Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-25
By Fuzzy Woodruff.


lecture on The Extrava
gance of Our Times" for the priv
lege of seeing the performance of
muchly touted star and remained
at the performance a slave to the
charms Of some humble member of
the cast Many a person has arisen
from banquet table, where the
choicest Of the land was served at
50 a plate. to satisfy his appetite
with pork and al beanery hard
by
And the same thing has hap
pened in baseball so often that
even Hugh Fullerton has never
dared compile statistics on the phe
nomena.
1t happened in the Southern
league back in 1905. At that time
the progressive movement was un
heard Of and the only thing to per-
s. turb the mind of the body polite
was the regulation OF the use OF the
spitball
Cheshro Best of SpitbalIers.
Moist delivery had been effect"
lively used for the first time the
season before in the American
league. and Happy Jack Chesbro
was the leading exponent of the art
of employing saliva to BATTLE bats
men He had used it so well that
he pitched the New York High
landers into second place, and
Clark Griffith, who managed the
club that sea son. was nosed out of
the pennant only when H. J.
anointed the pill bit too freely
and contributed wild pitch TO the
gayety Of nations and the greater
glory of the Boston Americans.
Despite this faux pas, the spit
ball was baseballs biggest problem
Few hurlers, other than Chesbro
had mastered it. The names of Ed
Walsh and Russell Ford were yet
to fash as stars in the baseball
armament. There was a hue and
cry. likewise a hullabaloo for it's
prevention. Many magnates want
ed it eradicated just like the hook
worm, the boil weevi and the pred
atory wealth of the other fellow
Naturally, when the Highland
elan turned Southwark for the
training season Chesbro was the
one particular star that every body
wanted to see. He was then as big
a drawing card as Cobb is now, or
Latoie few years ago.
Gritf Was Saving His Star.
Griffith was taking no chances
with Chesbro, who looked mighty
like an ace in the hole TO the willy
New York leader. He let him
round to as slowly as he liked He
pitched in few exhibition games.
and when he did he worked only
few innings TO fulfill advertisements
and then just lobbed EN- over.
Not until the Yanks reached New
Orleans, just before they were
ready TO turn their toes to the
North once more, did Griff decide
to let his priceless pitcher endeavor
to go the route
He started him in the Crescent
City one beautiful Sunday after
noon, when the sun was blazing
hot, and Griff and ChesbEo agreed
that the time had arrived for the
star to let himself out a bit
Chesbro's appearance had been
advertised and the old ball park on
Tulane avenue was packed for the
performance. The Highlanders had
a formidable list of wonders that
spring and they We're all used in
that combat Jack KlienoN caught
the great CheSbro. Hal Chase had
not yet reported for his big league
try-out. and John Camel was a
hold out, so old John Anderson was
used on tirst Jimmy Williams
Kid Elberfeld and Wild Conroy fur
nished the infield complement. Lit
tie Joe Yeager as utility man was
playing left. while the great Davy
Fultz and Willie Keller were in the
other gardens II was bah club
worth going miles 10 see.
New Orleans had some tea m that
year too. Big Sullivan caught.