Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-01
OFFICIALS Of
CRACKER CLUB
SORE At TEAM
By Percy H. Whiting.
, oMETHING is going to be done
4 ahnut the Cracker ball cImh-

COMETHING is going 10 be done
about the Cracker ball club
something revolutionary, torrid,
tempestuous! Just what it is will 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 II will be moderately
helpful
Maybe there will 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 II was over.
What they decided 10 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 good team.
They believe they HAVE a 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 is Pitcher
Dent. They gave up not less than
$4,000 OF real money for this man.
Grifith, it ia understood. wanted
S2500 for him but reluctantly com
promised on $4,000
That IL would have been a poor
buy at $500 10 the present opinion
Of the directors They figure they
were stung and they have a sus-
picion that Griflth engineered II.
How it's all going to end isn't for
a mere baseball writer to pre-
dict. The directors themselves prob
ably are pretty much At sea. They
know only that they are desperate
ly tired OF making explanations, Of
inventing alibis and Of spending big
money and getting small returns.
IT would not do 10 have the d.
1 rectors nor the public expect too
much OF the Crackers this year
We told the directors that at the
frst OF the season, explaining that
a two-year tail-ender was glued 10
the bottom and could hardly be run
up to a pennant In one year.
But they wouldn't see it-said II
was bosh and that with a new team
VI HoOh hitH p~HHan' Woulu De
easy
1t looked for awhile as though they
were going 10 come clean with II,
too. But now the team is in a slump
If the club finished one two three
everybody ought to be delighted II
they finish worse, II viii be difap-
pointing. 81 course.
To tell what Is the matter with the
bunch would take an expert
diagnostician.
Here are few Of them:
Weak pitching all the season.
Only passahy good catching.
Failure TO take the thing seriously.
Weak utility man.
Lack Of 'oonditionr-pIsysrs over
weight.
Occasional bursts of poor fielding.
Lack Of pepper.
Lack Of teamwork in COVERING
bsses, ''takins" pop flies and the like.
Iaok Of "sab" and noise.
Poor bsse running.
THIS is not intended for a knock.
The Crackers look like pennant
winners. But they aren't aimed for
any pennAnt II is an interesting
question 10 ponder why they aren't.
A couple more good pitchers would
help. Councilman seems like q 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
sned. Catcher Chapman going right,
q little more pep" a little harder
work by the players 10 get themselves
down TO condition, a little more
earnest effort 10 steal bases ought 10
help some
But Heaven forbid that should try
10 tell anybody how to nun the bali
club Newspaper correspondence
courses along that line have never
been successful.
II is up 10 the manager
Now is the time for Bill Smith to
rise to the occasion and MAKE his
team finish one -two-three