Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-01
OFFICIALS Of
CRACKER CLUB
SORE At TEAM
BY Percy 81. Whiting.

A
about the Cracker bail club
something revolutionary, torrid.
tempestuousi Just what IL 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 1t will be moderately
helpful.
Maybe there will be bigger things
happening
The directors Of the Atlanta Base
ball Association held an Indignation
meeting Monday. Il was an execu-
tive session and none Of the direc-
tors would talk after IT was over.
What they DECIDED 10 do they viii
not say. But they we're 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 II 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 II isn't playing good ball,
but they are earnestly trying to find
out.
One source Of irritation is Pitcher
Dent. They gave up not less than
$4,000 OF real money for this man.
Griffith, II is understood, wanted
$500 for him. but reluctantly com
promised on 81 900
That il would have been poor
buy" at $500 is the present opinion
OF the directors. They figure they
were stung and they have sus-
picion that Griffith engineered it,
How it's all going to end isn't for
mere baseball writer to 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
T would not do to have the d.
rectors nor the public expect too
much OF the Crackers this year.
We told the directors that at the
hrst OF the season. explaining that
two-year tail-ender was glued 20
the bottom and could hardly be run
up 10 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
II 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 three
everybody ought to be delighted. II
they finish worse, it will be disap-
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 Neutrality-suspicious. over
weight.
Occasional bursts Of poor fielding.
Lack Of pepper.
Lack of teamwork in COVERING
bases, taking" pop flies and the like.
lack OF CAB and noise.
Poor base running.
THIS is not intended for a knock
either
The Crackers look Ike pennant
winners. But they aren't aimed for
any pennant II 10 Hn 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 staff strength
ened. Catcher Chapman going right.
little more pep a little harder
work by the players to get themselves
down 10 condition, a little more
earnest effort TO steal bases ought to
help some
But Heaven forbid that I should try
10 tell anybody how TO run the bail
club. Newspaper espondenCe
courses along that line have never
been successful
II is up TO the manager
Now is the time for Bill Smith 10
rise TO the occasion and MAKE his
tam finish one IMn-lhraa