Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-24
ODD HAPPENINGS
IN BALL GAMES
How Victory Has Sometimes
Been Decided by Extran-
e0uS Circumstances.
By Hugh 8. Fullerton,

~ AoSA Z uAAC4IOu
Did you ever see a batter make real
base hit, get called out before he got to
first base and then get credit for a base
hit? That same thing happened to Charley
Bennett years ago when he was one of the
premier catchers Of the country. The play
| was SO unusual that 1t excited a lot Of COM
| ment and discussion at the time. yet. with
| In the last fortnight the same thing came
within an ace of happening in game be-
| tween Chicago and st. Louis.
Bennett was at bat and Jouett Meekfn
was pitching. when Bennett drove a fierce
bounder straight at the pitcher. Meekin
stuck down his arm the ball struck 1t and
he dropped. The ball bounded back toward
the first base line. struck Bennett as he was
tearing toward first. and Gaffney who was
umpiring. promptly called Bennett out for
being hit by batted ball His hit undoubt-
eddy was hit and by the scoring rules
was registered hit. yet he never reach
ed first base. The decision was disputed
and argued. but the rules were explicit.
and as no one ever contemplated a batter
being hit by his own drive there was moth
ing to distinguish it from hit made by a
succeeding batter.
A queer play happened in game between
Chicago and Pittsburg only a few days
ago in which Reulbach was the victim
much to the delight of the crowd. Sheehan
hit high bounder and the Chicago pitcher
leaping. knocked 1t down with one hand.
The ball. In falling. dropped into his sleeve
and stayed there. Sheehan was sprinting
for first and Reulbach, after trying in vain
to pull the ball out Of his sleeve. finally
shook 1t out picked 1t up and threw the
runner out by step.
That is a variation Of thing that hap
pened to Cliff Carroll Of which ball play
ers delight to tell. Cliff was playing center
for ST. Louis when. in stopping hit. he
fumbled and then pushed the ball into the
pocket Of his shirt. could he get 1t out
until the batter had scored. Cliffs accident
caused. Won der Abe to issue an order for
bidding the players to have pockets on their
shirts. There Is no record that Murphy or
dered his team to dispense with shirt
sleeves however.
Ball Stuck on a Nail
Frank Isbell tells one of the best Of them
all. 1t Is not new. but 1t Is worth repeating.
Issy was then pitching for st. Paul and the
Sunday grounds. outside the city limits
were about the size of small backyard.
High fences surrounded the entire plat.
and the outf1e!ders were in the habit OF
getting the balls they bounded off the
fences and throwing runners out at first.
Big Roger Denzer was pitted against
Issy and in the final inning Minneapolis
was run to the bad and Issy thought he
was winning easily. especially as two were
out and man on first as. under the cir
cumstances. 1t required about three base
hits to secure run.
The batter drove liner to center and
around. waiting for the rebound to throw
the runner out. The ball struck on a wire
nall in the fence and stuck there, and. while
the outfelders were hunting ladder. the
batter scored a home run and the game was i
over.
play came up In an exhibition contest
between the New York team and a team
of colored players at Jacksonville, Fla. In !
1893 that perhaps never will be duplicated. !
A big negro named Turner was pitching
for the colored men. and Walker. a famous |
negro catcher who was barred from the Ma !
tional when the color line was drawn. was !
behind the bat. Turner had world of
speed and he had the Giants stopped up to /
the seventh inning. Annie Rusie was at bat |
with runner on third and one out and |
he tipped foul. Walker evidently lodged |
for the ball struck him squareiy on top of
the head and bounded high into the air and !
Turner. sprinting forward. caught 1t as 1T |
fell. Walker got an assist and Turner a
putout on the play.
A similar accident occurred when Bill
schriver was catching for Chicago, except
that. after the foul hit him in the head
Schriver whlrling around, got under the
ball and held 1t.
A Case Of Luck.
Pitchers often get a lot of credit for
brainy work when luck Is more to blame
than anything else. There is an instance
of this that Is illustrated by confession
made by Walter Thornton one day after he
beat the champion Baltimore club.
To understand the situation 1t must be
known that Jake Stencil. although a cork
ing hitter, could not hit left handlers much |
and that he was a sucker against a
fast low curve and could "kilI' the high
Ones especially IL they were pitched inside !
the plate Jake had not been hitting
Thornton and, in the final round. Walter
Brodie was sent in to 1T for him. Brodie |
could hit the low ones hard and did not /,
like a fast one inside the plate.
Imagine the surprise when Donohue.
catching Thornton, signaled for a high
fast one and Thornton shook his head. ana
then pitched q low curve. Brodie missed
this favorits ball-a foot. Again Thorn