The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-18
VERY CLEVER
IS Mr., PACE
OF STOCKTON
His Play as Catcher
Was Exquisite.
HOW Mr.. SMITH STOLE HOME
KNELL PITCHED GRANDLY, BUT
WAS STEADIED.
The Game Entire Was an Excellent
One, Replete With Good, Poor
and Sensational
Plays.
HOW Mr.. SMITH STOLE HOME
KNELL PITCHED GRANDLY, BUT
WAS STEADIED.
By doe Corbett.

Easy money, Phil; you've got him
FADED. The above remark, in various
forms, came tearing through the press
box on numerous occasions yesterday
afternoon at Rauer's baseball villa. The
author of it was Mr. Pace, the new ac-
QUESTION of the Stocktons.
The gentlman's position with this fast
coming aggregation is that of catcher.
He fills the bill. This allusion to his abil-
1ty, however, does not suffice. 1t would
be enough TO say of some player who
completed his work tolerably well. but
Mr.. Pace fills the bill in manner so ex-
Quisite and was such a material factor
in yesterdays contest that TO allude to
him as one who did not do anything out
of the ordinary would be an unpardon-
able injustice to his cleverness.
Mr. Pace is what might be safely
termed, in the parlance of the diamond,
wonder" He was brought down, with
a few more players, from the Pacific
Northwest League, to help strengthen
the feebler teams of our own league, and
If any enc doubts his worth and capacity
he has but to see the Stocktons play, and
his convictions will be as l have stated.
During yesterdays game between the
Florists and Stocktons he was every
thing; in TACT, his remarks. one of which
l previously mentioned, were the feature
OF the game. He had d superfiuity of
them, and used no little amount OF dis
erection in directing them to the right
point at the proper moment. uSt think
OF old PHI knell, who has been chased
from one club to another. until he was
accepted by the SUocktons as a sort of
ornament, going in against the San JoSeS
and winning one of the hottest games of
the season by the close score of to l.
This he did yesterday afternoon at Rec
reatiOn Park, yet, while his work was
laudable, the cool. clever, collected Mr.
Pace, with his cheering and at times sar-
castle remarks must not be overlooked,
for TO the superb manner in which he
steadied Knell and the entire team during
situations where mistakes meant defeat
Is due the lions share of that victory.
Not since the revival OF our national
game in this State has such a hard work
ing, earnest player been visible at any of
the games and it is hoped that his correct
style OF playing Will be copied by every
performer in the State.
The game throughout was an excellent
one. Few have been as well played, de-
spite the errors credited some Of the play
ers, and none to my knowledge. has been
won in the manner the Stocktons emerged
yesterday.
~ The 17 hfrSt inning began. and with two out
the FLORISTS. through the assistance OF
Two singles and an error, scored one run
From this on to the fifth good playing on
both sides marked the work. until in the
sixth this man Pace was given free trans
portauon to first through the kindness of
Pyne VINO fumbled rather hot grounder
A second or so later he stole second
and scored the first run for his cohorts
On GSNe second error. 1t was then. of
course, anybody's game, and both sides
played with renewed energy, but good
Judgment, intermngled with desire to
take chances, won the game.
The eighth inning opened up beautifully
for the Stocktons, yet little did McGucken
dream that because Smith made a base
hit his side was in danger. In fact ii
happened few times before, during the
performance, that men reached the initial
cushion with no one out. yet did not
score. Evidently Smith was aware of
this fact and after securing second on
an out. scored shortly after on a play
that would not win once in fifty times
yet 1 infer that this was the fiftieth
time
Billings was at the bat, and hit ball
right into the pitchers hands. No one
gave Smith, on second a thought, and
after the bali had been tossed TO first
and Billings retired, who should come
wagging for the plate but Smith.
Hanlon was so startled that he hest
tated. and this is an old proverb, which
says HE who hesitates is lost" So it
was with Hanor.
He hesitated and Smith. by a most
clever slide touched the plate with the
winning run, amid an avalanche of APP
plause.
1t certainly was great play-the kind
that causes one to breathe hard and fast;
the kind that is unexpected. and it is the
unexpected that may often win In base
ball. So ended one Of the hottest games
of the season. True. 1t was won on a
desperate chance, for whoever hears of
a man on second scoring on ball hit
to the pitcher. Very rarely does it hap
pen. but it pays to take an occasional