Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-03

4 .
would imagine he had been in the game
for years. instead aet just breaking in"
Earl thought SO mitch of 1.-THE Kid" that
he took him to Dallas. Texas, the next sea-
mond. Va. club. From them he went to
the Philadelphia club of the National
League, then uneieF the management OF
George Stallings. The latter took Elber-
field along with him to Detroit. in which
city the kid played until the fortunate trade
was made that enabled him to join the
Highlanders last season.
Elberfeld tells here some of his best
plays. and also his worst, as he can re-
member them: -
ut is not a cinch by any means to dig
up the good and bad plays one has made.
If my team can win the game. that is about
sufficient for me- and / forget many times
just how prominently; I may have figured
in the victory.
"The best batting I remember of having
done was right up on Washington Heights
last season. when we were playing the
Philadelphia Athletics. Connie Mack had
saved up RUDE Waddell for u.s. and the
famous southpaw never had more speed or
better benders. When Rube is right he is a
wonder, and when it is remembered that he
famed thirteen batters that afternoon 1t
can be appreciated that he was pretty near
being right. 1t was Rube's first appearance
of the season in New York, and he was
more than anxious to pitch winning game.
1t was the closest kind of contest. and
d.
the lucky boy that day. made four clean
plunks off RUDE, drove in three runs and
scored one myself. That wasn't so bad
when you say it quick. There were only
four hits made OH Rube that day. So
COPIED.
ut was one of those lucky days when
player can hit pea. Rube didn't fool me
a little bit. / refused to let him drive me
away from the plate. but stood up close
and just met the ball. Every hit was
hard one, too. and on line If had at
tempted to swing hard l might not have
made a hit. There Is everything in bat
ter timing the ball we'll, and then just
meeting it. One will be surprised at the
swiftness with which the ball shoots off the
bat.
Perhaps my best catch was of a hot
line drive over second that 1 landed with
my left hand while on a dead run. tt was
against the Washingtons and the score
was very close, only one run separating u.s.
There were runners on first and second
with no one out, and big Delehanty up. 1t
was the ninth inning, and IL looked as
though our goose was cooked. for ali the
Senator's best batters were coming up.
Del got nice low one, just where he
wanted it. and when that happened perhaps
he couldn't kill the ball. He met this one
plumb on the nosea and it shot like a streak
over second. l went for the ball blind
merely sticking my hand out, taking a
chance that the horsehide would stick in
my mitt Well, it cd by great luck and
all had to do was to touch second and
then throw to first, and the whole side was
out.
Poor Del looked daggers at me. and
could have broken my neck, but l merely
said:
Hard luck, old man.
Del replied: Yes, you robber You are
the luckiest kid on earth
THAT was the last time | saw poor Del
One of the worst errors of the many
have made was in game at Detroit when
l was with that club. Our opponents had
two runs to make to win out, and there
were two men out. There was runner on
first. The batter hit deep grounder that
l got over toward third. 1 picked the ball
up clean enough. and my play was to
throw to second to- head off the runner
from first. But, ono,Ingot too fresh-want-
ing to make grand stand play, l suppose,
and I shot the ball to first. 1 slipped or
something, for the ball sailed about forty
feet over the first ;baseman's head and into
the bleachers Both men scored, and
went home by unfrequented paths.''