The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-20
With Three Men On Bases
'DOc' Wisenan Hits
Through Second
NEW ORLEANS FAILS TO
HIT SAFE BEYOND INFIELD
Volunteers Beat Out Their Every Hit
Save TWo-HoW McEIveen Saved
the Day In the Third.
10000 People.
BY w. j. EWING, JR.

~ w. GW ttNOg Shs
Nashville, September 19-(Special.) lin a
game brilliantly played, Nashville this aft
ernoon defeated New Orleans for the
Southern league championship.
The contest was one of the most ex-
citing ever wagered on ball field.
The score was to 0, both clubs fight
ing it out to the very last.
1t was in the seventh inning when the
battle for the flag was decided. Up to
this time neither club was able to make
the circuit. There were chances, It's true,
for each side to make a run before this
had 1t not been for the mastery pitch
ing Of Sitton and Breitenstein.
Two men were down when Nashville
started the victory.
Ed Hurlburt placed a single into right
held. The drive was clean cut, going be-
tween first and second. Sitton came up
and hunted to Breitenstein, and beat it
out. The fleet Harry Bay was next in
line, and he also tapped one to Breiten-
stein which the pitcher was unable to
field in time to put out the runner at
first.
doc" Wiseman's Hit.
The bases were occupied, two down and
Wiseman up. What would doc" do?
Gould he connect? Such were the ques-
tons passed rapidly through the crowd.
The little fellow had In the opening in
ming hit for two bags, and having al
ways been reliable batter it was the
opinion that he would break it up. This
he did, and in great fashion, too. He
met the ball squarely on the nose, driving
1t just to the left of Breitensten. The
ball was hard hit Dundon made great
effort to accept it but it took bad
bounce and scooted over the second
sacker's head. Ed Hurlburt came home.
Sittop, too, tried to score ON the hit but
Briscoe Lord made fine return to the
plate, outing the runner. The game was
won.
crowd, the equal of which has never
gathered in Athletic park, witnessed the
battle. If there was one there were 10000
The field was completely encircled long
before play was called. The stands were
damned and packed. Every bit of the
available space on the ground was oc-
cupied, in fact so great was the atten-
dance that ground rules were necessary.
Delegations were on hand from all the
neighboring towns, from Atlanta, Mem
phis, Knoxville, Birmingham, Little Rock,
Louisville and from faraway New York.
Weather conditions were almost ideal. A
brisk wind was blowing but this in no
way interfered.
Great Pitching Feat.
Vedder Sitton, recently recruited from
the South Atlantic league, where he had
established fine record, was Nashvilles
dependence in the rifle pit. Charlie Frank
selected Theodore Breitenstein, the grand
old man of the circuit who has been the
leading twirler of the league for a num-
Der of seasons.
With two such men on the hurting hill
1t was sure to be a battle between pitch
ers Such 1t proved to be- A better game
has never been pitched in this neck of
the woods. Sittons work was especially
brilliant. In the nine innings he gave
mp but four hits, every single one of
them being to the infield. He struck out
nine men. Off Breitenstein the Volunteers
gathered in eight safe ones, and of these
only two were clean cut. 1t was all
scratch hitting.
Young Sitton, who is destined to make
a mark as a pitcher in the baseball
world, had wonderful speed and fine con-
troll. He walked only two men. He de-
pended almost entirely upon the spit
ball." and the manner in which 1t broke
over the corners of the plate was a reve-
lation to the Pelicans. The college lad
was cool. The enormous crowd, the larg-
est he had ever performed before, had no
tendency whatever to rattle him. He
went about his work just as if he had
been in the business for years, and it
was this splendid judgment that carried
him through stubborn contest to vic
tory.
Though great credit is due every single
fight the one important factor of the
game was Vedder Sitton. But, while
we speak of Sitton. don't overlook Brett