Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-14

"rll give you 50 cents an hour to play
with u.s. -
IAN right"
That afternoon the left fielder of the
Browns made two long drives and hauled
down a hard-hit fly. Commp paid him 70
cents and gave him supper at the hotel.
, The sequel to the story is interesting.
The corn shucker got all broke out with
base bah. and the next spring broke into
the Texas League and graduated into the
Southern. He might have been a major
league star IL his father hadn't died and
left him the farm.
The player Commy found was BIZ Lud-
wig Farmer Bill they called him at
Austin. where he for two seasons hit them
high up and far away.
Anson's team lost a game to Cincinnati
brotherhood year in one of the strangest
ways ever a game was lost. Cincinnau's
victory was due entirely to two brother
hood players who were sitting in a box
watching the National Leaguers play. The
players were Ryan and Dwyer. That year,
when the players union threatened the life
of the old league, the Brotherhood was de-
termined to have more batting, and a firm
headed by Tim Keefe got the contract for
manufacturing a lively ball. And they
made it lively. 1t went like a shot, wound
ing players, and base hits were many and
long.
The cunning National League however
took exactly the opposite tack. 1t was
badly weakened and the ranks were filled
with many cheap minor leaguers and the
National knew that. with live ball. its
playing would show up badly against the
work of the stars who had deserted to the
Brotherhood. So the National voted for
the deadest kind of ball. and kept the
scores down to 1 to and to l, to make
the public think 1t was playing the better
bali
On the afternoon mentioned Chicago had
Cincinnati beaten by score of to late
l,S To- Il Dff tho NM
aging Cincinnati. was striving In vain to
pull out the game. Dwyer and Ryan, sit
| ting in a box. determined on some fun, and
Ryan threw a Brotherhood ball onto the
field after one of the National League
balls had been fouled into the stand. Lotus
| caught a glimpse OF the red and white
| seams and his hopes rose.
The change was marvellous. Cincinnati
| suddenly commenced hammering the ball
| all over the lot. Hit followed hit. the out
nelders ran their tongues out and the Reds
piled up six runs before they stopped. Then
the BAH suddenly disappeared.
| To this day Arson will not believe the
trick was worked. although on bet three
men who were in the box with Ryan signed
affidavits that he got the Brotherhood ball
into play.
Somewhere out on the West Side ball
park in Chicago. II 1t has not decayed.
! there Is a base ball with a mystery at
| IL,
story of one of the queerest things and one
| Of the strangest decisions ever given in
| base ball.
| In the middle Of hot game between
Louisville and Chicago. on May II, 1889, II
| my score book dates are correct. this ball
disappcareL-and SO far az any one knows
| never yet has been found.
| The score was to in the seventh In
| ming, with Chicago at bat. when Arthur
| Nichols. the little catcher. came up with
| one man out He whanged into the ball
| and drove 1t safe to right. charlie Dexter
| threw to second and Nichols slid safe just
as tho ball arrived. Tommy Leach was
covering second base. and as Nichols slid
Re lost sight Of the ball. He said 1t struck
his forearm and fell to the ground and
| when he started to pick 1t up It wasn't
| there. He thought IT was under Nichols
| and waited until the runner arose. The
! ball was not there. Nichols waited and
| held the base, fearing the ball was hidden
| and he would be tagged out Ritchey and
| Leach were busy hunting for It, Every
| body Joined In. Still Nichols feared a trick
and stuck to the bag. After minutes UNI
| pire Smith, who was working on the bases
/ called the Louisville players down. and af-
| ter accusing them of hiding the ball threw
| new one into play. Chicago kicked and
Nichols was ordered to run home. He ran,
! but Smith sent him back to second and or
dered play begun with new ball. A mo-
ment later Taylor doubled to right and
I Nichols was npped at the plate. Leach
| Nichols and Ritchey. the only men near
the ball. vowed they never saw 1t. What
really. became Of 1t no one seems to know.