The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-14


Dun1ap's Trick.
Hardly n person in a thousand who
witnesses . league ball game and Dees
the players slide into the various bases
Know the causes which led up to the
slide and its general adoption. espe-
ciaiIy by the big leaguers. This II not
30 strange and not at all discreditable
10 the patrons, for IL il doubtful II 10
per cent of the players now connected
with the National league club could
enlighten them upon the subject. Here
I'M there 1t might be possible to fnd
n who knows. II he does he IL an
old-timer. The great majority Of play
ers. however, only know that they slide
to a base when necessary, but do not
know 10 the custom originated.
The present system Of sliding was
which represented Detroit in the Ma
tionai league in SO. Two men were in
all probability directly responsible for
the system. They were Catcher Char
ley Bennett and Second Baseman Fred
Dunlap. The two were known as be-
ing among the most tricky players in
the business. They never failed to
make a turn that would In any way
increase their teams chances OF win
ming the game. Both were quick Al
lightning and could work their games
In such . dextrous manner a to defy
80 AARlh
One OF their ~favorite tricks was al
ways worked on q runner who, after
reaching first base attempted to steal
second. 1t was this trick that set the
other players to thinking. Sliding was
an quantity in those days.
The players liked TO keep their uni
forms as neat and clean as possible. !
When . man attempted to steal q base
he simply started and ran. II the ball
reached the baseman on time he was
easy prey. There were some pretty
speedy runners among the players at
that time. To d to the troubles of
the Detroits the pitchers were all long |
motioned-that is, took a long time 70
deliver the ball. As q result opposing
base runner could get q long start to- |
ward second. The trick Of Dunlap and
Bennett evened up the matter. how
worked ii was this: When ap opposing
batsman reached first base Dunlap
would take a position directly back OF
the base line, about eight feet from the
base. Dunlap could pretty nearly tell
from the move Of the pitcher whether
runner or not. II he saw that II would
he simply took = step forward. braced
himself and had II in waiting for the
man. 1t was when the throw was slow
that he got in his work. II he saw he
could not get 1t in time to head of the
IA hC btlu dHu 6S tine l
passed him would take a step
Onward n reach for the ball with
his left hand. With his right he would
the runner a stiff push In the back,
which In nine cases out of ten caused
the man to overrun the base. He was
then easy prey for Dunlap. /
Many a game was won In that a
the trick working all right until the
reached Philadelphia on their
second trip around h circuit. The
rivalry between he two teams was bit
ter and the players on both sides
kers had a shade the best of 1t when
along In the middle OF the game Joe
made a hit. The time before
he batted he had reached first
balls and while trying to steal sec
ond had been given the good thing
get even and waited for a chance to
go to second. "Pretzei" Getzein was
for Detroit and in a few min
ties made a slow delivery.
Mulvey gagged things so that he
would reach Dunlap just a trife after
ng almost directly on the base line.
saw his chance and took Il.
When q short distance from Dunlap !
he dropped n went into the
ting Of second baseman feet FIRST.
dulvey's spikes damaged Dunlap con-
siderable, while the shaking up he re-
,eived kept him out of the game for I
wo weeks.
Players on the other league teams
of the matter and adopted Null
'ey's plan. During the remainder Of
he season almost every man who stole
econd went sliding in feet first. Dun
APPS experience with Mulvey was q ,
essen. Once in use the advantage Of
sliding plan was apparent and the
managers told their men not to be
fraid to dirty their uniforms. After
Yard h feet-flrst slide was found to
dangerous and then the head-hrUt
Tide Of the style Of the present day