Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-05-22
By Percy H. Whiting.


%HERE's a world Of football
mixed UP in a lively base
\ ball game. And most of the
defensive work must be performed
by the catcher. When the players
begin to stream across the plate the
catcher is in the unenviable posi-
ton of the linesman in football
game. upon whom the attack is cen
tered. Every play that is made
goes right across his usually pros
trate body.
II is largely because the catcher
has such a rough job that only big
men are really successful at the
work One thing that made Sid
Smith a wonder wassthe fact that
he had played football AS well as
baseball at college. Nothing pleased
him more than to stand up al home
plate and let some big husky run
into him. He could usually spill
the said husky all over the lot, and
the runner that could make Sid
Smith break ground would have
needed the size of an elephant
combined with the speed of a deer
This may seem somewhat be-
eide the point. but it isn't 1t
could be demonstrated that the
Crackers lost yesterdays ban game
at least sixteen different ways,
which they did. But if Catcher
Graham had been a busting big lad
and capable Of standing the impao;
of a huge body hurled at him hard,
the defeat might have been stalled
off
The ars1 two runners (Bills and
Gribbens) who scored In the fate
ful eighth inning, when the game
was lost. made their runs over
Graham. OF course. If Bailey and
OBrien hadn't booted one each 1T
would not have been necessary for
Graham to play any football. But
the errors were made and with
men. on bases the Crackers tight
Aned m. Aitchison the third man
nm for the Billies. was famed for
the third successive time. Meals
ter. who bat1ed for Single, ground
ed to East This man threw quick
~ 10 the plate and Graham got the
ball and set himself for the shock
of meeting the oncoming Bills. The
Montgomery player came into the
plate like a mailman. and he caught
Graham right in his midst. The
Cracker catcher spun round. spilled
over and dropped the ball One
run was across and the score was
tied Wares followed at bat and
the previous play was repeated to
the last wretched detail, except
that Grfbbens didn't hit Graham
souarely .enough to spill him. but
nevertheless landed on him hard
enough 70 knock the ball out Of his
hands
Those twoeplays beat the Crack
ers
THE eighth inning Of Yesterdays
game was made notable by the
fact than 1--WE errors we're made
before 1t ended. Graham had to
have errors Cor dropping the ball
both times he was hit OF course,
morally he wasn't TO blame, for the
players who bumped into him We're
larger than he and had all the adj
vantage of momentum mass and
general prepa redness. But under
the inexora BILE scoring rules the
play had 10 be explained somehow
and there was no way except to
give Graham a brace Of errors
Then. In addition to the hobbies of
Bailey and O'Brten, Alderman made
one Whitey's was so entirely ex
cusable that It was really hardly
an error. Ganzig hit an awful wal
Top his way that only a miracle
could have enabled him to stop.
After the error furry set in Tom
my Atkins, who. up to that time.
had pitched one of the best games
of his career. became disguised
with the way things We're going
and eased up materially The Bill
liestresponded with furry of hits