Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-08
RECORDS PROVE
LEAGUE IS SHY
IN CLASS
By Percy II. Whiting.

batting and fielding averages
which have just been issued
by the Southern league. the more 1t
sweeps over you what "a really me
diocre league it was last ycar-aud
what a HORRIBLE club Atlanta
must have had TO finish last, 45
points behind Chattanooga and so
behind Montgomery.
The lea que lacked class and the
records show il. Take tie first
basemen: Sykes. Agier McGii-
vIay and Doc Johnston were the
best. and Doe" while he went
up." was not among the star bat
ters, and was the worst fielder Of
tho entire lot
Wares. Marcan Alpermau and
Jordan were the real second basc-
men-and the stars werc Alper-
man and jordan. though the rec
ords do not show it.
Elberfeld. ELAN. BoIcnti can
dan and HARRISON were useful
shortstops. though ELAN batted
most feebly.
The third basemen had nothing
on the rest Almeida batted mar
velously wei for a while. and had
good record for the year But his
fleldng was off.
There were three or four good
outneldors. but they won their
famc by good batting rather thar
good fielding
Certainly there will be fcw med
ais given TO the southern of last
sce on for it's pitchers Aitchison,
Of Montgomery. really did great
work with a poor club. So dld
Demaeee--hut hardly a Southern
Lacquer believes he is good enough
to stick in the National league.
Wagner had good year. but he
isn't any Walter Johnson OF led
Walsh. FoXen is a nue old mas
been-With a good team behind
him. Boyd Of Birmingham, was 20
per cent pitcher and - per cent
support. Cavet and Smith were a
couple Of skinny Youngsters who
may fiji out some day and amount
to something. but who haven't ar-
rived yet.
a 5 usual. there are a lot of fea-
Il lures Of interest about the fig
ures.
For instance. Bill Bernhard got
through the season with batting
average of 1000 OF course, he
didn't get to bat SO very often,
Then there was the amazing per
Torrance of Natural stuff" Wal
dorf. The big German worked in
Il games and lost II of them
Another notable pitching effort
was that of Bair. In 1871 he won
20 games and lost II. In 1912 he
won games and lost p.
1t is also worth recalling that At
lanta had one pitcher whose aver
age for the season was $50. This
man was Price. He started in only
four games and won three of them.
The best average of any regular At
lanta pitchers If you could call
any Of EN- regular '-wcre those
IF Sitton and Becker. Sitton Won
10 and lost 10. Becker won and
lost :. Both. accordingly. had "A
pitching average of 500 for team
that finished with an average Of
.39i.
Ii Is also worth noting that the
only first baseman who was sent up
TO the big leagues for anything but
a cover-up was Doc Johnston,
and his fielding was the worst of
any Southern league first baseman.
Several players who were canned
for one reason or another through
opt the season made good show
ings. Al O'Dell, who wasn't good
enough for Atlanta. led the league
third basemen in fielding, and hit
we'll. Earl Sykes. who was also let
out by Atlanta, was second among
the first basemen IN fielding. Sea-
bough. who was canned by Nash
vile. proved, according TO the rec
ords, the second best catcher in the
league.
An interesting happening was
that Atlanta let out two pitchers TO
neutrality-suspicious. and Paige.
Each man won IA games and lost
IS for the season. The only differ
ence was that Paige worked in one
more gane-snd got a tie.
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