Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-23

+, fat lean, stocky, angular-in
fact. he may come in any old build.
While a small man is at a dis
advantage in many other sports.
parhaps football most notably of
alt this is particularly untrue of
baseball. and it has been proven
often that the size of the player
makes little, if any, difference in
the national game.
Lajoie, Wagner and Cobb. per
maps the three greatest players who
ever donned a spiked shoe, happen
to be big men. but this is the eX-
ception to the mighty good rule
that size makes little difference in
baseball.
Aside from a few of the string
beans, among whom are Carl Wei
Lean, of the Cardinals; Eppa Rixey,
Of the Phillies, and Freddy Falk-
enberg. who will again be with
cleveland next year, Cobb, Wag-
ncr and Lajoie are as large as any
Of the players.
Magnates like big men because
they have the constitution to go
through a grueling campaign bet
ter than the smaller man. But as
for speed and efficiency, the little
fellow will play on a par with the
big ones of the sport.
Pitchers, however, are specialists
of the game and their size can not
be taken into account with the
same accuracy as the player of any
other position. Height undoubtedly
gives the pitcher an advantage. A
tall and a short pitcher may have
equal speed, but the big pitchers
ball will get greater results, for one
reason because his reach is from
one to three feet farther than that
of the short pitcher and the ball
mas that distance less to travel
This most certainly helps Wei
enmann. who is not exceptionally
speedy, but who reaches half way
TO the plate" it has been said. and
for that reason the ball crosses the
plate before it begins it's speed
dlminution,
II YOU happen to be prejudiced
n favor of either long or short
players, take glance over the four
teams recruited from the National
and the American league and then
determine which one you would
wager on in a seasons schedule of
play, The teams compose the tall
est and shortest players in both of
the leagues and in all of the posi-
lions.
John M'GRAW returned to his
) New York headquarters the
other day for the first time since
the close of the worlds series and
found choice collection of freak
mail awaiting him.
one of the letters, new kind to
baseball manager, was from
friend who wanted McGraw's in
0uence in landing an appointment
under President Wilson.
Another freak missive that
caused a laugh came from a lady in
New Jersey. She says she is in
possession of a ball that was fouled
INTO the srandstand last summer
1T is slightly soiled," she eX-
plains, and then goes on:
Now, Mr. McGraw. | want YOU
'o tell me what YOU think I ought
10 do with it, Is it right that I keep
IT OF return it to the club"
"ENER hear Of Con Lucid's
- scheme to keep his players
from getting parched threats while
falnjng?' asked Charley Barrett
me other day. Con was man
'gIng Fort Worth and when we
started to train he gave us a lot
OF instructions about getting in
condition to win a pennant. In his
'oeture TO us, he told how, the In
"'ahs, Years back, could run 100
mics without taking a drink of
water by holding pebbles in their
MOUTHS We players. he had decid-
WI. should adopt this scheme.
SO the next day when we took
run out the railroad track, each Of
us had a pebble in his mouth.
.'ochhead, pitcher. who was hog
.'l and weighed about 30 pounds.
.ao mis- rock. and it was big enough
.' make his cheeks stick out more
IAN ever. We had run about a
me and big Lockhead was all in.
ne f'II down and the rock slipped
own ms throat. We had to beat
..N ON the back and keep him from
IoNing to death, and he was so
weak before he got his breath we
"aa to carry him back to the hotel.
men he was able to talk ne
0aHed Lucid over to him and said:
ION, no more of this Hundred and
Ohe Ranch Indian stuff for me any
more I'm off your rock gag, II
never get in condition."
- CRAP IRON BEECHER. who
created a great deal of amuse-
''eht for Red ELM fans several
,e"Sons ago, narrator ex-leaguer.
vas as unconsciously funny as it
i. as possible for one to be. Beech"
'0oshlzed no social scale and was
~ .especter of persons, greeting a
munster of the gospel with the same