The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-11

a good time, and missed the train for
New York, where the Chicagos were
scheduled to play next. Half an hour
after the umpire had sung out play
BALL" Big Bill floated into the New
York field and Pop Arson. the captain,
met him with a scowl.
This will cost you just one hundred,
Bill" said Arson.
"All right, captain" answered Lange,
who could always take his medicine
like a man.
The team was to play in Washing
ton the next afternoon, and LANCE went
out the night before to view New York
and get a glimpse of the elephant.
Again the same scene was visible-Bill
rushing for the train and missing it.
Knowing that a second offense against
the captains orders meant something
dire, Lange dressed himself in his uni
form on the train to gain time, and
when he struck Washington chased
like mad through the streets in full
regalia. Then he jumped into a cab
and reached the grounds a short time
after the game opened.
Again Arson met the delinquent, and
in sending him out to center. said:
Sorry, Bill, but this means another
hundred"
"All right, captain" said Lange. sa-
luting.
mat was a game III lot lIle BOuS-
They played ten strenuous, roaring in
nings. AT the end of the ninth the
score stood to 4, and the spectators
simply howled themselves frantic. Chi
cago went to the bat at the opening of
the tenth, and made one run. The
score stood: Chicago, 5; Washington,
4. Then the Washington men gritted
their teeth and went into slug and
knock the score into little bits.
Gv~eN hot for
Chicag COS pitcher struck out neatly A
two-bagger and a single followed, and
when the next man came to the bat
third and second bases held each it's
man. The Washington man slammed
the very first ball pitched. The ball
rose with a swish and went swinging
out over center, where Lange was
standing
Big Bill took one look at the ball and
rushed backward. Everyone including
Pop Arson, decided that the sphere
would fall outside the fence. But it
did not. Lange took in the situation
like lightning. He made a flying leap
at the ball when he was six feet from
the fence and caught the flying leather
in both hands. But Big Bill came near
playing his last game that day. He
came down on top of the fence, on his
stomach, and his 200 pounds crashed
through the wood But he held that
ball, and men who saw the memorable
game Say that never did spectators
shout and stamp and cheer as did those
who saw LANCE make what is probably
the greatest catch ever recorded.
After the game Bill limped up to An
son and said:
'Well, captain, does that hundred
go?"
Arson looked at him with pride, and
said: mo, Bill; neither of those hun
dreds goes
Then there was Doc Miller, the old
Chicago pitcher He is practicing
medicine now, and probably sinks
away from the office at times to get
the feel of the diamond once more. Doc
was an execrable batsman, but a good
pitcher. Pop Arson did all he could
to improve him, but he seemed beyond
redemption. Once, when Chicago was
playing in Baltimore, Doc went to the
bat in the ninth inning, when three
men were on bases, and the score stood:
Baltimore, 8; Chicago Z. There were
two men out.
The Baltimore rooters were familiar
with Miller's weakness at the bat, and
yelled him almost into delirium. He
was decidedly ratified" and turned to
Pop Arson for Instructions.
''What'll l do, captain?" he queried.
Use your head, of course, you idiot"
returned the captain.
| When the Baltimore pitcher shot his
| first ball in, Miller protruded his head
and caught the ball on it. The blow
| almost Knocked him out. However, he
| followed Anson's instructions, and the
latter still gets amusement out of the
| story.
Miller almost killed Arson once It
was a pretty close call. Chicago was
playing Baltimore, and the latter had
been appropriating bases with great
CELEBRITY and success. Arson determitl-
ed to stop it. He was holding down
first base. and arranged with Miller,
who was pitching, so that when the Chi
cago catcher raised his mask and spat
Miller would send the ball to first with
out looking toward that base. 1t was
to be done rapidly and with all Miller
strength.
Practice began next day, and it was
about five minutes before playing time.
Arson was on first, with Miller pitch
ing. The catcher wanted to spit, md
lifted his mask to do so. All of a sud
| den the ball shot like lightning from
Miller's hands, and struck Arson a
hard, glancing blow on the Adams APP
pie. Arson says he was mad enough
to knife some one, but he blamed him
self for not being on the watch to prac-
tice his own game. He carried a re-
minder of that incident for a long time,
in the shape of a small lump and sting
ing pain.