Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-18
Bv j. w. Heisman.

90 many college players are break
y ing into professional ball these
days, and so many of them with
great success, that the thing nc
] longer occasions the surprise and
comment that used to ensue. Some
thing like 25 years ago, when | was
| attending a New England college,
can remember with what dumb
foundment we learned one day that
one of our varsity players had re-
ceived an offer from Boston. 1t
tickled US nearly to death!
Among Southern colleges. Tech
early took the lead in this respect
by sending the great Henley straight
to the big show. Unless my memory
fails me badly, it was to the Ath-
letics that Henley went, and It was
about thirteen years ago. Even at
that early date. when hardly any
other professional managers would
look at college player, Connie Mack
had his eyes wide open as to their
possible usefulness.
When Henley first went to Tech
he played first base, and he played
il we'll He was about feet l inch
tall but very slender His arms were
very strong. and he had a fine free
shoulder swing. Rather handsome
chap. this Henley, and a good, jovial
fellow. Came from the little hamlet
of Jasper, | believe. in North Georgia,
the section that also sent Craig Day
n 70, Of no
awfully good players and pitchers
who. however, never went into pro-
fessional ball.
After seevral years of usefulness
in the big league Henley was sent
to the Rochester club, where he put
, in couple more years of good work
But for some reason. his health was
steadily failing him and finally he
had to give II up. Just where he is to-
to-day. l can not say. l know he
went to Florida for a while in search
, of improved health, and perhaps he
found It; at least we all hope so.
At the time Weldon was at tine
zenith Of his glory as college pitcher
Mercer was turning out some exceed
ingly strong teams Their mainstay
on the mound was the unforgotten
VIII Gum, now a successful architect
! in Macon. It will have to be given
up that Gum vas some gun him
self when il came to making a noise
! like a pitcher and endless were the
arguments Of that day in rah rah cir
Giles as to which was the better.
am not going into a history of the
friendly feud, but il is worth OBJ
serving that when the two teams
finally did face each other at old
Brisbine Park. with their respective
stars down on the score card to dc
the hurting, there was some crowd
! present 10 witness the ceremonies
and some little excitement was had
The game was won by Tech; score
| 80 to 0.
| A MOTHER great picher that Tech
turned out about the same timt
that Henley was absorbing all the
limelght. was little Jimmy Lavender
now with the Chicago Cubs. II would
! perhaps be more correct to say thai
| Tech turned Jimmy out, or that il
| turned out an engineer. not that il
! turned out another pitcher, for. al
| that time, Jimmy didn't play ball al
! all at least he never went out fOI
/ the varsity; and so it is merely Ar
| accident that his youthful career was
| in any way associated with Techs
Lavender was born and reared il
| South Georgia. He had seen a picture
/ or two Of a baseball before coming T.
| Tech, but didn't care enough for the
| game to even come out and try FOL
| the team. II was after leaving Tecf
| that his acquaintance with the pellet
grew into a thing Of beauty; and
| after slamming the sphere around
| corner lots for a short time, it was