San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-04
SLOW TEAMS
Swat WAY
T0FLAGS
Fort Worth Cats Furnish
Example Memphis
Fat Men COPIED.

Is speed in baseball really essential:
Many critics Of the game say mo-"
Converts to the ranks OF the mo"
voters flockcd in when jake Atz,
manager of the Fort Worth Panthers.
six times Texas League champions,
said recently that he paid little at
tention to the speed of a player in
gauging his value to the team and re-
gardcd this asset as one of the least.
Atz's pennant-winnlng teams prove
that be practices what he breaches
in this respect.
Flat-footed sluggers who counted OH
the distance Of their drives rather
than the elasticity of their ankles to
get around the bases have predominant
cd in his lineups, mostly veterans
with level heads, much knowledge of
the game, and determined fighters all.
FEW FAST MEN.
In his 1925 championship combina-
ton, Atz had fairly fast center.
fielder. Davis, q better man at slug
ging flies than on the bases. Sears,
in left, was Il good hitter but getting
old and heavy and inclined to favor
feet and legs. Ellington, in right,
was pudgy and slow.
Nobody accused Ed Konctchy, the
ancient first baseman of being speedy,
though he proved power on the team
with steady fielding and mighty hit
ting. Palmer, second-sacker, was an
other slow veteran.
The most speed on the team was
centercd in Third-bascman Billy Null
len and Shortstop Wayne Windle,
though ncither set any base-stcaling
records.
Catcher Moore, a mountain Of
man, was one Of the slowest players
III the league. doc" Smith, the other
catcher, was not very shifty, and, to
add to that, broke an ankle in mid
season.
ONE OF SLOWEST.
Averages show the Fort Worth club
to have been one of the slowest in
the league, in fact. Yet, Atz won his
usual pennant.
Now and then team Of spcedsters
wins out IN the MAJORS Dui rareiy
though in the big show speed Is de-
veloped TO greater extent than in
the minors, the big staffs Of coaches
paying more attention TO its develop
ment.
Athletes of today, it seems, take bet
ter care of themselves than ball players
did in the old "bcer days" and the
stories are told of the bccfy teams of
old which slurged their yays to pcn-
nants
Fuzzy, Woodruff of Atlanta re-
calls the 1903 Memphis club that
conped the Southern League flag,
cinching the honors almost before the
season was half over and not n PLAYER
IN the LOT who could RIM n hundred
Yards in less than minute and n
half.
Charley Frank was the manager
sovs Woodruff. aand Charley beng
rotnud. ran TO rotund players.
.Ue had as his catchcrs. I'd Hurl.
burt. the biggest man physically ever
10 NAV in the Southern League. nm.
less it was big Jim Wigs, of New
Orleans, and Jack Law, VINO could
do wonders with bcefsteak ana
beer.
FAMOUS OLD STARS.
.His nitcbcrs were Theodore Brett.
cpsteir an elderly fat man. who had
won undyine fame in tho National
Teoprc; old Phil CRedl Ebret. another
famous old major jeoruer. who could
make the hest camn stow of any man
nlivc and who DRAM, his lager by the
horrcI md silver RilI pbijlins. an.
other veteran of the big tent, who
wo. also somctbiny of trenchcrman.
.On first base he hnd Perry Wcr.
a.rn ex.mo,or ncrformcr who was
Lu;It like FaIstnff and moved like
nm nvcrIooded truck
His second. basenap WINS Lew
Walters. a silent man exccnt ot the
,iinrer tohle I dom rccnll tho short.
ston but tho third. basrmon xos
Scron Iron Beccbcr. who snccidfized
IN n dcIicacv known ns bujl bot mic,
which ncvcr tncw ANYBODY else
tn cat cxccnt .iIhomo Zckc' WIN.
on, who wos thcn hurl;,g for tb,,
BAD LEU. TOU.