Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-03-09
W GRID OF Sport

foul tip in the first inning OF a game
put that catcher out of business. Be-
fore Hanlon could say word Hess
mad on protector and was starting
for the plate, when the man with the
split hand grabbed the mask and pro.
tector from him and went in.
That broke Hess heart-and he
never caught game for the team,
When little Arthur Nicol came TO
Chicago he met with game of freeze
out that was much like that of Hess.
Tim Donohue and Nal Kittridge, great
rivals, were doing the catching, and
Tim was determined not to give Mic
a chance. Everybody In the team
was on. and although no one knew
how good or bad Mic was, we had
statd awake at night to tell Tim what
wonder he was.
During the training season we
would get together. and. for Tins
benefit, recite wonderful things about
Nicol The day before the season Old.
ened we played an exhibition game
at indianapolis. Roger Denzer was
pitching and he had speed--he had
speed. The day was bitterly cold. and
late in the game one of Denzer's fast
ones went wide. Tim grabbed at II.
and split his hand an inch between
the first two fingers. -
Tim immediately went to n doctor
who wanted to charge $40 for sewing
up the wound. Tim refused to pay.
He appealed to me to fix the hand. II
was a weird surgical job. performed
with needle and thread purchased ut
a drug store--but we got It patched
UP finally, bound electric tape around
the two fingers and the hand and let
it go at that
kittridge was sick-and 1t appeared
that Nicol would have to catch the
opening game at Cincinnati. To the
surprise of everybody. Tim appeared.
ready for action, in the opening game
and, with his hand in that condi.
ton. caught and stuck to it until Kit
fridge was ready to relieve him.
Players have been known deliber
ately to sacrifice the interest of the
team to beat fellow player out of
credit for some play. It is hard
thing to prove, but have known of
cases where a man on first signaled
the batter to hit, as he was going
20 steal. and then the batter DELHI.
erately let the ball go and let the run
ner be thrown out at second. This
happened OH the old Chicago club so
many times that Arson was forced to
put one player on the bench for "dou.
Die crossing" Lange to let him be
caught stealing.
Lange. himself. however. did one OF
those tricks-but there was nothing
mean about his act. RI was laughable.
Lange was OH second base in n
game toward the end of the season.
He was leading the league in base
running. but some one was pressing
him holly for the honors and was
within one or two steals of him at
the time. The game was close and
Chicago needed run,l LANCE opened
the inning with two,bagger--and the
next man was sent up to sacrifice
Lange to third. The player laid down
perfect bunt and was thrown out
but LANCE remained at second. never
even offering to movr up to third.
Arson was purple with rage On
thoneXt ball pitched LANCE stole third
as clean as whistle-and Arson was
bordering on apoplcxy when the biz
fellow trotted home with the winning
ruin.
lnere was a certain outfielder OH
the White SoX team not long ago who
was jealous Of Jones. The man should
have been great hall PLAYER, but.
because of his disposition. more than
anything else. he fell short of being
great
When this man was not hitting we'll
he quit In the language of, racing,
"his dauber went up." He would let
Jones race across his field and got
flies-and never move. But when
that fellow began to get base hits
and move up in the batting average
his jealousy of the manager would
break forth violently. His criticisms
ri Jones were bitter and he refused
to permit the manager to take one
step into his territory to get. fly
bail.
The beauty of Jones' character new
or was better shown than during those
times. for he sacrificed himself at
every opportunity. let the follow make
the plays that he could have made
lust as easily-and boosted the jeal-
ous ones averages as hard as he
could. honing to keen him going. Then
the fellow would have little run of
had lnck-and quit again-making
Jones cover double territory.
q