance with the official rec
ords, taken together with the tempera-
ment of players, their mode of execu-
ton in field play, their observance of
what is known as inside work, hitting,
without regard to themselves, but with
the idea to advance the runner, judg-
ment in base running. accuracy and
judgment in throwing, life in the game,
ETC., the selections herewith appended
are made.
Taking all things tending to make
a finished ball player into consideration,
the following looks like the strongest
available team to be selected in the
league:
Pitchers-Savidge of Savannah,
Childs of Charleston. Bayne of Macon
and WEIGH of Savannah
Catchers-Curran of Jacksonville,
Shea of Columbia.
First Base-Mullaney of Savannah.
Second Base-Kuhn of Columbia.
Short Stop-Oyler of Savannah.
Third Base-Lipe of Macon.
Left Field-Burt of Savannah.
Center Field-Viola of Jacksonville.
Right Field-Engel of Augusta.
With the large number of good pitch
ers in the league it is a difficult mat
ter to select the best. Childs, when
right, is head and shoulders above
anything in the league. His wonder
full speed together with the greatest
breaking ball seen here, makes him
almost invincible. While many pitch
ers save hits by good support, Childs
saves many by preventing batters
from even hitting the ball at all.
Savidge is perhaps the best all
around pitcher, day in and day out,
in the league. WEIGH has been the
most successful, and will, perhaps in
time be the star of the lot, but he
has much to learn. Bayne will have
his real trial before the end of the sea-
son with Atlanta. A second iron man,
he has worked in more games than
any pitcher in the league, and ranks
second to WEIGH in percentage of
games won.
Every backstop in the league has
his admirer. To a large number Rob
inson is looked on as the best. For
all round play he is outclassed by Cur
ran. Robinsons wonderful throwing
is hardly ever accurate with men on
bases Curran is a splendid combina-
ton man; hits well, runs bases as well
as any man in the league, and his
throwing to bases is faultless. He is
even better man behind the bat
than Shea.
At first base. Mullaney is the heady,
all around man of the league.
At second Jimmy Kuhn is the fast
est, and even with his several injuries
during the season he has played a re-
markable game. Blake's hitting
| streak lasted him only about three
weeks, and he has fallen way down in
| the list
Oyler leads the shortstops Of the
league both in batting and fielding. He
| is young player who listens to older
| heads, and is coming all the while
Perry Lipe is still looked on as the
best third baseman in the league. His
fielding is no better than Miller's but
his strength at the bat tells
The outfield, like the pitching staff
is hard to chose. Hayes of Charleston
| is fast as lightning and covers great
territory, but he is woefully weak at
| the bat. In left Burt looks to be the
| best all-round man in the league. He
leads in number of runs scored in the
entire league, and is high up in the
| stolen-base column.
| In center Clyde Engel is the most
valuable man, being a general utility
player. He is at home in any position
on the team. and has pitched several
very creditable games.
Viola, the hard-hitting Cuban Of
Jacksonville, is valuable for his stick
work, though he is not the best in
judgment in the field. His wonderful
] throwing Is also a valuable asset