Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-13
TRICKS FOUND TO
WORK BOTH WAYS
Newark Springs the Wigwag-
ging Scheme, Much to
Rivals Discontinue.

Revival of the ancient wigwag decided
pennant in the Ohio and Pennsylvania
Base Ball League in 1907 and worked out
one of the queerest things that ever hap
pened in this queer organization. 1t has
been many days since a wigwag broke
into organized base bail. the old Pitts
burg buzzer being about the most recent
to come to public notice.
But Newark started wigwagging in the
autumn of 1907 and got away with it.
till Youngstown. Newark's chief rival.
grew wise to the trick and turned back
onto Newark its own pet scheme
Late In the season of 1907 Newark,
Youngstown and Akron were running a
neck-and-neck race for the pennant
Youngstown had won four flags and nat
urally the other teams were rather ar
rayed against the team which had been
successful in the past There was just a
shade of difference between the three con-
tenders. All had good pitchers, all were
hitting the hall and all were punched so
the luck would decide the race. Newark
was getting no more than it's share of
good fortune. SO some wise guy set out
TO manufacture some luck.
Conditions Good.
Down in the O. and p most of the ball
parks are in the deep suburbs surrounded
by fine pasture lands, so this condition
made little scheme possible, where 1t
could not have worked with success in
a major league circuit. where dwellings
come close to the ball grounds.
In Newark there is a big tree out past
center field on direct line with the
plate. From it's branches careful OBJ
server armed with a good field glass
could observe all the doings on the dia-
mond just as we'll as though he were
standing at the plate. Furthermore, he
could see the signals of the catcher. The
conditions gave the Newark folks a
hunch
A young man who was we'll posted in
base ball was sent out to the favorably
located tree the next time Youngstown
appeared In that city. His observations
of the catcher's movements the first day
and the way the pitcher worked soon
gave him command of the Youngstown
pitching signals. The second day he set
his information working. Every time the
Youngstown catcher signaled for an out
curve the wigwagger held his hat to his
left The batsman took heed and acted
accordingly. In-curves and drops were
tipped Off When the Newark hitters
stood at the plate and watched irve
miss the platter by a few inches the
Youngstown players and management
commenced to wonder But every time
the Newark persons picked out the
straight fast ones and Swatted to the
far Outtelds the wonder increased to deep
amaZement.
Youngstown Turns the Tables.
Help was sought from home and one
of the Youngstown owners who had in
his day put over few phony tricks got
hep to the proceeding. Signs were
changed frequently and the team finished
the series in fair shape. although it got in
mighty bad when the wigwag was work
ing.
Having had one put over on it, Of
course the Youngstown management
sought revenge. Newark was due for a
series in Youngstown the next week and
the club owner who discovered the hat
trick set about devising u plan for get
ting even. He soon evolved scheme
that worked Well In center field on the
Youngstown fence there were lot of
big pillars composed of common boards
painted white. One of these was followed
out and youth armed with a field glass
and a lath took up his station inside.
little application soon brought out the
signals of the Newark catcher. When an
out curve was coming the lath was
waved to the left. A wave to the right
showed an inshoot and downward mo-
ton appraised the batter that a drop ball
was due. Youngstown swatted the New
ark pitchers hard and long and parades
of right handlers, punk ball pitchers. left
handlers and the whole Newark pitching
staff did not stop the slaughter. Newark.
of course. suspected a trick having in
mind it's own subterfuge, but the wig
wager was so we'll concealed in the hOl-
low pillar that his presence never vas
detected.
Youngstown won enough games from
Newark that trip to take slight lead
and by defeating Sharon on it's own
grounds the last game of the season won
the pennant by less than a game. The
secret was concealed carefully until a few
uvoeks ago when a member OF tho