Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-24
MADE 0LC0TT FAMOUS
THIS STORY SOUNDS LIKE
WELL, THE READER CAN JUDGE

It isn't generally known that Chauncey
Olcott once figured as a base ball hero.
The actor and singer once played a base
ball game that made him famous; in fact,
there is story to the effect that a GER
tain catch he made on one occasion made
him the successful Irish star he is today.
The game which made Chauncey Olcott
famous was played at LIE, Roy, n. Y. be-
tween the LIE Roy and Essex teams. Both
teams were crackerjacks as teams went in
the sos. and the battle in question was
the deciding one of series. 1t was nip
and tuck all through the game until the
ninth inning, when the score stood 3 to
. - favor of lie Roy. The story Of the
game is realistically told as follows by
Frank Kraft of Buffalo, who was a citizen
Of LIE Roy at the time:
''In the ninth inning the Essex boys
were at bat with two men out, a man
on third and another on second. I'm
luckily for us. our star catcher was struck
in the groin and had to quit. We didn't
have utility man; in fact. there were
only nine men on the team in those days,
and the pitcher twirled in every game.
We were almost crazy. We didn't want
to forfeit, and there we were with eight
men. No one knew what to do until,
taking desperate chance, some one said:
Let US put Olcott in right field and
put Mccarthy in to catch
I'VE all laughed. Olcott was taking
tickets at the gate. He couldn't catch a
foot ball If it was tossed at him, and as
for batting he couldn't hit balloon with
a telegraph pole. But what were we to
do? Finally we had to give in and sent
for Olcott. He nearly dropped dead when
we told him to go out in the field, and
pleaded he had no uniform. This was soon
fixed up by some one giving him a cap,
and. like criminal going to the scaffold
with leaden feet, Olcott was chased into
right garden.
1.-The first man up hit liner straight
for the right field. 1t went sizzling away
out, and the runners on second and third
Just loped in. We all sat down and COW
cred our heads in shame and sorrow. The
ball couldn't have been hit to any other
part of the field except where Olcott was
playing and we-well. we had no words to
express our agony and shame.
IAN at once a shout went up from the
stands. It was not an exultant cry. but
rather one of establishment and we looked
up as one man. There was Olcott stand
ing in deep right field with that cursed
ball In his hands and as one we rushed
for him. He stood stock-still with his
arms folded. not unlike the pictures we
see now and then of Napoleon.
1--WE pulled his arms apart and there
was the ball. We lifted him upon our
shoulders and carried him in triumph to
the dressing room. The boys were SO
elated over Olcotts catch that they
Clipped in and bought him ticket for
Philadelphia, where he had wanted to go
to join Corncross' Ministries. You know
the rest He made good and is now the
famous Chauncey Olcott''
When asked how he happened to catch
the ball Olcott afterward replied:
"Darned If 1 know. 1 was so scared
when l saw it coming that I couldn't
move. l just stuck up my hands and
when the ball landed it wouldn't get off
my mitts. and to tell the truth I didn't
know it was there until you fellows came
rushing across the field and pulled my
arms apart and saw the ball"