The Washington times., 1904-07-24
ANFCDOTFS AND COMMENT ABOUT DIVERS SPORTING TOPICS
Y MOTIFS ODD BASE~STEALING SHOES
HomeRun Haggery Tells Story of SevenLeague Boots, the
Witch, and the Ball of Fire-Basebal Players Wish That
Came True and Helped His Side to Win.

four bases at once, an when he'd get
up the Hayvil,e fellowS'd lay back on
the bench an say. Here's run, unless
lhey strike HIM out And that went
Any kind Of a hit was a safe one for
II, except a fly O. course. an he took
care to keep EN- low. Blunt. grass cut
ter. liner. or bounder. he'd beat EN- 20
first whether they went far or near. An
his reputation grew an grew till he got
durn near rs much applause as me
Met the Hayvilles.
When we met the Hayvilles RICH;
after Il had got his new shoes, we'o
heard o. MS wonderful sprintin, an
! determined to take him in a peg. SO
l praCticed mornin's whippin' EN- down
4 little faster than usual, an o course
Pinch was right there TO take anything
We'll. the game began with a little
cloud 'overin' IN the south about as big
as my mitt. IL got up in the first an
smashed one at Pinch. Ordinarily he
was gettin' two bases on hits like that.
they said. an they seemed su prised
when Pinch held him on first.
Reggie put in a swift one, as per III
structions for the next ball. an 1
damned down as pretty a throw as you
ever saw: but Pinch didn't get 1t in
time TO put it on IL. for IL was on
the bag an laughin' when the ball hit
Pinch's glove. He stole third an nome.
an we felt very cheap.
Il druv out a homer in the next IN
min to match the run he'd stole on US
an then the next time up he got anoth-
er on a base on balls an three steaiS-
I matched it with another homer.
1.-THE next time he got up he flew out
to center, an ! pulled the side ahead
with another two-bagger in our sixth
Homer in Seventh.
THE people were eagerly watchin'
our dueI-the science Of hittin' homa
runs against the dumb luck O. stealth
bases-w'en he got up in the seventh
He hit out low fly that fell safe. an
he made a homer out O. it I wouldu
a got first ! couldn't stand for such
puny raps as them. an in the next III
min I lost the ball over center an Ne
were ahead again, TO 3.
1T was the last half o. the ninth. IN
the cloud had been gittin bigger AM
| seen we'd get wet If the game wasn't
ended. So / signaled to Reggie an he
] struck out the first two men.
THE next feller up make a crackin
/ two-bagger and il was up to IL. AS thC
ball came down it Numbered. He hit
! the ball a clip an it lightened. He tore
/ for first. the ball bOundin' TO the out
/ field an there come torrent o rain
/ I saw his spikes Elimmerin' through the
rain turnin' second as l was hollsrin
fer the throw I'm Hennessy TO ketcf
. the first man at the plate when there
/ came a tremendous crash an a sheet O
{ blue flame an white smoke pou~cC
around LIS feet an he went down IN ,
1 heap. The ball sailed In, l tagged hi
I runner. an we hustled out TO see il i
I was hurt.
Tore OFF His Shoes.
What do you think? He sat there OF
the ground wipin' the mud of'n his fac,
/ an starin' blankly at his feet. Tho!
/ weren't any shoes on EN-, The lightenil
/ had tore EN- of, His stockin's was a
! dry as a bone. but there was no sign O
| upper. sole. spike or shoestring. Bu
( on the grass. right where the blackened
| charred earth showed that the bolt hat
I struck. was a burned an twisted piec
| O. paper Pinch read il. II said:
d" I've run in dust, I've run in clay.
I've stolen bases every day;
! but now you've run me in the miro
| I'll vanish In a ball Of fire
An IL he never stole a base afta
that When the story came out every
/ body agreed the witches sent the light
ening 70 take back them shoes an
that's why I'm afraid somebody ma,
do a witch a good turn some time ar
git EN- back in the game. That's VIII
I throw so swift 10 second"
GEORGE WILLIAM DALEY