Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-31
THE VERSATILE PLAYER.
Ted Sullivan Tells of Sensational
Work by Mike Kelly.

In these days of base ball history II is
amusing to read in the papers Of the
attempts of progressive managers to Sc
cure the service of some novice, who in
the "Bingtown League" has done kill
ing to the average computer by swiping
the ball away above the 300 mark And
yet in that same "Bingtown League"
there was a round dozen perhaps of versa
tile players who were worth hundreds of
dollars at selling price where the fellow
with the big average wasn't worth oat-
meal money.
The machine batter can be checkmated
in more ways than one. He has only one
style. one idea. and that is to kill the
ball irrespective of how many balls are
called the state of the game He
stands we'll with the crowd. which knows
not. or cares not for the fine points, but
does if it can be done. But the chances
of the game are against a safe hit. and
the oft-repeated call from the crowd of
hit it out has been the means of killing
many player, who if he had listened to
advice and played ball as it should be
played would have become versatile
player and one of value to his club. The
machine or average record-hunting bats
man easily becomes the prey of a good,
heady pitcher and generally fails when
y IL.
\ versatile player Is one who can hit
maybe as we'll the machine or dress
parade hitter. but he can also bunt; .ie
can wait when he has got the best of
the pitcher, In fact, he resorts to any
scheme to get to first base, and the cries
of the overanxious fans are unheard by
the versatile player. He has only one
idea. euchreing the other side and reach
ing first sack. Such man at $50 mark is
far better than the machine hero at $50
He may not have AS many hits, but when
footing up the records at the end of the
season he will have figured in winning
more games than all the dress parade hit
terS put together.
To show resources of a versatile player
Ted Sullivan takes delight in telling IS
experience when manager of the Wash
ington club back in 1885. in a game at
Boston, when the greatest of versatile
players-Nlike kelly-was the principal
actor Washington was one run ahead in
the ninth inning. Hank O'Day. then a
pitcher of the Washingtons. now a Ma
tional League umpire, was pitching great
ball and had the entire Boston team at
his mercy.
when the last half of the ninth OPEN
ed" says Ted Sullivan. Il saw that hely
was the first man up, and told O'Day to
waste no balls on him. ODay said he
intended to shoot them right over Why
was | afraid of Kelly? Well, because /
knew his heart and soul was in his play
to tie the score. l knew his resources and
that he would resort to every trick to get
down to first base. so O'Day was di-
rected to depend on the men behind him
to checkmate Kelly, but Mike was equal
ly determined not to risk his chances
with the seven men. He would fool them
himself His battle with O'Day was a
masterpiece the kind that often is pass
ed up by the crowd, but which is the
height of base ball strategy. and it sim
mered down to a point where either one
ball more would make 1t strike or q
base on balls. He fouled off as many as
four good ones that would have cut the
plate if he had passed them. for O'Day
was on his mettle as much as the Only
keu,' but the Original finally got the
base on balls. Connie Mack, now the
clever manager of the Athletics was
catcher for the Washingtons. but accu-
rate as he was Kelly stole second. slip
ping under Jack Farrell by a close de-
cision. John Morrill,. the next man up.
hit high one TO deep center to Dunn
my Hoy. Kelly went back to second
base and had his foot on the bag SO 1t
threw Hoy off altogether .ofHwhat he was
going to do. AS soon as Hoy tossed the