Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-29
HOOK SLIDE USED
BY BASE RUNNERS
An Old Play in General Use by
Star PiIferers That Worries
the CatcherS.

ness. when chased back to first by the
pitcher. or in stealing. has used the same
style in sneaking into a base ever since
he was with the Chicagos. and bill
joined old Anson's White Stockings away
back in 1891.
Dahlen found the same hook slide that
he uses now In vogue nearly twenty
years ago, and it is ten years older than
that.
Old Cap Arson didn't shine. of course.
as a hook-side artist. and he never did
like to hit the dirt" anyhow. but have
seen Cap slide. nevertheless, both feet
first and head first, but he was cum
bcrsome and loggy on his feet as old
Jack Milligan, who was never known to
make home run unless he walloped the
ball over the fence, and l did hear that
Jack was once thrown out at the plate
after doing the over-the-bulwark belt,
but that was during the time when a lick
over the fence didn't necessarily credit
the batter with homer.
Some small boy outside the fence was
stationed there with malice aforethought,
and with the express purpose Of heading
on Milligan In case he got In the long
drive. The lifefielder Skinned up the
fence, received the ball from the tenth
man." then shot the ball to the pitcher.
who remained in his box for the purpose
Of making q live" ball out of dead"
one. and the twirler passed 1t to the
catcher, and l understood Milligan was
caught halfway between third and home.
Milligan Made a Protest.
Milligan made an awful roar when he
recovered his wind. but the umpire had
no alternative than to call him out, al
though his jumps was kind enough to ex-
press his sympathy.
Jack Milligan was a well-known catcher
In his day, and also famous batter
The hook slide was first brought into
use by Tom Burns. the old third base
White Stockings in 1850, 1 think, Arson
securing him from the Albany club In
the fall OF 1879. Tom was a great base
runner and originated the hook slide
himself. although Ed Williamson had
been credited. too. with being the orig
inator OF It, Anyhow, most Of the Chi
Cages. who could run bases a little bit.
used the slide. and perhaps that bunch
couldn't run bases. too.
Goldsmith and Corcoran. two Of the
best pitchers in their day. also Joined
the Chicago club in 1880. or the fall Of
1879, and. with Silver Flint as catcher
OF the Chtcagos. won the National League
pennant three years in succession-1SS0.
reason OF the White Stockings base
running. reinforced with the hook slide.
that they were three times winners.
My, hagv those fellows could skim
around the bases. Burns. Williamson.
Quest. Gore. Dalrymple. Billy" Sunday,
runners when with Arson. and they all
used the hook slide. although they would
combine other styles in sliding II they
found 1t necessary to do So to escape
though a pitcher. could bat and run
bases with the best on his team.
Players of other teams in those days
gradually adopted the hook slide. and
Hanlon was good at It when with De-
feet first or head first as he saw fit
Johnny Ward. Mike Herman and Buck
Ewing all had the hook slide down pat
when they were Giants. but Roger
OConnor. although very good base
straddle necessary to make the hook
Roger went in feet first, and would
come up on one knee. as if on springs
and with no diminution Of speed.
but never with such swiftness as Roger.
Arlte Latham was another player who
had the hook slide. and also Charley
Comiskey. II I remember rightly.
There was a great deal Of head-nrst
sliding in the earlier days Of the game.
Tim Murnane is credited. I believe.
with first going into the bag that way.
but 1t was very dangerous way OF
sliding. and the hook slide did a whole
lot toward choking off the head-first
casionally. but wise managers always
tell their players to "cut 1t out"
Orioles Used Slide in 1894.
The Baltimore players took up the hook
slide as a team in 1894. and possibly Han
lon introduced it to the Orioles. but doubt
less McGraw. Kelley, Keller, Jennings.
Brodie and others Of that famous team
had the slide before they Joined Hanlon.
n,,f 49,
team Of baserunners ever gotten together
than were the old Orioles. They knew
how to do the hook. and they also had
the brains to do it right.
McGraw. Of course took up the hook
slide with the Giants. and he had made
It point to coach every new man on
that way Of going into a base
McGraw worked with Harry Mccormick
for days at a time down in Savannah and
Birmingham when Harry first joined the
Giants. but. try as he would, he never
could get the hang Of it. and hasn't to
this day.
With Herzog. Bridwell. De Wore and
Merkle. McGraw was more successful.
and those players are now as good at that
slide as any players in the business.
Sammy Strang was also good at 1t. There
are many players. however. like McCor-
mick. who cannot be drilled into 1t.
The Chicago Cubs have II down fine
almost to a man and so have Clarke,
Wagner and Leach Of the Pirates
The White SOx. too. use the hook slide
with great success. especially George
Davis and Fielder Jones. and that is one
reason they are the 'hitless wonders"
Wagner and Leach Of the Pirates
sprang a new way of getting into a base
at the Polo Grounds the past season. It
vas a sort of delayed sneak Both men
tried II on Devlin, and Leach got away
with 1t. and Wagner would have. too,
had he got his just due from the umpire
That play was to dash for third at full
speed. and Just before reaching the bag
to check I'D suddenly. Devlin made his
swing to get the runners, and then az
Arthur's arm went around. both Leach
and Wagner just stepped over Arthurs
arm into the base. The ball was thrown
low to Devlin both times. or possibly
Leach or Wagner could not have attempt
ed the new steal.
The hook slide is made by the runner
throwing his body away from and behind
the baseman with his legs astraddle the
foot of the hind leg, as II were being
hooked onto the bag. The only part of
the BODY the baseman can possibly reach
is the foot or ankle that hits the bag.
and that is a very small object to find
on a quick play when the baseman has
to swing around at random And IL the
throw is the least bit too high, 1t Is al
most an impossibility for the baseman to
nab his man.
But the hook slide is nearly thirty
years old. which makes Dan Brouthers'
remark that there is nothing new in base
ball except the delayed steal in over