Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-02
Of
CRACKER CLUB
SORE At TEAM
By Percy b. Whiting.

A
about the Cracker ball club
something revolutionary, torrid.
tempestuous! Just what It is VIII de-
velop later. For the present there
will be more pitchers bought. Pitts
burg Is offering A good man, subject
to the securing Of waivers. II he
comes through it will be moderately
helpful
Maybe there viii be bigger things
happening
The directors Of the Atlanta Base
ball Association held an Indignation
meeting Monday. II was an execu-
tive session and none OF the direc-
tors would talk after Il was over.
What they decided to do they Will
not say. But they were warm enough
under the collar TO do most anything
THE local directors are sore. good
and sore. and getting worse every
minute They can't make up their
minds whom they are sore at, but
they are thinking 1t over.
They feel that they have spent
enough money to buy a good team
They believe they HAVE good team
II II would only play ball. They don't
know why it isn't playing good ball,
but they are earnestly trying to find
out
One source Of irritation IL Pitcher
Dent They gave up not less than
81 900 OF real money for this man
Griffith. It is understood, wanted
$4,000 for him. but reluctantly com
promised on $4,000
That It would have been a poor
buy" at $500 is the present opinion
OF the directors They figure they
were stung and they have sus-
picion that Griffith engineered H.
How it's all going to end isn't for
a mere baseball writer 10 pre-
dict. The directors themselves prob
ably are pretty much at sea. They
know only that they are desperate
~ tired OF making explanations, Of
inventing alibis and Of spending big
money and getting small returns.
TT would not do to have the d.
L rectors nor the public expect too
much OF the Crackers this year.
We told the directors that at the
first of the season, explaining that
a Two year tail-ender was glued to
the bottom and could hardly be run
up 20 A pennant In one year.
But they wouldn't see it-said IL
was bosh and that with A new team
Of good men a prnnant would be
easy
1t looked for awhile as though they
were going TO come clean with II,
too. But now the team is in a slump
II the club finished one-two-threc
everybody ought to be delighted II
they finish worse, 1t viii be diap-
pointing, Of course
To tell what is the matter with the
bunch would take an expert
diagnostiCian.
Here are a few Of them.
Weak pitching all the season.
Only pasSably good catching.
Failure TO take the thing seriously.
Weak utility man.
Lack Of "oondition"-playsrs over
weight.
Occasional bursts of poor fielding.
Lack Of pepper.
Lack Of teamwork in covering
bases, taking" pop flies and the like.
Lack Of "sab" and noise.
Poor base running.
THIS is not intended for a knock.
The Crackers look IKE pennant
winners. But they aren't aimed FOR
any pennant II is an interesting
question to ponder why they aren't.
A couple more good pitchers would
help. Councilman seems like a corker.
. despite his bad showing the last out.
. The rest of them are good sometimes
and sometimes they are not.
With the pitching stan strength
ened, Catcher Chapman going right,
a little more pep" little harder
work by the players to get themselves
down to condition, a little more
earnest effort 70 steal bases ought to
. help some
. But Heaven forbid that should try
! 20 tell anybody how TO run the bail
) club Newspaper CORRESPONDENCE
I courses along that line have never
. been successful
Il is up 10 the manager.
Now is~the time for Bill Smith to
rise TO the occa sion and MAKE his
team finish one two-three.