The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-22
PORT SIDE H|TTERS
WILL PREDOMINANT
ON CRACKER TEAM
Six of Billy Smiths Regu-
lars Hit Lefthanded-The
Crackers Look Strong
on Paper

Atlanta. February 21.-(speeial.)-If thu
regular lineup of the Crackers is chosen
as baseball men of this city believe II
will be. the local club will send six left
hand batters to the plate in some games
and five in every game.
Eible at first, Mcconnell at second, Jen-
nings at short, Lynch at third, Long III
left Wolchonce in center, Flanagan in
right, Dunn. and Reynolds behind the
bat and Dent, Price and Kissinger three
pitching certainties, seems to be the line
UP at this angle,
Developments during the training sea-
son may change this personnel, but at
present prospects the lineup mentioned
above seems to be the most likely.
Eible, Mcconnell, Lynch, Welchonce,
Flanagan and Price all hit from the
left side of the plate.
1t is this assortment of left-hand bat
candidates for regular positions a chance
Manager Smith is not in favor of too
many left-hand batsmen, unless they all
happened to be able to hit left-hand
pitching as we'll as Welchonce does.
If this is the lineup, it will be very
easy to pick a batting order from these
men.
Mcconnell to Lead Off
Mcconnell, considered by big league
managers and baseball men who know as
the best lead-off man in the business,
will hold down that berth on the Crack
ers. A more acceptable man could not
be found And the leading run-getter of
the league during the 1914 campaign will
have TO contest with this Fellow for the
honors, with the flock of hitters that he
will have following.
Long in second place and Welchonce
in third, the same as they batted with
the champions of 1913, will be the pro-
gramme on the 1914 Crackers. 1t is an
even money bet that the first three men
in the batting order the opening game
of the season with Nashville will face
the pitcher in that order.
Extra Base Hitters
Flanagan, the smuggling outfielder from
the Three | league, will probably draw
the cleanup place, with Eible, the frs
sacker, following in fifth place, the po
sition that Bisland filed so we'll last sea
son and broke up so many games, wher
the pitchers would pass Wallop Smiti
ilttillolldllN.
Flanagan and Eible are extra base hit
ters of no mean ability and their Ions
clouts will win many a ball game if they
live up to their minor league reputation.
with the Crackers.
Lynch, then Jennings and then tn,
catcher and pitcher will conclude the bat
ting order Lynch and Jennings are alsC
pretty good hitters, and if Chapman de
cides not to join the Federals and report.
to the Crackers, the local batting ordei
for 1914 will be even more formidabl,
than the 1913 one, which caused such fea1
to opposing twirlers.
On paper, the Crackers look stronger
this spring than they did last, when ever,
one considered them as having a goot
chance for the rag. Their chances ar,
even better in advance of the opening oi
1914.
IT looks like it is strictly up to tn,
pitchers, and it is in sorting out tn,
best five from the II candidates that h.
has that Manager Smith will have hi.
toughest job, but he will have 21 exhibi
ton games to look them over in.
With Chapman in harness, Atlanta
fans would almost be willing to back TIL.
Crackers against the field, even this fal
before the opening of the campaign.