Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-13
More Class by Far Now Than Last
Year-It Will Take Great
Club to Cop,
PLAYERS BAT BETTER, ON
AVERAGE, THAN IN 1912
Catchers Of This Season Have
Pecks of CIass-Race Vastly
Better as Well.
By Percy H. Whiting.

BY Percy ii. Whiting.
(ITHB Southern League is a fast
er league this season than
last" So says Whitley AL
perman, field captain of the Atlanta
club and wisest head in the league.
So say l.
SO say we all Of us.
Granted. 1t doesn't have to be so
dad-blamed good, either, to land that
title.
1t was an insect league last year.
Also the team that won it was the
worst team that ever won a pennant
in the Southern League.
THE humble position of the Baron
team this year tells part Of the
story. It was good enough to win the
rag last season. This year it is lucky
20 be In the first division. And it's
very much the same team. too. ii Is
weaker in suots. but better in others.
md look where it is.
1t was lucky to get by last year
al aH This year they have found it
out
A YEAR ago this time just seven
men were batting 300 or over.
This year dozen men are doing 1t.
The base running doesn't show any
advantage this season, though there's
no great falling off.
The pitching is surely quite as good
this year as last, and possibly a lot
better.
Last year at this time Swami, now
Canued, was leading the league Som
meTs was second. Aitchison, a good
pitcher was third, and Merritt. an
antique. fourth. Going down the list
were found Boyd, Wagner. Demaree,
Smith, Hardgrove and Foxen Now,
that was no bad collection of pitch
ers. Barring Swami, they were high
" useful
This year the pitching crop is quite
as promising. Lots of good men are
being held down by poor teams
Brenton, for example. Others, like
Beck, Williams, Walker, Councilman
and others, are too young to have
found themselves, but are corking
pitchers in the making.
The league has some nice hurlers
this season. Coveleskie is going bet
ter than ever, Councilman is promis-
ing. Sommers IS having another good
=.
Larry Sutton says he's the best pitch
er in the league. Price has found
himself. Hardgrove is going strong
again. Bagby looks useful w. Rob
ertson has proved star Cavet Is
pitching up to his limit. Hogg, after
a grand start is slumping: but he
looks like a wonder for all that
Probably the pitching strength Of
the league is greater now than last
year. Undoubtedly the present crop
will look % per cent better In two or
three years than the 1912 harvest.
THE catching caliber of the league
4 this year has it all over that of
last year. Street, Schmidt and Mayer
are wonders. Adams, of the Pels, is
good man, though he is playing now
with an injured hand. It's been
long time since the Southern League
has had such catchers as this year.
THE league has better batters this
L year than it had last. Robert
son, Elberfeld. Long. Smith. Kniseley,
Welchonce, Gribbens, Sloan, King
and Baerwald are terrific hitters in
their 1913 form.
A year ago this time the leaders
were Almeida, HARRISON, Hemphill,
McGilvray. johnson of Montgomery,
Doc Johnston Welchonce, Wares, Al.
perman, Sommers, Sentel, Bagby,
Moran and James. In a two sided
batting bee the 1913 stars would win
bv about a million hits.
THE teams this year are, in the
main playing better baseball
Their fielding seems a shade better,
there seems more pepper and the in
side stuff is coming through better
For another thing, the race is bet
ter.
A year ago to-day the Barons were
out in front. with a lead of 1875 over
CHATTANOOGA The first team was
separated from the fourth by 1873.
The first and last teams were .211
apart. And the Crackers hadn't hit
the bottom. though they were but one
point away
Now the race is tight. the Crackers
are in the running, the team is going
pretty strong, and every prospect
pleases.
Surely the good year 1918 has it
over its immediate predecessor by so
r,-a1l Inv GE IA DAYS