Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-25
By Percy H. Whiting.

player by the way he breaks
in In the main, ball players
are like burglars. An artistic job
is an artistic job. But now and
then one smashes in like bungler
and sticks like a burr.
Take Ty Cobb.
When he went to Detroit he
looked like a spring chicken with
the pip. He was skinny wild-eyed
scared. His hair was cut Royston
style and a shade too long. He was
just a country lad, uncanny fast
He looked to lumpy that Detroit
was on the point of turning him
over to the St. Louis Browns 1t
took the long headedness Of Bill
Armour to see that Cobb had pos
sibilities.
Don't let him go, for the love of
heaven" Armour told them. And
they didn't Now he's holding out
for $4,000 a year.
p OBJ SPADE is an example of
the chap who broke in strong,
stirred up an awful row and then
faded out.
Atlanta got Spade from Macon.
That was in the fall of 1906. He
unquestionably helped Atlanta win
the pennant Of 1907. He won Is
and lost 10 games, and hit .295
breaking up a lot of games with
pinch hits. He and Sid Smith did
the pinch hitting for the club.
One day that fall Walter Taylor,
now city clerk, whispered in my
ear, "If anybody smelling OF beer
and hailing from Cincinnati asks
for me, I'm dead"
What's the matter?" asked
him.
well, the Cincinnati club asked
me about Spade, and Bob's an aw-
ful good friend of mine, and l told
them he was a wonder. They
heven't had a scout down here to
see him. So they took my word
AND DRAFTED HIM! Wait till
they see him pitch I hate to think
WHAT lney II call me,
The odd thing about it was that
Bob went up. and for while made
more than good. He had been up
once before with the Cards., but
that didn't daunt him.
OF course, Spade didn't get under
way very fast. And along toward
mid season the Reds decided to get
rid of him. They got waivers on
the way and New York was going
to take him. Then, to the vast
amazement of everybody, Bob was
sent in to work against the Giants.
He won. He was sent back. and
won third time he was hurled
against the Giants and third time
he won. From a dub he had been
transformed into a hero.
The transformation was soon
worked with reverse English. Bob
can't stand success. He didn't The
next year he held out on the Reds
for more salary and was out of the
game for a year Finally the Reds
slipped him to the Columbus club,
but he could not even stick there.
If Bob's strength OF character
had been equal to his strength OF
arm he'd be up there yet.
IT HE history OF the Southern
players sent up is full of
Quirks and turns. For example, Sid
Smith.
Now, Sid Smith was the best
looking catcher who ever played in
the South. He wasn't quite the
man that Ed Sweeney was, phys
ically. and he couldn't throw TO
bases like Archer But for ability
to catch, throw and hit that ball
especially the hitting-he looked
the greatest man ever sent up.
In the fall Of 1907 the same time
Spade went up, Sid Smith was
gathered in by the Athletics. He
seemed just exactly Connie Mack's
style of player--young man. col
lege man, man of good family.
smart chap, and all that. Just Con
MES sort
He hardly lasted until midseason.
The ambition that made him the
most aggressive PLAYER in the
southern league oozed out. He de