Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-02
Is
At TER BERCE:RS
job At SECOND
Battle Royal Expected Next Sea-
son in Fignt for Position at
Keystone. Sack.
By James Clarkson.

DA James GARRISON.
- tECAGO, ILL, Nov. IA battle
royal is expected on the White
SoX intield next spring when
Callahan puts his gang through their
preliminary workouts away out in
.'alifornia. No, it will not be that
jacques Fourier will try to Gust Hal
chase from the initial corner, for
that appears impossible Neither does
Ii mean that Buck Weaver will fail
10 show the proper stuff to cinch his
shortstop position, and neither do we
wish to give the impression that Cap
tain Harry Lord will be relieved of
DUTY at the far corner.
We have now mentioned first base,
-hortstop and third base, haven't we?
Well, that quite naturally leaves sec
ond base AS the scene of battle. Dur
ug the recent baseball season the Sox
used a couple of men at the keystone
corner. Morris Rath first cayorted
around the center station, but Morris
nght hitting soon resulted in his be-
ny driven back to the minors.
With the canning of Rath same an
opportunity for Joe Berger to get mot
he game as a regular. Joe, accord
ing to the carefully preserved records
IN Comiskey's Office, had been regu-
ar whale out on the Pacific coast
He played shortstop out there and
lit above the 800 mark Any man
Sho can hit around that mark always
looks good to the White Sox manage
ment, as 500 clouters are generally
few and far between when you look
over the roster of the South Side ag-
sEegation
Backburne After Place.
Berger finished the season at sec
md base for the SoX. But Berger was
not near the whale that he was out
on the coast. A pretty fielder, yes.
But as a hitter Joe fails to shine.
Of course, Joe was not alone in that
respect for there were no 300 hitters
N the SoX camp of 1913.
Who VIII battle with Berger for
second base next season? That's an
awful easy question to answer Rus
sell Blackburne, the sensational
Shortstop of the Milwaukee cham
pions during the past season. is the
man who will fight it out with Joe
and furthermore. Russell says the
COB is already as good as copied by
alm Berger says not.
Blackburne is no stranger to these
barts. He has been Sox before. but
lie never before looked so good in ad-
vance as he does this time. In Mil
Waukee they will tell you that Russ
blackburne was the life of the Brewer
Team. team that won the American
Association championship His gin
gerry work on the paths and afield is
SAID to have done more toward keep
ing the Brewers up top all season
man anything else connected with the
ouh
How did Russ hit down in Miiwau-
hee' Well. he was no sensation as
inter of the pellet, but at the same
'lme he finished the season hitting
.25S, That's pretty good hitting for
an lniielder coming from the associa-
non, where some good smart pitchers
reside during the summer months.
Berger Lacks AqgressiVeness.
one of Berger's chief faults during
Inc past season was his lack of ag-
%feSSlVenesS. AggreSSiveneSs is one of
Russell BlaCkburne's stronget points
IAN You imagine more pep and ginger
around the vicinity of second base
Than would be cut loose bv Black.
purne and Buck Weaver in the even
mat they play alongside each other
lou certainly can not.
or course, Mr., Blackburne will have
no clnch in ousting Berger from the
NeF>tone sack. He certainly will have
= 81,
work during the city series was of a
nigh caliber. The fielding of Berger
uurlhs that always thrilling clash
.nordered on the sensational. He also
Nt fairly well against the Cub pitch
ers
, 6lackhurne passed through the city
ne other morning en- route to his
nome IN the East. and while here he
saw several of his old friends. He
'old them he was glad that he was
coming back to Chicago and that this
'lrle ne was coming to stay. That
.ohc!uslNely proves that he has made
up ms mind 10 earn job on the SoX
!hlteld, and if it is to be a regular
40 II looks as though Joe Berger is
me man he must beat out.
chase, of course is fixture az first
nase for next season. And Buck
NedVer-Well, the stuff that Buck
moved during the last few weeks OF
~" American League campaign and
,dI ing the city series assures him of
iton. P'
Weaver was a wonderfully i'm
"I3Ved ball player when the season
gnueG From the day that Callahan
PUT MN up in the lead off position
, Im l,le batting order he commenced to
.