Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-26
BY Fuzzy Woodruff.

~ LEY was probably the
best looking young pitcher
that ever came out of the South, or
anywhere else. Pause, faithful fan,
before making the fatal mistake
that when l say good looking
pitcher" ] mean exactly what the
three English words imply. Though
the azure orbed William was
somewhat of hurler his pitching
has been eclipsed many times In
the Southern league, but when it
came to physical pulchritude, Billy
was there.
Pulchritude is not essential to a
pastimer. Mr.. Mack could never
qualify as a matinee idol, and Mr..
Wagner would be laughed to scorn
if he attempted to essay the tailor's
model role.
But "Blue-eyed Bin" had the
beauty. just gobs of it, and thereby
hangs the tale of why he failed to
stay around in the big tent, for
baseball experts were unanimous in
declaring he had the necessary tai
ent
Old Bob Gilks, then managing
Shreveport. dug the blue-eyed boy
VI somewhere in the Texas league.
When he reported to Shreveport he
had q suit of store bought clothes
and more sangfroid than any nine
-year-old hurler ever possessed.
And before the season opened ha"
GUks attempted to relieve Mr.
BARLEY of further service with the
Shreveport team he would have
been driven out Of town by every
baseball suffragette in its confines.
Worked Eyes Overtime.
Bill knew that his blue eyes gave
him an ace In the hole and he
worked it overtime He took all
the liberties of a seasoned veteran"
l1idded the old players, joshed GiIks
and made himself generally UNI
bearable.
But Gilks knew he had a pitcher
SO he gritted his teeth and waited.
He didn't have to wait long. The
season started with rush. So did
BARLEY. In his first two games he
stood the opposing hitters on their
respective beans. His chest eNpan-
sion grew, and he had 10 order a.
new sized hat, and there was no
balm in Gilead for Gilks
Finally the Shreveport club
reached Atlanta. Blue-eyed Billy
warmed up the first day, He
glanced over the Atlanta stands,
caused a few Harnesses to throw
Ats. and then toed the plate
Made 20 Hits For % Runs.
In the first three innings the At
ANITA batsmeu dubbed him for
dozen hits and a dozen runs. Be
fore the game ended they had made
it Is hits and IS runs, and old Bob
Gilks was smiling
what did you keep that kid in
for. Bob" a friend and well wisher
asked. Weren't you afraid you
would break his hearth"
Break his heart. he'll" replied
Gilks. THAT was Just what he
needed Why, that kid thought he
was the greatest pitcher in the
world. He didn't think the ball
club had ever been organized that
could beat him. lie had the idea
so strong ne was "a pest Now,
maybe he'll have some sense and
viii by real pitcher
AND don't YOU believe he dogged
it when they got 10 him this after
noon" continued the Shreveport
mogul HE was as game under
punishment as anybody I've ever
seen. He kept putting every thing
he had on every bali he pitched.
ana they kept Shaping EN- to the
fence. And all the time l was
laughing my head of. Now, he'll
be "a pitcher"
Connie Mack Landed Him.
Giiks was right. BARLEY then
went to work and learned TO pitch
in reality After & few seasons he
attracted the eagle eye OF Connie
=. MacE. who bought him from
s -eveport.
W Up in the big tent the blue eyes
sot to working again, but Bill