The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-22
IT'S ODD ABOUT CATCHERS.
Great Men with the Lghtfoot Lilies Team
VIII Al Had Their Failings.

There are a good many good ca tchers In the
baseball business, the fat man who was for
merly mascot for the Lightfoot Lilies remarked
the other day. but have you ever noticed how
few Of them are really what you'd call stars9
No matter how good a man may be behind the
bat II seems he always has some one fault that
offsets his good qualities.
Take Dinkey Dooley Of the Iightfoot Lilies,
for example. He was one Of the best baokstops
that ever wore q muzzle. but bis accursed fop-
pishness caused his downfall. IN more than
one occasion he got into trouble with Dean
Braley, the pitcher. because Braley. so he said,
Intentionally rubbed dirt on the ball before each
delivery. Dooley's finish came one Fourth OF
July game against the RinStail Roarers. II
was the hottest day ever known In Jones county,
and Jones county Is about the hottest place l
know Of except one. Everybody was peevtsh
and out Of sorts. but things ran along all
right until the Roarers' half OF the seventh.
The bases were full, two were out. and the bat
ter had three balls and two strikes called on
him. Bradley gave his trousers a hitch and was
Just about to pitch the deciding ball when he
noticed that Dooley was acting strangely.
Dinkey was smiling with his nose In tho air.
What's the matter, hurt2" asked Capt.
Slugger Burrows, running in from short.
Really, captain, you know / never could
stand the smell Of burning rubber. and-phew,
really think the sun is melting the home
plate. Phewt
Now wouldn't that scald you9 They had to
take the ice out Of the oatmeal water and put II
on the plato before Dinkey would consent to
flLish the game ont. Well. "a you can imagine,
Slugger Burrows wouldn' stand for that sort
Of business and next day Dooley got his release.
"Foxey ,Flenner, the next catcher VT tried,
through one Of his own tricks He had a habit
Of stretching his hands out in front Of the plate
and nabbing the ball before 1t reached the bat
ter. That. worked al right until one day he
had picked out, for a home run, Foxey broke
seven fingers. dislocated his right thumb, and
was charged with an error by the scorer for
dropping the ball, He seemed to lose his sand
after that and soon quit the game for good.
Bull Thompson was the next man to try for
the position and he turned out to be a wonder.
He could stop anything from a cable car down
with one hand; he always kept the ball on the
carpet, when he hit his lamps were always LII
when ,he was on base, while for throwing to
second he was the best ever. his one fault,
when he first Joined VS.. was his forgetfulneas,
He had the worst memory OF any man I ever
knew, Sometimes he used to forget TO run after
Re had hut the ball: and we had 70 tie q string on
tRfTP' ln W@sa4 y Sh 2rs sas Rdtss tSat w Sha lis rfI W TO
strings on his finger. But the worst of all was
u one game with the Roarers when he tried TO
with terrific force, but forgot to let 60 Of the ball.
Il carried him clear of his feet, and he landed.
face down, five yards In front Of the plate. ne
nursed. q broken nose for almost three weeks,
s sner a ata =, tHs{ vas able to remember without
Ing f1nny: snt IL. / suppose ~ wSat thsy
caN the eocsntridty d ssmus.