The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-22
TRICKS TO WIN BALL GAMES,
SLICK PLAYS THAT HAVE BEEN
WORKED WITH SUCCESS.
Often Unsportsmanllke, but Tina Doesn't
Always Count Among thc Professionals
bill Lange's Strange Base Running
How the Only Kelly Cut the bases'

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, nave been pulled OH
again and again by clever ball players
and many Of them have won games.
It is strange that the, stories OF such
tricks are confined to 30 few men. Whether
that is because only a few turned sech
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 attributed to NIX heny'
Jimmy McAleer, PatTebeau, BillyHamilton'
Comiskey, Tip o'Neill, Tommy Mccarthy
Tricks are pulled of almost every DAY
little ones, often unsportsmanhAe-pu
they win ball games, and that, especially
in professional games, is all mat counts
1t is boldness and quick thinking acting
that make them possible, and however
one can feel about the sportsmanshlp OF
the player who turns the trick, he cannot
but admire the cerebral celebrity OF the
player.
Dalyrmple, the old Chicago star, once
won a game by one OF the cleverest trloks
ever pulled of, says Hugh S. Fullerton
in the Clepeldnd Plain Dealer. 1t was IN
a game against Philadelphia, when the
pennant fortunes OF the team seemed waVer-
ing. The game was close and went into
extra innings with the score S to 5, and both
teams fighting for every inch OF grounn'
The eleventh inning began with arkness
descending over the 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 re-
fused, and the Quakers were sent to bat
Two men were retired and then a single
and a double suddenly changed the aspect
of things.
With men on second and third and q big
hitter up, Chioago's chances grew dim and
they began delaying and fighting for dark
ness. Still the umpire was obdurate-and
the ball was pitched. The batter swung.
There was a crack and the sphere went
fy ing out to left centre. 1t was lost to
sight IN an instant. Thu crowd did not
know whether it was a home run or a line
fly.
Two players went tearing toward the
plate. In that instant Dalrymple stood
still, showed both hands above bis head,
waited an instant, Jerked them down,
stuck something into his pocket, and turning
ran to the clubhouse, while the crowd roared
over ehicago'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 it was pantomime
which fooled everybody except q few IN
the left field bleaohers-who saw the ball
cross the left field fence OF the grounds and
fall into the street.
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 ~grounder straight at him. In some
way the ball hot straight between his
legs and oiled on out to centre field, with
out blinking an eyelash Evers went through
the pantomime Of throwing the ball to second
to force out a runner Tinker, covering the
base, pretended to catch the ball, and the
base runner, completely fooled, stepped
the yells Of his team mates aroused the
base runner Slagle had recovered the ball
and thrown the runner out at second.
Fred Clarke won a game for Pittsburg
once, when Pittsburg needed games to
beat Chicago out of a deserved victory.
He was on second base, with two out in
the ninth inning and Chicago leading.
when Wagner raped a terrific line drive
almost straight at Dahlen; who was playing
third, but seeing that Dahlen was camped
on the line OF the ball. he ran up. stopped,
made a hluff as il lodging, and just before
the hall reached him dropped fiat.
The ball shot past. struck DAMIEN on the
side OF the neck and felled him to the ground.
Clarke reached third before the sphere
was recovered. Chicago made a strong
kick on interference, but Clarke's acting
had been so well lone that it deceived even
the umpire, and an instant later a long drive
beat Chicago.
The 4OnIy Kel' was a man who copy
righted the idea of cutting bases. Kel
never tried to cut a base ten feet he wanted
to score from first by running around the
pitcher-and that is exactly h he did do
In one game against New York.
He was on Rrst when the batter raped
a grounder toward third. without an
instant's hesitation Kel started straight
toward the pitchers box, yelling Watch
Keliyi' Watch Kelly" at the top Of his
voice. '.
The umpire and the opposing players
had too much experience with Kelly and
his tricl 8 to pay any attention to him, 80
the third baseman scooped the ball end
shot it to first, the umpire running there
to watch the play. Kel almost ran over
the pitcher, and then, with one fieeting
glance at the umpire, turned and struck
through the diamond for the plate.
"Outi" yelled the umpire at the runner
on first. base, and then, turning quickly,
he sought Kel. and discovered him just
sliding across the plate with a yell Of victory.
He had scored from first on an infield out
and, although the opposing team yelled
long and loud the umpire was forced to
admit he had not seen Kel cut a base-so
the score counted.
There was a trick attempted once which
failed TO materialize because Comiskey was
there with his rawhide sarcasm. Will
White was the. victim of his own trick
and at the same time he was cured Of at
tempting TO turn anything on Comiskey.
Comis6ey sometimes says things that cut
and burn. Indeed, there is a we'll founded
belief among his acquaintance that he
keeps his players up TO the highest tension
all summer simply because they fear his
soathing tongue. He is a just man, but
woe betide the man who tries to "throw
him down." either on or of the ball field.
In those days captains were not permitted
to tak players out OF the game except in
cases Of illness or injury. One day will
White was getting his bumps hard, and the
runs we're pilng up against him. Commy
caught sight of a substitute pitcher hurry
ing to the clubhouse and scented a trick.
White lasted out the inning, and was first
to bat. He reached first, and on the first
Aon ~,tahNl .tor4aI 81 utool oaz-l "