Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-03
DOUG ALLISON THE FIRST.
Went Up Close Behind Bat Before Nat
Hicks Did.

NAT Hicks was a great catcher for the
short period that he stood in the limelight
of public opinion, but the press of the
country is away off in giving him credit
as the Original up-behind-the-bat man..
said the veteran catcher Douglas Allison
to a Star representative yesterday.
Not that wish to claim any such rec
ord" said Allison, "for after all it does
not carry any great weight or glory. but
lust the same 1 think figures will prove
that was among the first, IL not the first,
of any of the backstops to attempt that
trick that was the mystery of the game.
81 was a young mechanic at the time,
following the stonecutter's trade in that
sport-loving section Of Philadelphia known
as Manayunk and while catching with the
Mechanics of that place 1 began to be-
lieve it possible to get close up to the
bat so as to catch the ball. and thereby
prevent so many runners from stealing
second and third bases. l put my theory
in action and that was way back in 1866.
l first tried 1t, going up on the side in Or
der to allow the pitcher to throw them
Wide but gradually worked over behind
the batter, so as TO fool him as well as
the base runner.
my success in this style OF play was re-
markable, and naturally the talk Of the
place, until our games began to draw
crowds simply because Allison was behind
the bat This is not egotism, but the
fact, and my method soon had lots of imi-
tators in and around Philadelphia, but,
strange to say, few made success OF 1t.
I'm 1867 l played with the Gearys, the
leading amateur team of Philadelphia, and
there attracted the attention of that great
est of all base ball generals-Harry Wright.
He induced me to go with him to become a
member of the most famous American base
ball team since the game began, the Red
Stockings of Cincinnati, where l continued
I'D under the bat with plenty of success.
friend Nat Hicks did not
break into the game at all until 1870, and
could not have started that play for when
so many newspapers have been giving him
credit, and while dislikinS to cloud their
stories 1t seems right to correct the popu-
lar impression on this important epoch in
the history of base ball.
Allison talks amusingly Of the many mis-
haps that came his way while up under
the bat-how often he had been put to
sleep by catching foul tips in the face by
mistake. or winded by Asa Brainard's in
hands give testimony. for, as he says.
they are monuments for work we'll done"
They are but a mass of knotted and twist
ed joints. showing what a torture the
catcher of those days had to endure with
out any protection whatever.
Allison also said that Charley Snyder
was another who had made a success Of
catching behind the bat before the advent
of Hicks into the game and two others,
who graduated from the local Creightons.
Allison is a clerk in the Post Office
Department, still IN good heaitn, ana Is
never so happy as when out with the
youngsters of the Post Office Department
nine He Is a close follower of the Ma
tionals' chances, and is one of the few who
are hopeful, minus the knocking.
Route for the Gidden Tour.
NEW YORK, June 3.-Announcement is
made by the touring board Of the American
Automobile Association Of part Of the
| itinerary to be followed in the Glidden
trophy tour. which starts from Cleveland
July II The first nights stop is to be
made at Toledo. Ohio; the second at South
Bend Ind: the third at Chicago. and the
fourth at South Bend again. The fifth
night will be spent in Indianapolis. the
sixth In Columbus, Ohio. while Pittsburg
will be the next stopping place. From
| Pittsburg the route Is expected to lead to
| Baltimore via the national highway. and
| then to Philadelphia and New York, where