The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-01
BASEBALL TRICKS
 THINGS OF PAST
There Are No More KeIIeyS,
 Ewings or LathamS
TEAM NOW WORK THE THING
Methods on Diamond Have Undergone Great Change and Old Heads Say Stars of Today Show
 Up Badly.

Tricky ball players, such as Mike Kelly Buck Ewing, Arie Latham and other stars, who have passed from public view, used to be, are seldom seen in the big leagues nowadays, says the New York Sun. The players of modern times seem to lack the individuality of the stars of years gone by probably because the mag mates occupy too much of the public eye. Old timers who still go to ball games in- sst that the players do not come up to the standard of fifteen years ago. and that there will never again be such a gall axy of stars to hold popular favor as that which made the Brotherhood of 1890 possible.
 Mike Kelly was the pioneer in tricky ball playing. As a member of the Chi cago team, back in the sos, Kelly electri- fled the baseball world one day by cutting across the diamond, avoiding third base by several yards and scoring a deciding run while the umpire was down near first base watching close play Nobody but Kelly in those days would have thought of such a thing and because Of this trick he immediately became the most talked-of ball player in America. Always Looking For a Trick.
 No matter what Kelly did, the specta- tors and the opposing players were al- ways on the lookout for a trick of some kind. If he took off his shoe and rubbed his ankle after reaching first base, he was sure to steal second the next moment. If he stood motonless at the plate and allowed the umpire to call two strikes on him without making an attempt to hit the ball, Kelly was almost sure to make d base hit.
 When he put on the mask to catch he was the first backstop to invent fake passed ball" He would purposely allow the ball to roll through his legs a yard or two so that a baserunner would take ground off the bag. Then Kelly would hustle after the ball, throw it swiftly to the baseman and invariably nail the runner. He was the first catcher to hide the ball under his arm and then as the pitcher assumed his usual attitude in the box, make a quick throw to a base for an unwary runner.
 The Mask Trick.
 One of the last of Kelys tricks was seen in this city in New York-Boston game near the close of the season of 1889. Buck Ewing, also a well known tricllster was on third with another New Yorker on second. The New Yorl1s need- ed a run to tie the score and the man on first started to steal. Kelly, who was catching for Bnston, threw the ball to second and Ewing Started for the plate. As he did so, Kelly took off his mask and placed it on the base line directly In Ew- ing's path. Meanwhlkpthe second base man had taken Kelly's throw short and had sent the ball back to the plate Ew ing was about to slide when ne saw the mask. He was afraid of a broken leg or an arm and kept hlsl feet. Kelly caught the ball and touched Buck a foot from the plate.
 That's a new one, Willie" said Kel, what do you think of it?
 But Ewing was too angry to make a reply. Buck had many tricks that were not so conspicuously played but they were just as effective. He was a notor- ious 'jollier" and "stringer," and his running fire of comments while behind the bat made him both popular and fa- nous.
 .Arlie Latham Has No Equal.
 Arlie Latham, sometimes called Dude" and '"The Clown will never have an equal, Naturally wit, he was an at traction everywhere because of his fun ny antics and sayings. And he could play ball to beat the band too. He was in his prime as third baseman of Comskey's noted St. Louis Browns ana was almost as big q drawing card as Kelly. In the winter he did a turn on the vaudeville failure. It was the diamond for his line of work or nowhere. "Lath" was a trickster and he learned many pointer