The morning call., 1893-05-07
ON STOLEN BASES.
A New Rule That Works
Only One Way.
KNELL WIGGLED HIS TOES.
Uncle Won Yesterdays Game of
Baseball by Close Shave and
Closer Score.
KNELL WIGGLED HIS TOES.

OuoL uOilfclAu. tuO YAH ~ q bdSbci
in the game at Piedmont OIL Friday Mr..
Harper wiggled his toes. Mr.. Meegan
promptly declared 1t balk. The new rules
governing the pitchers position are very
strict. and Mr.. Meegan is doing his best to
interpret them Alright. but sometimes
things will come up that are hard to decide.
Yesterday the feature of the game was
the base-stealing. On the evening previous
TO the game Duke Finn called his cohorts
together. They repaired to a secret place
where a darkened room had been prepared
for them. The walls had been padded and
tightened so no sound could possibly escape.
Then and there one of the most diabolical
plots in the annals of crime was planned.
In substance a scheme was cOncocted
whereby bases might be stolen all of yes
terday afternoon. Every detail was per-
fected to nicely. And not only that but a
scheme was placed on foot to prevent
Uncle Henry's men from stealing single
base.
Precisely at the same hour there was an
other meeting being held. 1t was called by
Mr.. Harris, and Buck Ebright was made
spokesman. There were padded walls and
the lights were turned low. 1t was secret
meeting. Plans we've formulated whereby
man caught stealing base with Stock
ton uniform ON would be promptly put out.
Now, most of the foregoing is ancient
history and might be considered foreign 70
the subject of yesterdays ball game. which
Is now under discussion, II things hadn't
turned out just as they aid.
In the first place Stockton came to the
bat. Mannasau got to first on Sharps,
error. While Mr.. Knel was following the
conditions of the new rule and standing on
the pitchers plate, looking somewhat like
statue Of Ajax deiylng his landlord. Man
nassau tried to steal second and was thrown
out by Mr.. Spies.
Evidently the plan that was formulated
in the secret chamber was working with
great degree of satisfaction.
MIR. Sweeney was given a base on balls.
He stole second. Mr.. Knell looked at Cap
tain Ebright and Captain Ebright looked
at Mr. Knell.
Mr.. Whitehead came to the bat. Again
MI kmell assumed the position suggestive
of Ajax. Sweeney started for third ana Mr..
knell did something with his feet. just
what 1t was nobody will ever know. What
ever il was Eir: Meegan said it was balk.
That smashed the combination, the secret
session was all for naught and UHcle's men
will have to study the new rule some more
and get up new set of signals
Now let's see how the Dukes plans came
out
In the last half Sharp got base on balls,
He went to second on Levy's single and
stole third. Levy stole second. Carroll hit
double, bringing In Sharp and Levy, and
then he stole third.
Mr.. Tanning. who was pitching. looked at
Captain Sweeney and Captain Sweeney
looked at Mr.. flaming. The new rule was
getting in Its work with deadly effect, not
wilhstanding 1t was making the game ex-
tremev lively.
But the working out of the diaboical plot
that Finn's hirelings concocted came in
later.
1t was the last OF the seventh inning and
Power had fOuled out to SWEET and Cantil-
liOp HnWn pnf In | a nall
sented with base on balls. and not con-
tent with this be attempted 10 steal another
"Of course" he thought, lit will be easy
to get second when the pitcher can't throw
the bali to second without moving his feet
and that would be balk." So he started
WHAT. did Mr.. Tanning do? lie threw the
ball over 10 MIR. Whitehead on third, and
Mr.. Whitehead being privileged to put both
feet up on the back of MS neck and throw
the bail, il he so desired. quickly passed the
ball down to Gustavus Klopf and Mr.. Knell
was out, much to his surprise. That's how
one of the Dukes schemes worked.
But the base-stealing went on all the
afternoon. Mr.. knell had the disadvantage
because he ELECTS the ball from the left end
OF him, and not only can the man running
from first watch the gyrations of his arms,
but neither can Mr.. knell throw the ball to
second without raising at least one foOtie.
and that you know is bak.
Uncle won the game. however, and it was
the local diamond this season. stockton
tied the score in the first Of the fifth inning
by tearing off three runs.
Perhaps it would be interesting to know
how these three rGns were made.
Peoples started the thing by getting
base on balls and stealing second, of course.
Tanning got base on balls. Peeples
stole third in order to give flaming chance
10 steal second. which he did. Sweeney
then swung his bat around directly in the
Df
bagger resulted, which enabled Peoples and
Tanning 10 score. Whitehead singled and
in came Sweeney klOpPs hit to Cantillion
allowed that gentleman to collaborate with
Power IN double play. retiring the side.
San francisco made three in the first one
in the fourth. two in the fifth, three in the
sixth and one in the seventh, making an
aggregate of ten.
When Stockton came up in the mint they
needed four to win. provided San Francisco
DIDN'T utilize the last half for run-getting
purposes.
For a few minutes the strain on Uncle's
nervous system was tremendous. Stockton
got two runs with only one man out, and
you could have heard a gum drop anywhere
on the grounds, so dense was the silence at
that time. y small child dropping to sleep
in the upper part of the grand stand was
heard all over the premises. Aud when it
dropped off the seat you could hear it o
mile
But when the two runs were in Mannasau
was stricken out, Klopf flew to Work
and McV icker to Ebrght, and the game
rolled down into Uncls's pocket with a
bang.
Klopf suffered yesterday with new
chariey-horse-ho wrenehed an ankle or two
running 10 first against one OF PECK Sharp's
lightning throws. But he played an error
less game.
Not content with the amount of oratory
that usually crops into the games Duke
Finn yesterday introduced mind-reader to
the audience during a lnll in the proceed
ings. The mind-reader wished TO give the
audience sample of his wonderful powers
after the game was over. He wanted some
body to hide something ana then let him
find it while bliDdfolded.
ltwas suggested that the committee should
hide Uncle's feet, but the mind-reader said
that some object that could not readily be
seen anywhere In the county with the
naked eye would be better.
The games to-day Will be two in number
and equally divided between this city and
Oakland. The morning game will be at
Oakland.
The game at Haight street in the after
noon will be great event. As the Stock
ton team stands now they give your Uncle
cold chill every lime they come 20 bat,
and whether he wins the morning game or
no he will need the afternoon game to win
the series. His men will therefore be in
siructed 10 win or die trying.
There was generous outpouring of the
populace yesterday, but to-day there Will
hardly be ali empty bench. Yesterdays
score was:
sTocKToSs. ABB. r. BIZ sR. 20. A. y.
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Kiopf. 'f@sIl, b.: %. d.: 3 . I 9 8 9
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