Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-23
By Fuzzy Woodruff.

w the II .'' fact .'r'''. that ' S"n.o "5
rhymes with onion. there
is little 10 recommend this particu-
lar form Of foot anltction and
there are those people who don't
like onions Stil it is recorded in
Southern league history, the au-
thority for the story being none
other than that voracious chroni-
oler Count Lou Castro, that "A pair
Of bunions were responsible for one
Of the most sensational hackstop-
pers the national pastime has ever
known and assuredly the bright
est particular star in that position
that Dixie ever sent to the majors.
Scribes and Pharsees and other
baseball experts may have trouble
In picking the players To fill the
various positions in out and in
field IN their all star selections. but
for two years they have not hest
tated when it came to catcher. the
position above all others most diff
cult to fll on a successful baseball
team.
Whenever they reached that
place they just wrote down Jimmy
Archer and felt that they had done
their work well He was as easy
to choose as Ty Cobb and Honus
Wagner.
Jimmy Once a Cracker.
And 1t win be remembered that
not many summers have passed
since Mr.. Archer sported the span
giles OF Cracker and was called
to higher things right from the
stricken field of Ponce DeLeon.
But started out TO tell Of bun
ions, and the bunions have not vet
been touched on. a the afflicted
man said when he tip-toed
According to Count Castro. these
bunions are directly responsible for
Archer's famous shOrt-arm throw
from a squatting posture that has
made him the most dangerous
catcher to base runners that the
game has ever known. Archers
throwing technique has been d,veIt
on In reams and reaws of cory pa
per, but the cause has never been
touched by ambitious writer's.
Here is Castros account. When
Archer came to Atlanta he threw
70 all bases standing erect. talk
ing the usual step of the catcher.
Then he bought pair Of shoes.
They We're execrab'e shoes. IN fact.
they did not fit the we'll formed
hoof OF the nov famous Jeems.
And bunions were the result.
There were bunions under his heels
and bunions back OF them-and
they were wide-awake bunions that
received excellent pay for working
overtime. James knew no comfort
save when he was standing on his
toes.
y beam of JOY would fash over
his pleasing features when he
squatted to signal the pitcher. Then
he was on his toes and there WAS
happiness in his soul If not in his
soles.
Feet Hurt When He Arose.
But the gloom returned when he
rose TO receive the delivery and
when he stepped to peg the tor
lures of the damned We're reflected
on his once smiling physiognomy.
Then why rise?" reasoned
James. He had never thrown with
full arm swing. He had invariably
used the snap peg that distin-
suishes the first elias IS catcher from
the man of mediocre merit. why
rise" he again asked himself.
He tried IT without rising. The
discovery was startling The throw
was Just az fast and accurate az
1t had ever been from standing
posture and he had saved that frac-
ton Of second which he had once
used in resuming his erect position
and fractions Of seconds count
when men are dashing around
bases.
From that time on his catching
was revolutionized. His throws to
first and second base were so sud
denly and Unexpectedly made from
his squat that base runner after
base runner bit the dust Southern
league athletes did not dare move