The Washington critic., 1888-03-17
TRrCKY BAH pLAyERs
How Game Is often Won Through
Bit of Ncrvee

How a Game Is often Won Through II
BIT of Nerves
AS far back as 1862, says the New
York Mail and Express, the records
will show that the Mutuals of this city
won a game through the cleverness of
Ed. Brown, the second baseman. In
that year the Mutuals visited Newark
to play the Eurekas. Ten innings
were played before victory was
gained. The score stood 13 to 13
when the Mutuals went to bat in
the last half of the ninth inning. The
first two men were quickly retired.
Things began to look dubious, when
Brown came to the bat He managed
to reach first base ahead of the ball,
but only by a nose, as it were. A
passed ball advanced him to second.
He reached third on another close
shave. This time the crowd thought
he was out, and so gave vent to it's
feelings. However, the umpire
thought he was safe and said so.
Brown, who was up to all kind of
tricks, then stepped off the base and
offered TO fight the man who said he
was out. AT this the Eureka players,
who were all gentlemen, gathered
around third base TO quiet Brown. OF
course, this left the home plate un-
guarded, and Brown started FOR ii and
tailed the winning run.
A singular incident happened in
Baltimore in 1869. The Athletics of
Philadelphia went to the Monumental
City to play the Pastime Club. The
latter was one run ahead in the ninth
inning when the Athletics came to the
bat. Levi Meyerle, after two men
were out and two on the bases, hit q
line ball directly at the pitcher. II
struck him full in the chest and
knocked him insensible. The ball
bounded back over the fence behind
the catcher, and Meyerle made the
circuit of the bases, sending in the
two men ahead of him before the
ball was recovered. 1t was the
late little Tommy Barlow who intro
duced the trick of hiding the ball
under his arm after it was returned
from the outfield when hit had been
made, and then catch the base-runner
mapping ON a neat throw TO the base
man, who would be on the lookout.
1t was Dicky Pierce who conceived
the idea of touching the top of the
ball with his bat and making the
famous fair-foul hits, which were
practiced by others with such telling
effect, Barlow, Barnes and Pierce
being noteworthy at that style of bat
ting the ball.
Probably one of the most remarka-
BILE events in the history of the Ma
tional game was the double ball
racket, which was worked to such
perfection by the old st. Louis league
club. 1t was in the season of 1876.
Whenever the st. Louis players went
to the bat they would have lively
ball to bat, but when their opponents
were at the bat n dead ball would be
worked in on them. The ball the
club had made especially for its own
use. The Hartfords were vic
timized by the Mound City
Club, and most remarkable
thing occurred which led to the discov-
cry Of the two balls. The Hartfords
were scheduled for three games, on
July II, 13 and 10, and the st. Louis
team won all three games, as follows {:
First, 2 to 0; second, to 0, and third,
. to 0. Upto this time the Hartford
Club had not been shut out by any
other club in the League, and it had a
very demoralizing effect on the team
and did more than anything else to
keep the Hartfords from winning the
champion ship of that year.