Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-25
S.P. MORSE & CO
SOME BASEBALL TRICKS.
The Unfair Means by Which Some
Games We're Won in the COS.

New York Mail and Express; '.Asfar
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 be-
fore a victory was gained. The score was
thirteen to thirteen when the Mutuals
went to bat in the last half Of the last
inning. The first two men were quickly
retired. Things began to look some
what dubious, when Brown came to 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 his feelings.
However, the umpire, thought he was
safe and said SO. Brown, who was up to
all kinds 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, gath
cred around third base to quiet Brown.
OF course this left home plate unguard-
ed, and Brown started for it and tailed
the winning run.
A singular incident happened in Bal
timore in 1869. The Athletics, of Phil
adelphia, 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 bases, hit a line ball direct
ly at the pitcher. 1t struck him full in
the chest and knocked him insensible.
The ball bounded back over the
fence behind the catcher, and
Meyerele made the circle OF the
bases, sending in the two men ahead of
him before the ball was recovered. 1t
was tho late little Tommy Barlow who
introduced the trick OF hiding the ball
under his arm after it was returned
from the outfield when a hit had been
made, and then catch. the base-runner
mapping on IL neat throw to the base
man, who would be on the lookout. 1t
was Dickey Pearce 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 Pearce being noteworthy at that
style of batting the ball.
Probably one of the most remarkable
events in the history OF the national
game was the double ball racket, which
was worked to such pcrfec-
ton by the old st. Louis
league club. II was in the eason
OF 1876. Whenever the st. Louis play
ers went to the bat they would have a
lively ball to bat, but when their oppo-
nents were at the bat a dead ball would
be worked in OF them. The ball the
club had made especially for its own use
The Hartfords were victimized by the
Mound City club,and a most remarkable
thing occurred which led to the discov-
cry Of the two balls. The Hartfords
were scheduled for three genes, on
July Is, - and Is, and the ST. Louis
team won all three games, as follows:
First, 2 to s; second, 3 to 8; third, 2 TO o.
Up TO this time the Hartford club had
not been shut out by any other club in
the league, and it had a domoralizing
effect on the team, and did more than
than anything else 10 keep the Hart
fords from winning the championship
of that year,