The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-16
TRIPLE PLAYSIN BIB.
Two Local Men Who Have Retired
Opposing Teams by Quick and
Clever Work. -" -
One Of Them T. R. Brown, Jr., May
or Ames' Private Secretary
The Other Allie Berg.

No play in baseball is quite so rare as
triple play unassisted and when one Is made
to the feat and the lucky player gets his
name and portrait into so many. papers that it
makes Jim Jeffries envious. When Harry
o'Hagan worked this play successfully las:
summer it was heralded far and wide
remarkable feat and the sporting writer's pored
over their records in a hunt for its equal. Back
In the day when Pop Arson a youth
they found one, but the authorities disagreed
as to whether two men had not figured in the
third ''Out.'
Minneapolis has two citizens who can claim
the distinction of having retired an opposing
baseball team in one inning. One is Thomas r.
Brown, Jr., late secretary to Mayor Ames.
The other is Allie Berg who pitched while
for Gus Schmeltz nl-starred millers. -~'
Both plays we'll authenticated Browns
by numerous players and spectators and Berg's
by the eye witnesses and the records of the
North Dakota league. Bergs feat was per
formed on July 6, 1901 at I4angdon, N. D. He
was at hta time member of the Langdon team.
and on the occasion named was covering third
base in game against the Cavalier, N. D., nine.
The Cavaliers were at bat with no one out.
Betz, of the Cavalier team, was on third and
Frank Mullane the well-known local semi=pro
sional, was leading off from second. The Lang
don infeld was playing inside the diamond for
Chauncey Doyle, who was at the bat. DOYLE
connected and drove hot line fly at third base
1t looked safe in all conscience, but nimble
Allie made jump and picked the ball out Of
the air. Doyle was out. Frank Mullane was
coming down the line to third like race horse
intent on scoring. Instead he met Allie with
the ball and before he knew what had happened
he was tagged out. The whole Cavalier con-
tlngent yelled at Betz, but Berg had his wits
with him and to third base, beating Betz
"by mile" The Cavaliers were dazed by the
swiftness with which their hopes Of scoring had
been dashed while the Langdon .''rooters'' howled
with delight and made hero Of the Minneapolis
boy. ''~
Tom Browns Feat.
Tom Brown when asked to tell about his
most famous play on the diamond said
1t was IN 1S92--in June it must have BEEN
Anyway. it was the next day after Benjamin
Harrison had been nominated for the presidency
at minneapolis. We were in New Haven, and i
remember that the Yale students were having a
big 1olltfcation. I third baseman on the
Pennington seminary team of Pennington, n. J.,
and we were little tour through Connecti-
cut. At Middletown, Conn, played the fresh
men of Wesleyan university.
In one of the innings the WesIeyans had a
man on third and another at second, with no one
out. AS the infelders were playing pretty far
in, the base runners took big leads particularly
the fellow leading off from second. I was at
third base quite close to the bag, when the bats
man hit low liner which went foul. jumped
over the bag, reached for the ball and scooped it
In on the fly with my right hand. Then turned
and ran to third base. touching the bag. This
retired the man who was heading for home. Then
I went after the fellow who was coming from
second to third. He turned and back to sec
ond, but overhauled him and tagged him before
he reached the bag. retiring the side =
1t was not particularly hard play. No triple
play that have heard of has been difficult one,
but the proper conditions for making one, natu-
rally rarely to be found.