Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-04-28
MEAN TRICKS I'm BASEBALL

pulled something off his foot. He
stepped back, and couch" again. and
examined his other foot.
Every step he took brought anoth.
cr Ouch" He pitched four balls and
then asked me to let him put ON his
| shoes. The moment he put OH the
shoes the visitors began hitting, and
they pounded out four runs, and in
the ninth they overwhelmed Plckerel
and won ensily.
That Wilmington pitcher and sec.
| ond bnseman had sailed the pItcher's
box with cookie burrs, supplied by.
the man who had bet $25.
Lodi, Pa, once won the county
championship by methods which we're
at least Irregular In baseball II hap
pened that Comstock and Lodi are
neightoring towns and the rivalry In
baseball IS intense. The teams play
series Of nine games each year,
meeting every Saturday afternoon for
nine weeks for "$25 q aide and the
amateur championship" as the hand!
bills announced
On this season Lodi was In hard
lines. Comstock won four out Of the
first five games and seemed to have
the championship cinched: also the
$25 per game. Then Lodi took u
brace aud won another game, making
the count to 2 In favor of Com;
stock.
About that time there came into
Lodi TALL singular looking man. He
was about G feet 2 inches in height.
extremely thin, about 60 years old.
and he possessed peculiarly black side
whlskers. He stopped ut the hotel.
announced that he was not a horse
trader, but a doctor looking for 10.
cation. He stald around town for
four or five days. and. OF course,
heard all the discussions regarding
the relative merits OF the two teams
and the hard luck which threatened
to give Comstock the honors. He
listened without much interest ut
first until he discovered that the man
who would help Lodi out in its ex.
tremlty would be as popular as the
Episcopallan minister.
He gravely walked out to where the
team was practicing and, after watch
ing them for time, he called the
manager aside and remarked solemn.
ly.
81 can win for you." /;
''What can you do? asked the man
nger In establishment.
"Win." replied the doctor. II be
leiye that Is what | said"
What position do you play2
"None-indeed, | never played the
game. but that Is immaterial." said
the doctor gravely "Just show me
what is wanted-and I'll win for,
yon."
The manager thought he had found
lnnatic, but after further unfolding
of ideas he grew excited and prom
Used the doctor trial.
The doctor removed his frock coat,
took the ball gingerly in his hands,
and essayed to pitch. The lockers on
yowled with delight. The ball went
ten feet wide of the plate.
The doctor pracuced few minutes
and got so he could throw the BAIL.
or. rather. toss it. within reasonable
distance of the plate. and then the
battfrs tried to hit He stood re.
garding them grayely moment be.
fore pitching the ball then lobbed 1t
up as big as q toy balloon-and the
yelled with delight Three times the
batter walloped away at balls that
looked as II they couldn't be missed.
and then sat down looking foolish.
T Everybody tried it-and nobody hit
the ball. They all went home dis,
gllsted and rather amazed. while the
manager took his new pitcher in tow
and introduced him as the savior OF
Lodi
The impression the doctor and his
whiskers made on the Comstocl;
crowd was fearful. They rolled in
the dirt with laughter when they saw
him In uniform Heregarded them
with an air Of deeply injured indigna.
ton, and 1t was noticed that he stared
oddly at them all when they laughed.
as If puzzled TO know the cause of
their merriment
He pitched with queer, jerky wrist
motion, and during the entire game
the Comstock men struck out as fast
as they came up. Twenty-six men
Fstr'ick out and one hit fly to the
infield.
HUGH g. FULLERTON.