Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-08
RECORDS PROVE
LEAGUE IS Shy
TN CLASS
BY Percy H. Whiting.

DHttlHB anu Htipllts -"S
which have just been issued
by the Southern league, the more IT
sweeps over you what a really me
diocre league II was last year-and
what a HORRIBLE club Atlanta
must have had to finish last 40
points behind Chattanooga and 90
behind Montgomery.
The league lacked class-and the
records show It, Take the FIRST
basemen: Sykes. Agler. McGii-
viay and Doc Johnston were the
best: and Doc" while he went
up" was not among the star bat
tcrs. and was the worst fielder of
the entire lot.
Wares. Marcan. Alperman ana
Jordan were the real second hase-
men and the stars were Mpec-
man aud Jordan though the reg
oids do not show it. N
Elberfeld. ELAN. Balent. Gran
DAN and HARRISON were useful
shortstops. though ELAN batted
most feebly
The third basemen had nothing
on the rest. Aimeida batted mar
velously well for a while. and had
rood record for the year But his
fielding was Off.
There were three or four good
outnelders, but they won their
fame by good batting rather thap
good fielding
certainly there viii be few med
ais given to the Southern of last
sea son for its pitchers. AitchIson,
on Montgomery. really did great
work with poor club So did
Demaree- hardly q Southern
leaguer believes he is good enough
To stick in the National league.
Wagner had a good year. but he
isn't any Walter johnson or ED
Walsh FoNen is fine old has
been-with good team behind
him. Boyd. of Birmingham was %
per cent pitcher and - per cent
support. Cavet ana Smith were a
couple of skinny youngsters who
may All out some day and amount
10 something, but who haven't ar
rived yet.
AS usual. there are "A lot of fea-
a 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 Stun'' Wal
dorf. The big German worked in
IL games and lost II Of them.
Another notable pitching effort
was that OF Bair. In 1911 he won
20 games and lost II, In 1912 he
won games and lost 81
II 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 those
Of Sitton and Becker. Sitton won
10 and lost TO- Becker Won ! and
lost :. Both. accordingly had
pitching average of 500 for team
that finished with an average of
.394.
Il is also worth noting that the
only first baseman who was sent up
to the big leagues for anything but
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
out 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
well. Earl Sykes, who was also let
out by Atlanta. was second among
the first basemen IN fielding, Sea-
bough, who was canned by Nash
willie. proved, according TO the rec
ords, the second best catcher in the
league.
An interesting happening was
that Atlanta let out two pitchers TO
Montgomery-Joh and Paige.
Each man won IA games and lost
Is for the season. The only differ
ence was that Paige worked in ono