The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-04-26
TRICKS TO WIN BALL GAMES
FLICK PLAYS THAT HAVE BEEN
WORKED WITH SUCCESS.


base Running--How the Only Kelly
Cut the Bases.. .. =. ......
Tricks worked with such exceeding
speed as to deceive the umpire, the OPP
posing team and often practically every
one on the ground, have been pulled off
again and again by clever ball players,
and many of them have won games.
1t is strange that the stories of such
tricks are confined to so few men.
Whether that is because only few turn
ed such tricks or whether all the clever
tricks were attributed to them, just as
all the funny stories are attributed to
notorious story tellers, no one knows
but the greatest of the tricks are at
tributed to Mike Kelly, Jimmy McAleer,
Pat Tebeau, Billy Homilton, Comiskey,
Tip O'Neil, Tommy Mccarthy.
Tricks are pulled off almost every
day-little ones, often unsportsmanlike
but they win ball games, and that,
especially in professional games, is all
that counts. 1t is boldness and quick
thinking and acting that make them
possible, and however one can feel
about the craftsmanship of the player
who turns the trick, he cannot but
admire cerebral celebrity Of the player.
Dalyrmple the old Chicago star, once
won a game by one of the cleverest
tricks ever pulled Off says Hugh S.
| Fullerton in the Cleveland Plain Dealer
1t was in game against Philadelphia,
when the pennant fortunes of the team
seemed wavering. The game was close
and went into extra innings with the
score to 5, and both teams fighting
for every inch Of ground. The eleventh
inning began with darkness descend
| ing over the field-with the score still
a tie.
Chicago scored one run and the Phila
delphia crowd, which had the last bat,
was bowling at the umpire to call the
game on account of darkness; but he
fused, and the Quakers We're sent to
bat. Two men were retirel and then a
single and double suddenly changed
the aspect Of things.
With men on second and third and a
big hitter up, Chicagos chances grew
dim and they began delaying and fight
ling for darkness. Still the umpire was
obdurate-and the ball was pitched.
The batter swung. There was a crack
and the sphere went flying out to left
centre. 1t was lost to sight in an in
slant. The crowd did not know
whether it was home run or line
fly.
Two players went tearing toward the
plate, in that instant Dairymple stood
still showed both hand above his head,
waited an instant, jerked them down,
stuck something into his pocket and
turning ran to the clubhouse, while the
crowd roared over Chicago's victory.
In the clubhouse Dial confessed that
he hadn't seen the ball at all, hadn't
the slightest idea where it had fallen,
and that his entire play Of catching 1t
was which fooled every
body except few in the left field
bleachers-who saw the ball cross the
left field fence of the grounds and fall
into the street.
Johnny Evers worked a clever trick
couple of seasons ago that resulted
in a put out. He was playing second
and there was a runner on first when
the batter cracked a hot groundei
: straight at him. In some way the bal
shot straight between his legs and roll.
ed on out to centre field Without
blinking an eyelash Evers went through
the pantomime of throwing the ball t
second to force out runner. Tinker
covering the base, pretended to catcf
! h the ball, and the base runner, complete
ly fooled, stopped and started to wall
: to the bench. Before the yells of hi
/ team mates aroused the base runner
Slagle had recovered the ball anC
thrown the runner out at second.
Fred Clarke won a game for Pitts
burg once, when Pittsburg needed
games to hold the championship, by {
. trick which beat Chicago out of a de
served victory. He was on second base
with two out in the ninth inning ant
: Chicago leading, when Wagner rappet
: a terrific line drive almost straight a
: Dahlen, who was playing short, Clark
3 already had started for third, but see
: ing that Dahlen was camped on tn
line of the ball, he ran up, stopped
made bluff as if lodging, and JUS
before the ball reached him droppe
= flat. The ball shot past, struck DAZZLE
q on the side Of the neck and felled hir
+ to the ground. Clarke reached thir
p before the sphere was recovered. Chi
eago made strong kick on interior
: ence, but Clarke's acting had been S
, well done that it deceived even the UNI
g pire. and an instant later long driy
beat Chicago.
The "Only KEEL" was a man VIII
: copyrighted the idea of cutting base
v KEEL never tried to cut a base ten fee
7 he wanted to score from first
; running around the pitcher-and tha
3 is exactly what he did do in one gam
i against New York.
it He was on first when the batter raj
Il ped grounder toward third. Withol
e an instants hesitation Kel starte
straight toward the pitchers box, vel
a ing Watch Kelly" watch Kelly
d at the top of his voice.
d The umpire and the opposing player
= had too much experience with Kelly a
l. his tricks to pay any attention to hir
is so the third baseman scooped the ba
n and shot it to first, the umpire runnir
to there to watch the play. Kel almost ra
Sc over the pitcher and then, with OF