Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-29
Famous Pole Will Go to the Club
Which BoIstered Up Look
outs This Season.
S0UTHPAW HAS BEEN TO
MAJOR LEAGUES BEFORE
Once With Philadelphia He Beat
Giants Three Games in a Week
and Cost Them Pennant.
fiNHY RECORD! Holy smoke.

(INHY RECORD! Holy smoke!
MI Have l got TO go through
with all that again? I've re-
peated that stuff so much can rat
tie It off like a schoolboy's speech.
Here goes"
Harry Coveleskie, the best pitcher
in the Southern League, with a rec
ord so far this season of fifteen games
won and only four chalked up
against him to back up the title, will
more than likely be awarded to the
Detroit Americans this fall He has
repeated his record so many times
that he bristles up when a sport
writer approaches him for dope"
Il was born in Shamokin 25 years
ago. My mother and father came
from Poland, where they were born.
They settled in Shamokin, a mining
town in Middle Pennsylvania, That's
the place where l got my start in
baseball
Il used to play ball with the kids,
and it doesn't seem to me to have
been very long ago, either. I've al
ways liked baseball and took it up
anybody else"
In his early games with the town
boys Harry played at shortstop, first
base, catcher, pitcher and all of the
remaining positions Later the Sha-
| moSin fans arranged a circuit with
Williamson Tar City, Lickens and
other villages, and Coveleskie went
forth as an amateur pitcher with the
Kane Pa, team. His record was good
| all through these games
"EINALLY I got chance-a real
chance" said Coveleskie, and
l went to Wildwood, N. j.
Il didn't play with wildwood but
about a month and a half before luck
carried me to the Philadelphia Ma
tionals. This was in 1908 l was just
shade over 20 years of age.
And / was some youngster, too.
THE pin feathers were sticking out
all over me. l got through the sea-
son with Philadelphia and improved
right along,
After the season of 1909 with Phil
adelphia l was traded to Cincinnati,
and after l was with that club about
a month ! was sent to Birmingham, In
the Southern League. And it was
with Birmingham, too. that luck was
with me again and | developed the
best record / believe l ever had.
Games broke right, and the other fei-
lows were right after the ball all the
time"
Coveleskie was recalled from Biz
mingham by Cincinnati in the fall of
1910, and during that winter he was
sold to Chattanooga, where he has
since played.
mNEY best games. Oh. let's see
4FI all of 'em were good except
those l lost, and there were lots of
EN-, too.
Il think the best games l ever won
were about the hardest l ever pitched.
1t was the windup of the 1908 season
when l was pitching for Philadelphia
against New York.
Il remember now pitched on Tues
day, Thursday and Saturday of that
series, and the other fellows pitching
against me We're Mathewson, Crandal
and Ames. Those games were the
hardest ever, and close The scores
were to l, 3 to and 4 to 8. The
figures may not be correct, but I re-
member they were small, and Phila-
delphia just had about one run the
hest Of the other fellows in each
game. These games beat the Giants
out of a pennant.
"Oh, | remember now" said Cove
leskie. Il had been playing a short
while with the Lancaster club and
was recalled just before the end of
the big season to the Philadelphia
club. l was in good condition and
feeling right Keeping straight. living
clean, and all that--no man can play
ball successfully unless ne keeps
straight.
But the best Of em get their
bumps. A chap can't win all the time
but from the time he starts out with
the town boys back home it's case
Of having to fight for it if the team
wins"
D EFERRING to his recent string Of
IN nine games won, which was broken
several days ago by Memphis, Cove
leskie said things just didn't break
right; | was just due to lose, and
lost, and that's all there was to it,
he concluded philosophically.
The St Louis Americans have Of
fered the Chattanooga club S4 500 for
Coveleslde's services. II is said that
the Detroit Tigers have offered a sim
liar amount. Both claim options on
him. and the matter will have to be
settled by the higher officials, with
the chances in favor of Detroit
Chattanooga got five players from
the Providence, R. l., club, in
which Detroit is interested. Owing to
the trades for these, it is believed