The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-29
tkkH INCH HOBBS: the Greatest
Shortstop That Ever
i Lived

- Lived.
THAT is to be the title of book 1 viii
bring out some day when the public gets
the deeds of Home Run Haggerty. the
greatest batter that ever lived.
"As 1 have often said, Pinch Hobbs
was in a class by himself when it came
TO shortstopping. He was a blue-ribbOn
ball player. George Davis is slow, Dahlen
a bungler. Hans Wagner a frost. Tom
my CorcOran a boy in the lots. and Par
ent. Elberfeld. Monte Cross, Hughey
Jennings, Herman Long, and the rest OF
the gang of present-day stars mere am
ateurs compared to that peerless little
infelder. Between second and third,
nothing got by him or over rim less
than fifteen feet high.
mo matter how fast or how slow, or
how close the score was, he was on the
spot and delivered the goods. Nothing
ever ratified him, no heavy hitter ever
scared him. no high fouls this side OF
the bleachers or grandstand ever feased
him. He went after everything, and
what he went after he brought back.
And his motto ever was: Always try
to get more than one man out
Tricky Ball Player.
"A schemer. a tricky ball player. on
TO all the fine points of the game. and
ready to play EN-; all these he was.
but never a dirty player. And he'd
rather lose a scientifically played game
than win one through luck.
add to all this that he was, as his
nickname tells. the greatest pinch hit
ter in the business. right there with a
safe drive when all seemed lost. and
you have the great Pinch. Always cool.
calm. and calculatin'. and always ready
TO throw dismay into the ranks of his
opponents with some unexpected play.
he was feared and loved by friend and
foe
1T was his proud boast that he never
drank drop of liquor or smoked a
cigarette IN his life And yet L remem-
Der one time that he took the count
on just one drink OF cordial water and
made fool OF himself and all the rest
of us and near broke up our winning
combination. III tell you the story.
The famous Alfalf9s. Joseph Hap
good, manager. and me catcher. were
playing the first series Of the season
with the C1overdaIes. who had won the
championship the season before
UNCERTAINTY OI baseball.
"They had the same team. all good
ball players, and as we were playing on
the Cloverdale diamond nobody feared
us much. We We're then just getting
together the famous bunch that won
the DeRnant in that league for three
seasons. ana they didn't know about
us And that's the glorious uncertainty
Of baseDallss YOU. get a champion team,
with all kinds of spectacular players,
and just when you least expect IT you
go up against team OF dubs and they
lam the life out of you. That's what
we did in the first game with the
Cloverdales.
They had the champion pitcher Of
the league in the box. and when we
went on the field we could see they
thought it was all over but packing up
the bats Things went along evenly
till the fourth inning. Pinch Hobbs had
cut of several runs by electrical one
hand stops and lightning throws and
he had the audience with him to a
man And when he cracked out double
IN the fourth. as a starter the Clover
dale president and treasurer and man
ager. who were in the grandstand, de-
clared they'd get him on their team If
it took 1900.
That Home Run.
Pete Brown doubled: 1 made a hom-
er; the Harrison brothers made hits:
Reggie got first on an error. and Hen
messy our left fielder. tripIed When
the dust had cleared away we had the
champs on the run
We'll. we won that game. to ;.
They made a desperate rally in the
ninth. but Pinch made a one-hand cstch
OF liner for one out. scooped I'D a
bunt and caught man at the plate
for another and then ran over and. jump
cd the bleacher fence 10 get a foul fly
with the bases full. He got II. too. and
though the crowd was disappointed
there was a unanimous demand for the
Alfaifas' sunburned. auburn-haired
shortshop for the Cloverdale team.
They got after him that night and
offered him all sorts OF Inducements
Money was Ike water wit hthem. They
offered him the biggest salary any bali
player in those parts ever had but he
wouldn't quit US. He had a contract
with the Alfalfas. Of course. but also
had special agreement with Josh that
ne was 70 have his release whenever he
wanted II. He was such a good player
that Josh had 20 give in to this. though
IL was Irregular
Tried LADY" on Him.
Seem they couldn't get him one way.
the Cloverdale people tried another.
About O'Clock that night. while we
were watching a game OF billiards az
the hotel. Pinch received heavily
scented little note on blue paper and
wrote I'm ink and all that. and il said
sly Dear Mr.. Hobbs. WouId Won,
delight one who has long watched
your illustrious career. and IS deeplv
interested in your future with a cafI
this evening at $50 at Sc Barnes Ave
nue.? Believe me.
." "A SINCERE ADMTRER,
pinch Hobbs. as 1 have said. has
few lady friends. He Is red haired 10
begin with; bowlegged in the second
place. and. thirdly. his skin don't take
20 the exposure I'm the air incidental TO
baseball, and the freckles just crowd
one another for chance 70 get on his
face. Fourthly. fifthly. siRthIy, and
seventhly. he's got a big scar over one
eye and half his left ear is gone-the
result OF his being a brakeDlan on the
rear car Of a freight la "A collision
and one OF his hands IS all red from
bein' scalded when an mime blew up.
and his teeth are very crowded In front.