Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-12
NED CRANE WAS
4 GREAT PITCHER,
During the Very Early Days OF
The Game Of Baseball.
INCIDENTS I'M HIS CAREER.
Oue Who Knew Him Well Tells OF
How He Twlrled Against Great
Players.

Writing OF Ned Crane, | will refer TO a
couple OF instances wherein the big. good
natured fellow turned down" Uncle
Daniel shannon, writes Wilkesbarre
man 10 the Sporting News. On satur.
day, June %. 1896, Uncle Daniel arranged
with Toronto Tor double bill, owing to
a rain on the previous days. Campbell
was pitted against Ned Crane that day
in the first game ana at the close of the
first half OF the NTH inning Wilkesbarre
had a lead by a score OF ) 10 D. and only
Two or three hits charged against him.
Bg Crane started off their NTH with q
single. his second one In the game, and
Inc Canadians made two scores, while in
,he sixth they worked two more men
over the plate and Crane died on one OF
The bases after having made another sim
gle. ,t. g..
the eighth came on apaCe. Campfeld
was hit freel yad the Canadians man.
aged to score only two men and there
were two out and two ON bases when
crane was up again. Tim Shnnick fol-
lowed Crane and during the game mad
gone out on each time up by weak inlleld
hits. Campbell realized that hit from
Crane would tie the game II not accom-
eral beaCherites called out for him TO
give Crane four wide ones he disregarded
their clamor and put II over" for the
husky twirler. Crane drove the ball ON
linz for the centerfied bank on which
he ought TO have made third and fleet
man could have scored, but Ned was
winded at second and actually sat down
on te bag He had evened up the score
and how he did enjoy IL. From his po-
..,,Io,, an a hnp he Vayp thp blaaohar.
ties a lot Of joshlng. and In moment
Tim shinnck hit down to Shannon at
second and was thrown out. Toronto
won out In their ninth, to 5. Crane
practically won his own game, for he
batted in five runs.
A month later--or, TO be accurate, OH
July Is, lsa5--the Barons again encoun-
tered Crane and his bat. happened TO
accompany the team and saw Crane
turn the trick. Tom Coakle yhad but re-
Gently Joined the Wllkesbarre team. COM
ing on from Plttsburg on a special con-
tract az 5000 per month The game was
played at Toronto on the pretty grounds
across the Don on a Friday afternoon.
Crane pitched splendid bail against the
his game Abe Lezotte made homo
run drive that rolled nearly mile
which was ielded In by Charley Pop"
smith. who played right field, The
ground was damp and i,ezotte fell fat
In turning first, and slipped onto his
knees at second and fell again at third.
smith threw the ball wide at the plate
in returning IT, but Bonner, who was
coaching, kept him at third; Lezotte
was FIRST man up. but he died, at third.
Doth Charley Smith, the Wilkesbarre
third baseman. and Bonner, gave Toronto
runs by their misplays.
-Four times the game was tied up and
the ninth inning-the last half--saw the
score 10 4, and Coakley had two out.
Big Crane was at the bat and Coakley
had two strikes and one ball on the big
pitcher. The Saturday previous Crane
had won o game In the ninth inning with
home run drive over the left field fence
and al labout the grounds there came
stentorian cry for Ned to Remember
last Saturday," and "liit II over the
fence" Crane caught one of Coakleys
swift ones and hit the ball with full force
and II went out on a line scarcely fifteen
feet from the ground "Old Pop" Lyle,
out In left held, came IN a step or two
out OF reach Of Pop" and cleared the
fence not more than eight or ten inches,
II was ono Of those line hits that go
out In almost a curve, and II seemed 10
raise Just about an Inch or two to the
yard, Crane trotted around the circuit
ana won his game. The Canadians Cneer-
cd him for a space Of tine that seemed
full FIVE minutes, There was no music In
1t for me for | would rater have lis
tened TO the dead march just at that time.
Tho following day II rained and Ned
spent the morning telling stories among
the players az the Palmer House, The
Barons left on the 1920 Grand Trunk
train for home, but before time for call
Ing III game that day the weather
cleared up and the grounds were In splen-
did condition. But Mr.. Chapman called
the fame at IL O'clock
And TO cap the cimax the final game
Of the Toronto series played In Wilkes
barre on Aug, H. 1895, was won by
70 2 score, when Buoky Freeman drove
the ball over tho right field fence-a most
terrific hit-and this closed seasons
campaign against the weak tail-enders OF
the Eeastern league. and Shannon's men
were COmnpllpd In nchf hard ia win n