Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-03
PECULIAR THINGS SOMETIMES
HAPPEN TO BASEBALL PLAYERS.
Queer Plays and Curious Happen
ings on Big League Diamonds
In Times Gone By.

l'ld you ever see Il batter make q real
DaSc mt, get called out before he got
10 hrSt baSe and then get credit for Il
taSc ~ Ihat same thing happened To
Charley Bennett years ago when he was
Gne or the premier catchers of the
country. The play was so unusual that
it excited Il lot of comment and discus
sion 1T the time, Vet during the last
season the same thing came within
an ace Of happening in a game between
Chicago and St. Louis
Eennek was at bat and Jouett Meek
in was pitching, when Bennett drove
"a fierce bounder straight At the pitch
or. Mcekin stuck down his arm, the ball
struck it and he dropped. The ball
bounded back toward the first base line
struck Bennett as he was tearing to-
ward first. and Gaffncy, who was UNI
piriEg, promptly called Bennett out for
being hit by Il batted ball. His hit I'M
doubleday was a hit, and by the scor-
ing rules was registered as a hit, yet
he never reached first base. The deci-
sion was disputed and argued, bur the
rules We're explicit, and as no on" ever
contemplated batter being hit by his
own drive there was nothing to distin-
guiSh it from a hit made by a succeed
! ing batter.
A queer play happened in n game be-
tween Chicago and Pittsburg this
season in which Reulbach was
| The victim, much to the delight of the
crowd. Sheehan hit a high bounder and
/ the Chicago pitcher leaping, knocked 1t
! Down with one hand. The ball, in fall
/ lag, dropped into his sleeve and stayed
/ there. Sheehan was sprnting for first
land Reulbach. after trying in vain To
| pull the ball out Of his sleeve. finally
shook it out. picked it up and threw the
runner out by a step.
| That is variation Of a thing that
+ happened to Cliff Carroll. of which ball
players delight to tell. Cliff was play
ing center for st. Louis when. in stop
! ping a hit, he fumbled and then
pushed the ball into the pocket of his
shirt, nor could he get it out until the
batter had scored. Cliffs accident
caused Won der Abe to issue an order
| forbidding the players to have pockets
Ion their shirts. There is no record that
Murphy ordered his team to dispense
with shirt sleeves. however.
| Frank Isbell tells one of the best OF
Them all. 1t is not new, but it is worth
repeating. Issv was then pitching foI
st. Paul and the Sunday grounds, out
side the city limits, We're about the siZt
of a small backyard. High fences sur
Grounded the entire plat. and the out
helders We're in the habit Of getting the
balls as they bounded off the fences and
Throwing the runners out at first.
| Big Roger DcnZer was pitted against
lIssy and in the final inning Mmn"apo-
Ills was 4 run to the bad and Issy
Thought he was winning easily. cspe-
cIally as two We're out and a man or
first as under the circumstances, it re-
Iuuircd about three base hits to secure 3
run.
| The batter drove 4 liner to center ant
both the infielders and outfieldcrs gath
Tered around. Waiting for the rebound t.
throw the runner out. The ball STRUCK
on q Wire nail in the fence and stucF
There, and while the OutlielderS Ner.
hunting a ladder. the batter scored {
Ihome run and the game was over.
! A play came up in an exhibition con-
ltcSt between the New York team and {
team of colored players at Jackson
VILE. Fla, in 1899. that perhaps never
Twill be duplicated. A big negro namet
Turner was pitching for the colore'
linen, and Walker, famous negro
catcher, who was barred from the Ma
'tional when the color line was drawn
twas behind the bat. Turner had :
iworld Of speed and he had the Gitnt'
stopped up to the seventh inning. An!l'
Rusic was ut bat with 4 runner OF
THIRD and one out and he tipped foul
walker evidently lodged. for the bal
,struck him squaTcly on top of the hea'
land bounded high into the air and Tur
liner, sprinting forward. caught it as i
lien. Walker got an assist and Turne
las putout on the play.
| A similar accident occurred Whel
lBil Schriver was catching for Chi'a
go, except that, after the foul hit nm
lin the head Schriver. whirling around
lgot under the ball and held it,
| Pitchers often get 4 lot Of credit +"
brainy work when luck is more u
blame than anything else. There is al
instance of this that is illustrated by ;
iconfession made by Walter Thornton
one day AFTER ne Dtdt tie tiiti'ii'''i
baltimore club.
10 understand the situation it mus
jbe known that Jake Stencil. although
la great hitter. could not hit left hand
iers much, and that he was sucker
Iagainst a, fast low curve and c"ul'
i"kiH' the high ones. especially if the!
Iwere pitched inside the plate. Jake hat
mot been hitting Thornton and. in th'
final round. Walter Rrodie was sent il
Ito hit for him. Brodie could hit the low
ZONES hard and did not like a fast one
INSIDE the plate.
| Imagine the surprise when Donohue
lcatching Thornton. signaied for higf
last one and Thornton shook his head
land then pitched low curve. Brcdi'
missed this favorite ball-a foot
lAgain Thornton shot over a low curve
/ and again Brodie slashed away at the
third low one and struck out.
Going home in the carriages, Dono
hue asked Thornton:
II what in the name of the holy mack
erel did you mean by pitching Brodi'
low curves over the plate?'
II "Brodie?" asked Thornton. "Brodi,
wasn't in the game
II He had not noticed the change of bat