Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-09-22
Some Old Time Ball Stories

A ballplsyer has approximately two
fifths OF second between the time the
ball hits the bat and he sees It COM
ing toward him In which he must de-
eide how to make a play. Often h
must think quicker than that, for an
accident, an unexpected turn or play,
may force him to abandon his plan
and adopt new one. a fifth Of a Sec
pnd Is a long time at the finish OF a
steal II represents the difference be.
tween safe and out and the man who
thinks quick. who gets the jump on
the ball is the good ball player, while
the fellow whose brain works Just a
flash slower goes back to the minors.
OF course. baseball nowadays, has
been reduced TO such science that
the individual thinker does not stand
out as he did In the old days Every
one is supposed to know exactly what
10 DO. The base runner is supposed to
know without signals, Just when the
batter intends 10 hit, Just which ball
Just which pitch the base runner viii
run on.
Never was this fact so impressed up
on me. says Hugh Fullerton. as a
few years ago. when / was sitting with
Cominskey. Commy was talking half
TO himself about Dick Padden, who
was about as quick a thinker as ever
played the game. Il can't understand
It," soliloqulzed the Old Roman. "He
can't hit. He can't run. lie isn't good
on ground balls. He's not any too sure
Of thrown balls, Darned II he Is a good
catcher Of ny balls. and his arm IS
bad He stopped a moment, and then
added. But he's Of a good ball
player"
The cleyerest bit Of quick thinking
ever witnessed was years ago In Gin
cinnati. and Bid McPhee, the King"
pulled IL OF. How fast he thought only
can be guessed. II must have been in
Simultaneous. Bid was on first base.
with nobody out, when somebody drove
a bounder straight at Wild Bin Ev-
erett, who was playing first for CHI
cago. Bill dug M The ball. touched
first. and made one Of his copyrighted
throws to second TO catch Bid. having
plenty Of time for the double play.
The ball disappeared. Dahlen. who
was on second never saw Il. He
thought the ball had hit Bid. The UNI
pire, crouching TO see the play NJ the
base. lost the ball Bid hesitated at
second, glanced around. saw the en-
tire Chicago infield running around
wildly, and tore for third. At third,
turning the base. he hesitated again,
looked back, and then tore for home.
From his actions both at second and
third any spectator would have sworn
BID was as ignorant Of the Whereabouts
OF the hail as were the Chicago play
ers.
The Chicago team was Wild with eN-
element and the crowd was nlystifed
No one knew where the ball was The
only olew was a yell OF amusement
from the Cincinnati bench.
The bah he'd DISAPPEARED utterly aud
the umpire threw out new one. Ate
the game We learned what had become
Of the ball Everett hll Rid With ~
The hall had struck him under the arm
and holding Il tight agains, his BODY
Bid had carried Il entirely around the
bases and 20 the bench. while acting
&c " ~ MNNA hliNN WIZ u NhHs
Little Johnny Eyers rot away wi''r
one Of the clcyeresi hits OF quick
thinking that ever was pulled N cou-
pie 81 seasons ago. We WAS playing
second IN q close game against Gin
clnnsti. Jake Beckley was on FRS.
when a batter cut hot one straight
at Evers Beckley was running when
the ball was hit and had passed Ev-
ers. when the ball taking quecr
bound shot straight through the 1T
tie ficlder's legs. EyeIs. without a
false move. st,sighitnoi up. and Beck
ley. stopping AZ second, saw Evers CO.
ing through the motions Of throwing
the ball 20 first. The Cincinnati coach
efs were yelling ike mad for lake TO
SO on. but Jake stayed ~ second when
he could have walked 10 third. ana
when he discovered the trick the out
fielder had returned toe ball 10 the dia-
fnond. Jake's failure % reach thirl
cost the Reds the game.
remember n similar instance whirh
Jimmy McAieer pulled ~ Al Clsve-