The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-21
ATLANTA'SWAKE-UP
PERCY WHITING LIKES LOOK OF
 THE 1909 CRACKERS.
Team Is Stronger Than Last Year Mainly Through the Addition Of Fischer and Hess, Both
 Southern Leaguers.
BY P, H. wHTTTNG,


 Atlanta, Ga, Feb. 20.--(SpeciaL )--iTf the catchers and first basemen picked out for the Atlanta team by Billy Smith pan out all right Atlanta has team that win finish one-two-t three. barring panics, pleagues or the end of the world. His team has plenty of strength in all other departments.
 Hugh MoMurray. the red headed Tex an of last years team. seems the most McMurray batted .2sO last year. played with pepper and was a useful man. His extremely diminutive size a,s msds , him 2 trifie uncertain. especially In the main he did we'll
 Joe Sugden. the famous Joe of ma tor league performances, looked once like a strong candidate. Last year he .zs7. smith has recently announced that he VIII replace him with a strong CT man from the National League. Auh smith of last years Atlanta He will not stay, though. He batted 200 last season. That's the reason.
 II, 70. Wahl. an independent of though he does not appear likely to him.
 The pitching certainties are Roy Cas- isson strscsn wisa san the team last year Intll Fisher, manager of Mobile last year.
 The remnants of last years Cracker stan who will probably be back this spring are: Harold Johns. Bert Max well. picked up from the Athletics near the close of last season; Bill Viebahn Roy Radabaugh, picked up from Cedar Rapids last Fall before the season closed. and Topnmy Atkins. tried out last spring and then shipped to Au- Rllsta. Johns says he has retired from baseball and will not report. That's what they all say.
 Here are the new pitchers: John Kenna. with Charleston, W. Va, last year; Walter R. Doane, with Delaware College last spring; William Pressey, of Kewanee. Ill, last year; J. L. Grif- in, with Fort Worth last year, and Brown Rodgers. of Wheeling, w. Va. last year.
 The best of this lot appears to be the elongated Rodgers, who was secur- ed by Cincinnati and then turned over
 Atlanta now has three possibilities for the honor of succeeding James Fox at first. They are Dick Rohn, with Peoria, H.. last year; John Bastain. of Newberry, N. Y.. last year, and Joe Dolan, a member of the Des Moines team last season.
 league experience. His fielding has al- ways been fine and his lvtting usually good Last year 1t was .z75.
 Bastain Is youngster with no rec who used to play with Bill smith some years ago. He batted .29S last year
 Otto Jordan is the only member or last years Cracker team who is abso- lutely sure of his job. He win play second base again this season If he continues to live and he gives every prospect along that line now.
 Here is the third base layout: Enos Kirkpatrick. last year of the Virginia League; Scott Walker, third base for Dayton last year; Arthur Hess, of Ldt- tie Rock last season. Kirkpatrick did nothing notable last year. Walker played great ball. Hess Is well known In the South. His batting and fielding records last year were good.
 The shoes of Lou Castro will be well filled. judged by the candidates for his job. They are: Glen Hale, of Kalama- goo last year, and Al Newton. Lancas- ter, Fa., in 1908. Both men are report ed to be fast
 smith will have a eorking outfeld again. Becker Moran and Winters, last years regulars, will all he back. Winters shoulder that he broke last fall is all right again and Becker's asthma is much improved.
 The new men are Henn .29e batter with Danville in the Virginia League last year. and Bayiess. who swatted .a06 with Dayton last year. Both arc good men and will give the regulars a chase.
 Compared with last years team the present one seems to dope out like this:
 Catching staff-fuhy as efficient at ielding and shade better at hitting.
 Pitching staff-hrst class. with Q strong left-hander in Castleton and . grand right in Fisher.
 1nfield--as good at fielding and much better at batting than last yenrHA
 outheld-yery fast and and very hard hitting.