Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-27
CRACKER CLUB
DEPENDS TOO
MUCH ON HITS
By Percy H. Whiting.
THE Retired Sporting Editor went

TIME Retired sporting EulloI Wtht
out to the ball park last week.
When he came back he was
bursting with a discovery.
I know why Atlanta is losing
games
This was interesting.
We have an been wondering why
The Crackers. with the greatest bat
ting club the league ever saw, were
making hard work Of staying within
reach of the leaders.
So we bit and asked, Why
They are losing because Of lack Of
efficient management in the field he
said. They are leaving first base
uncovered, and second and third;
they are not backing up with any
Intelligent system. on one play three
of them will bump together trying
for a fly ball, and on the next il VII!
fan safely among three Of them, with
nobody trying for it,
IRON what the Retired Sporting
Editor said ! Judge he must have
bumped into a pretty bad game-or
his digestion is out Of whack.
But still there is a lot to that criti-
cism.
The Cracker team is not the smooth
organization in the field that Bill
Smiths teams usually are.
MY private opinion is that the
tfI Crackers are depending too
much on hitting. That is usually the
fault of a team Of sluggers. In spite
OF themselves they let things slip.
They figure, why should we worry
about perfecting team play inside
baseball and stuff like that We can
slug out a victory any old time we
want to-"
They do not mean to dope It out
that way. Maybe they don't give II
thought. But the old subconecious
stun is getting in its deadly work,
II the Crackers had a corking
pitching staff they might get by" on
pitching and hitting alone.
But the Crackers pitching staff is
weak Therefore, to win consistently
II is necessary 10 evolve a defense
that will cut off as many hits as pos
sible.
THE Cracker club OF 1913. though
made up Of brilliant individual
players. Is not welded into a team.
That old Cracker ball club Of 1903
didn't make as many hits I'm a week
as the Crackers OF 1913 make in a
game. But the defense was there or
course the pitchers were good. But
so was the infeld and the outfeld.
The felders not only covered a lot Of
ground but they made all the plays
right There were seldom any ques-
tons OF who was to cover They did
not bump while fielding balls They
let few fam safe for lack OF somebody
20 get under them
THE trouble with the Crackers Of
this season is an incertitude
about making a lot Of plays They
seldom seem 70 know how they are
coming Off
The odd part about it is that it's
smart infeld too They are all light
ming thinkers and well-trained play
ers
The players go out OF their posi-
tions after balls-which is poor base
ball, even if IL does show willingness
Wally Smith, all eaCerness TO do his
share. is everlastingly running over
into Bislaud's territory. Alperman
tries 10 play more than his share Of
the infield and considerable OF the
outfied. And it's a most commend
able fault-but IL does not make for
great team play.
THE Crackers must shake them
selves together. They can't lay
an the blame on the pitchers. They
must realize that Atlanta expects
them 10 win a pennant 1t viii he
absolutely and sublimely ridiculous If
the Crackers do not cop. But at
their present rate OF going they will
never arrive Therefore. II is time
they walked up. took an inventory
considered their faults and failings
and hit a stride that win. carry them
to a pennant. II is a pennant-win-
ming club II needs only to show it,