The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-01-18
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GOSSIP.

We have heard of the spit ball and
the rubber-filled bali of baseball, but
the latest sensation in football is the
rebounding ball. A dozen years ago
the spiral punt was introduced, and
was the aim Of great Hckers to mas
ter this trick OF the griGiron. Late
ly certain young giant of the ST.
Louis university team has acquired
the art Of throwing spiral the dis
lance of an average punt-45 yards
but it remained for Bocock, George
towns quarter back, to discover the
rebounding ball. The trick was dis
covered in this way: The varsity
had been hammering the scrubs line
with cross bucks and straight forma-
tons with considerable success. Capt.
Bocock gave the signal fer a quar-
ter back kick, and the end slipped
out behind the scrubs line. The ball
was kicked, but the scrubs quarter
back was on the varsity end like a
flash. What was their surprise when
the ball rebounded from their very
grasp several yards into the arms
Of the varsity full back, who tore
down the field for a touchdown while
the others were looking for the ball.
A few minutes later Bocock tried an
other kick, the ball rebounding even
farther than at the attempt before. By
this time Coach Reilly and Bocock
himself began to take notice The
blue and gray captain recalled that
he had booted the ball in a peculiar
manner. When scrimmages were over
for the day he practiced this kick,
and, after some few attempts, was
able to get the proper English on the
ball, so that it rebounded twice out
of every three times. A special form
alton was added to those already on
the backfeld's slate, in which the
Georgetown backs got the ball on the
rebound, to the confusion of the op-
posing team, which had fallen back
for punt. The trick was used by
Georgetown in her games last sea-
son with considerable success.
Frank Donahue's determination to
stick to the hotel business will be a
decided loss to the Detroit club. The
trouble with ''Donny" was that he never
was quite serious enough. He never
was prone to going into the box out
of his regular turn and never made
reputation in this respect like "Rescu-
ing Rube." When he did pitch, though,
Donahue usually twirled first class
article of ball, and from the time the
season opened until it closed he was
nearly always in condition to give
his club his best services. Donahue is
one of the very few pitchers who can
boast of holding team down to no
runs or hits. He did this several years
ago against Boston, when pitching for
the Phillies. When the war with the
American league broke out, Donahue,
after giving the Phillies chance to
see" the offer of the American league,
jumped the team. He signed with st.
Louis, and was later traded to Cleve-
land, who in turn traded him to De.
troit. 1t was while with Cleveland
that Donahue had rather an odd ex-
perience. His manager fined him 5000
for drinking two glasses of beer one
night. Although admittedly the hui
morist of the baseball profession,
"Donny'' couldn't quite see the joke
in paying 800 per drink, not counting
the 5 cents to the bartender, and he
jumped the Cleveland team. While at
home he played with semi-professional
teams. One day he pitched for Wis
sahickon, at Wilmington. That after
noon Wilmington never made a hit off
Donahue and yet the Peach Staters