Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-20
SOME GREAT BASE
RUNNING FEATS
BY HUGH S. FULLERTON.

Good base running consists in reaching
the base safely; bad base running consists
in being caught At least that is the YER
dict of the crowd, and even an expert has a
hard time TO tell whether the base running
is good bad. Some of the worst breaks
made on bases win games and some of the
best result in defeat The expert can tell
a good base runner by the way he gets the
start the ground he gains while the pitch
er is delivering the ball the way he slides
to the objective base and the Judgment he
uses in stealing.
good base runner will take chance at
one stage of a game that he never would
think OF attempting at another: will make
seemingly insane steals at unaccountable
times. He is using his judgment
Base running has, in a sense. become a
lost art Base ball now Is played by GER
tain mathematical rules and regulations
and there is no more of the brilliant indi-
yidual feats of the old days. Every one
who plays now knows just what stage the
game is in. what to do in that stage and
If he does not the signals from the batter
to him show him his duty. In the old days
most OF the ran unaided by bunt
Squeeze, hit-and-run or blocking or
feinting to bunt to draw the feders out of
position.
aiiZe the opposition, but not to the extent
that they did in the early years of the
game. In those days a team would run
bases at every stage and many times would
so upset the defense that 1t broke ell to
pieces. and then the victors ran at will
When Comiskey's st. Louis gang was
sweeping the boards 1t got against the New
York Giants. and there ensued the most
daring exhibition of base running, per-
haps. ever seen outside of the marvellous
| running OF the old Chicago White Stock
ings. The association crowd expected and
hoped to demoralze the Giants, and they
started at it.
In the first inning old Juice Latham apped
| out a hit and tore for first He went there
| yelling like a Comanehe that no National
| Lacquer could put him out. He turned first
| dashed for second. with the astounded
| Giants wild. and he beat the ball there
| Never stopping. he turned and dashed for
| third. BY that time the Giants had recoy-
| cred bit. and Juice was called out at
| third by the narrowest of margins after q
| desperate twisting slide. He always vowed
he never was touched. The Browns tried to
| sweep the Giants OF their feet They ran
| the bases like wild men, but they were
| stopped. Buck Ewing's throwing was too
| much for them and they actually were
| beaten at their own game.
| Mike Kelly was perhaps the most dar-
| ing of all base runners. He never was ex-
tremely fast, and in his latter years grew
| extremely siow-but he stole almost as
| many bases when slow as ever he did. In
| deed, the best base runners the game has
known were men of medium speed In run
| ming, and few OF the really fast sprinters
| ever were good base runners. Kelly ran
| bases with his head instead of his feet
One of the best tricks that old team ever
| pulled off was against Boston in Chicago
| Kelly engineered the deal. although he was
| on first base with runner-Burns | think
On third. One was out and the worst HIT
ter in the team up, with one run needed
| Kelly was standing first, and as the
| pitcher prepared to deliver the ball Kel
went dashing toward second, yelling at the
top of his voice.
! The pitcher took a glance to see IL the
| runner had left third. and saw him stand
| ing still, and. to his establishment, saw
| Kelly still tearing toward second He hes
itated. expecting hel would stop or slow
up-then threw, and threw high. while KEEL,
| instead OF sliding and reaching second In
safety. merely touched the base and turned
toward third at top speed, leaving the sec
ond baseman holding the ball in astonish-
ment. The runner at third had moved of
| ten feet as KEEL came tearing toward him
yelling commands. and. catching the drift
of the play. he sprinteG for home. The
| throw went to the plate ahead Of him as
he rushed homeward. and seeing himself
hopelessiy out, he slowed up bit, and