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


vi enough money to cause a
lecture on The Extrava-
gance of Our Times" for the privi-
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 a banquet table, where the
choicest of the land was served at
So plate to satisfy his appetite
with pork and" at 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-
nomenon.
1t happened in the Southern
league back in 1905. At that time
the progressive movement was I'M
heard of and the only thing to per-
turb the mind of the body polite
was the regulation Of the use of the
spitbal.
Chesbro Best of SpitbaIers.
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 season. was nosed out of
the pennant only when II. J.
anointed the pill a bit too freely
and contributed q 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 flash as stars in the baseball
armament There was a hue and
cry, likewise a hullabaloo, for it's
prevention. Many magnates want
ed il eradicated just like the hook
worm, the boil weevil and the pred
atory wealth of thea other fellow
Naturally, when the Highland
clan turned Southwark for the
training season, Chesbro was the
one particular star that everybody
wanted 10 see. He was then as big
a drawing card as Cobb is now, or
Lajoie a few years ago.
GriH Was Saving His Star.
Griffith was taking no chances
with Chesbro who looked mighty
like an ace in the mole 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 "a
few innings to fulfill advertisements
and then just lobbed 'em over.
Not until the Yanks reached New
Orleans, just before they we're
ready to turn their toes to the
North once more. did Grif' 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 Chesbro agreed
that the time had arrived for the
star TO let himself out a bit
Chesbros 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 were oil used in
that combat. Jack Kleinow caught
The great Chesbro. Hal Chase had
not yet reported for his big league
try-out, and John Camel was a
holdout, so old John Anderson was
used on first. 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 1t was a ball club
worth going miles TO see.
New Orleans had some team that
ysar too. Big Sullivan caught.