Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-22

er on the average is between
FIVE and six feet in height and
weighs from 40 to 200 pounds. He
is 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,
nerhaps football most notably of
all. 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-
haps 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
lenmann, of the Browns; Larry Nc
Lean, of the Cardinals; Eppa Rixey,
of the Phillies, and Freddy Falk-
enberg, who will again be with
Cleveland next year, Cobb, Wag-
ner 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
has that distance less to travel.
This most certainly helps Wei
lenmann, 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
diminution.
II you happen to be prejudiced
in favor of either long or short
players, take a 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-
tons
} 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, a new kind to
baseball manager, was from a
friend who wanted McGraw's in
Huence in landing an appointment
under President Wilson.
Another freak missive that
caused laugh came from lady in
New Jersey. She says she is in
possession of ball that was fouled
into the grandstand last summer.
TT is slightly soiled," she ex-
plains, and then goes ont
Now, Mr.. McGraw, 1 want you
10 tell me what you think ought
10 20 with It. Is 1t right that I keep
It or return it to the olub?''
"FVER hear of Con Lucid's
scheme to keep his players
from getting parcred throats while
ualn1ng? asked Charley Barrett
lne other day. Con was man
aging Fort Worth and when we
started to train he gave us a lot
oI instructions about getting in
condition to win a pennant. In his
iecture to us, he told how the In
uIahs years back, could run 100
niIes without taking a drink of
water by holding pebbles in their
mouths. We players, he had decid-
Cd, should adopt this scheme.
80 the next day when we took a
III out the railroad track, each of
Us mad a pebble in his mouth.
Eochhead, a pitcher, who was hog
LAT and weighed about 225 pounds,
,'@u MS rock, and it was big enough
~ make his cheeks stick out more
nan ever. We had run about a
IHle and big Lockhead was all in.
ne Tell down and the rock slipped
Io"h MS throat. We had to beat
.'''u on the back and keep him from
."ohlng to death, and he was so
'eaN before he got his breath we
''du TO carry him back to the hotel.
When he was able to talk he
l@''eu Lucid over to him and said:
oH' no more of this Hundred and
oNe Ranch Indian stuff for me any
."ore' I'm off your rock gag. if I
never get in condition."
y NAP IRON BEECHER, who
created a great deal of amuse-
,.s'I' Tor Red Elm fans several
'9ols ago, narrator ex-leaguer.
r. US DIS unconsciously funny as it
w., possible for one to be. Beech"
recognized no social scale ana u,as