Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-08
RECORDS PROVE
LEAGUE IS Shy
ON CLASS
BY Percy H. Whiting.

batting and fielding averages
which have just been issued
by the Southern league. the more II
sweeps over YOU what really me-
diocre league it was last year-and
what a HORRIBLE club Atlanta
must have had to finish last, A.
points behind Chattanooga and 60
behind Montgomery.
The league lacked class-and the
records show It. Take the FIRST
basemen: Sykes, Agler, McGil-
vray and Doc Johnston were the
best. and Doc" while he went
up" was not among the star bat
tiers. and was the worst fielder of
the entire lot.
Wares, Marcan, Alperman and
Jordan were the real second base
men-and the stars we're Alper-
man and Jordan, though the rec
ords do not show 1t.
Elberfeld, ELAN, Baenu, Gran
dali and HARRISON were useful
shortstops, though ELAN batted
most feebly.
The third basemen had nothing
on the rest Almeida batted mar
velousIy well for a while. and had
9 good record for the year. But his
fielding was off.
There were three or four good
outfielders, but they won their
fame by good batting rather than
good fielding.
Certainly there will be few med
ais given to the Southern Of last
season for its pitchers, Aitchison,
OF Montgomery, really did great
work with a poor club. SO did
Demaree but hardly a Southern
Lacquer believes he is good enough
70 stick in the National league
Wagner had a good year, but he
isn't any Walter Johnson or Ed
Walsh Foxen is fine old has
been-with a good team behind
him. Boyd. of Birmingham. was 20
per cent pitcher and Is per cent
support. Cavet and Smith were a
couple of skinny youngsters who
may nil out some day and amount
to something, but who haven't ar
rived yet
: usual. there are a lot or Tea
a lures Of interest about the fig
ures.
For instance, Bill Bernhard got
through the season with a batting
average OF 1000. OF course, he
didn't get 10 bat so very often.
Then there was the amazing per-
Torrance Of Natural Stuff Wal
dorf. The big German worked in
IL games and lost II Of them,
Another notable pitching effort
was that OF Bair. In 1911 he won
30 games and lost II. In 1912 he
won games and lost Fl.
1t Is also worth recalling that At
lanta had one pitcher whose aver
age for the season was $50. This
man was Price. He started In only
four games and won three of them.
The best average OF any regular At
lanta pitchers-if you could call
any OF 'em 'regular'-were those
of Sitton and Becker Sitton won
10 and lost 10. Becker won I and
lost 7. Both. accordingly, had a
pitching average OF 500 for a team
that finished with an average Of
1874.
II is also worth noting that the
only first baseman who was sent up
10 the big leagues for anything but
cover-up was Doc" Johnston,
and his fielding was the worst Of
any Southern league first baseman.
Several players who were canned
for one reason or another through
out the season made good show
ings. Al O'Dell. who wasn't good
enough for Atlanta, led the league
third basemen in fielding, and hit
well. Earl Sykes. who was also let
out by Atlanta. was second among
the first basemen in fielding Sea-
bough. who was canned by Nash
willie. proved. according TO the rec
ords. the second best catcher in the
league.
An interesting happening was
that Atlanta let out two pitchers to
MONTGOMERY and Paige.
Each man won IA games and lost
IS for the season. The only differ
ence was that Paige worked in one
.-.,,,. and ONT "a tic