The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-12
GEORGE K|RCHER| IS FUNNIEST CUSS IN SOUTHERN LEAGUE Atlanta Comedian Rivals Germany Schaefer and
 Nick Altr0ck GETS CHASED FROM
 LINES BY THE JUMPS Kavanaugh Says He Must Perform on His Feet-Puts Taboo on High
 Dives, Loving and Some
 Other Stunts
By DICK JEMIsoN
FORGE s. KIRCHER, the Crack

W FORGE & KIRCHER, the Crack
 v CTS comedian third baseman-out-
 fielder, is a southern boy product of the back lots of Louisville, Ky. He came to the Crackers from the Norfolk club of the Virginia league and came touted as mighty useful citizen to have hanging around any ones ball club.
 Kircher has lived up to his advance mo- tices and has made himself one of the
 most valuable players on the Atlanta team, fielding sensationally, especially in )she pinches and hitting at 300 clip all Ntason.
 Kircher needs no press agent to boost his stock. The Crackers made one trip to
 all the southern cities and reports drifted back that he was the hit of the fans in the other cities as well as Atlanta.
 Good ballplayer that he is, Krcher is an even better comedian and coacher and
 those who have seen them all in action,
 state positively that he does not doff his lat to Arlie Latham, Germany Schaefer,
 Nick Altrock or any of the other come
 dians of the lines.
 Kavanaugh Bans Stunts
 From the first he was an instant hit in
 Atlanta and every umpire in the league \ md their big boss in Little Rock, Judge N Eilliam M. Kavanaugh have received an h merciful banning from the fans and
 tress, those outside of Atlanta being
 more vindictive than the local bugs and
 scribes.
 Kircher's coaching stunts are new and
 original, amusing and enjoyable and that
 Judge Kavanaugh should say that South
 hoc ahan
 their dignity removed by Kirchers an
 tics on the lines was far fetched and did
 hot meet with the approval of nine out
 of every 10 fans in the circuit. I If the honorable Arkansas jurist would
 pay more attention to seeing that South trn league fans were given better umpir-
 ing and faster ball games the latter due to poor umpiring) and not try to make snountain out of mole hill, the league hvould be in more thriving condition The / Southern league baseball parks are smusements just like the theatres. the 4 circus, tine movies or anything else. The fans pay their good money to be amused. Kircher amused them and they wanted to see him on the lines. And at good number of the games played locally, his comedian work was the only thing that 1 made it bearable that the fans sit through game-the exhibition being presented in
 the name of baseball being sample that
 abused such a name.
 Kirchers favorite stunt is running an Imaginary automobile. First he cranks
 the car The spark fails. He tries 1t again Same result. After considerable
 cranking it finally starts off.
 He climbs in, throws In his clutch. re-
 leasing, his breaks, honks his horn and is
 off. lodging here and there through the
 maze of traffic of the busy streets YThen-b-o-o-m--som breaks. Kir- Eher climbs out, looks at his machine, sJtakes off his hat, scratches his head ana I then rushes to telephone to call up the N garage, throwing up ais hands in utter dsrnay.
 He varies this by getting out his tool
 kit and crawling under the car to repair
 come minor injury, or taking off tire and
 outing on a new one, or patching punc-
 lure and then blowing up the patched tire.
 Knows How to Fondle fl Then. too, he tries to love his girl with one arm while driving the powerful
 racer' with the other, only to find out
 he Is unable to do so Then he shuts orr
 the machine, ciamping on the break and
 grabs his girl with both arms.
 All of this is in pantomime. Never M word spoken. Never sound uttered, his | hctions being easily discerned by any ! Ine and with owners of autos he is the He has other stunts, such as shooting craps, using a couple of the boxes that l the balls came in for dice, playing cards | with a crowd, winning losing all his money, as his wit may prompt him. His tight-wire walking act. his shadow boxing stunt and his street car scene where he lets passengers on and off col lectn fares. refuses to change a w for some passenger and finally kicks him off the car, are all screams.
 But all the time Kircher has his eye on the Atlanta runner that is on the base, and if th1 eatened with being put out, or if to be told whether to try to score on |4,e single or long fly Kiroher quickly stops vhis pantomime and tells the runner what |f to do.
 Must Act on Feet fudge Kavanaugh has ruled out most Of this stuff, especially wherever he sits on the ground rolls over or dives over a hieh bridge or any of those stunts. He has ruled as long as he stays on his feet he can act, otherwise the umps are or dered to chase him.
 At home Kircher gets chased purposely and then Mr. Umps has fine time of 1t with the home crowd.
 Now that he is playing in the outfield and his duties not as arduous as at |. the hot corner.-h he'll be seen more on the Mines.
 Vi Hen work in Birmingham when the Crackers go there, and he'll work in every city on the road trip. Manager Smith | has received numerous letters from fans in other cities. some rom Birmingham, esking that Kircher be permitted to coach viile the Crackers are there. And sev- eral petitions have been sent to Kay anaugh, copies of which have been sent | to Manager Smith.
 Hats eff to kircher. We're for him | and every one like him. His class helps baseball
 From tIie Louisville Herald. Ills face was decorated with patches of court plaster until it resembeled a masterpiece of cubist art. What in the world happened to you?''