The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-06
GREAT MOMENTS IN BASEBALL
GAMES WHICH HAVE BEEN
SAVED BY A SINGLE PLAY.

SAVED BY A SINGLE PLAY.
Feiders VINO Have Gene Tnreugh and
Over Fences. Spelling . Possi bic WIN.
ming Home Rm-8lagie's Left Hand
Catch IN the Twentieth Inning.
The greatest individual feat ever
performed In baseball. according to
Hugh 8. Fullerton in the American Naoo-
sine. was the play by which Bill LANCE.
now retired, saved a game for Chicago
and 500 for himself in Washington
in 1896.
Lange had missed a train In Boston
two days before. failed to reach New
York in time to play there and Arson
had fined him 800.
Thereupon he missed a train to Wash
ington! arrived on the grounds after the
teams had praotised and just in time to
play, and for that Arson fined him
another 500. The game that afternoon
went eleven innings, Chicago scoring one
u in the eleventh.
There were two men out and q runner
on tho bases when Kip Setback, then
one Of the hardest hitters in the business,
smote the ball q terrific blow and sent 1t
flying over Lange's head toward the oen-
ire field fence
The hit seemed q sure home run. but
Lange. a man weighing 275 pounds
turned and without looking sprintsd'
desperately straight out toward the
fence. racing with the flying bali. At
the last instant. V the ball was going
over his head. LANCE lesped. stuck up
both hands. turned . somsrsault and
crashed against the fence.
The boards splintered. one entire panel
crashed outward. and out Of tho wreckase
crawled LANCE. holding the ball in his
hand. and the crowd went mad. LANCE
came Dmping in, with the crowd standing
on seats shouting. and he said to Anson:
Fines 60. Capt. Nope said Anson.
and the catch had saved the big fielder
$500.
There Is one more interesting inoi-
dent that stands unique. Mr.. Fullerton
goes on. and it is a play by which Jimmy
Slagle STAYED OF disaster to the Chicago
team in q twenty inning battle between
Chicago and Philadelphia. which Ruel-
bach finally won. 2 to 1. In tho eigh-
teenth inning Of that struggle. with q
runner on first base. Sherwood Msgee
drove a hard line hit to left centre.
Slagle had just showed his hand into
his hip pocket to get his chewing tobacco
when the ball was hit. and as he started
in pursuit Of it he discovered to his horror
that his right hand was caught in the
pocket and refused to come out. A
quick jerk failed to release the hand.
and Slagle racing or leaped. stuck lid
his left hand and caught the bah. av-
ing the Cubs. Then he pulled out his
tobacco. bit Oh a piece and grinned 90
the crowd applauded.
One OF the greatest exhibitions Of
individual daring was the performance
Of Wee Willie Keller Of the Baltimore
team ON the home grounds. Right field
was the terror Of Visiting players.
II was down hill. rough and weedy. and
back OF it wa . high fence, peculiarly
constructed for advertising pul poees.
Indde tho fence sloped at an angle Of
about o. degrees, being straight on the
out; outer sids. Boston Va. Plying there
teams had their frantic strueeie Tor
the pennant, and late in the game. with
runners on bases, StAhl drove a long
fy to right that seemed likely to win
Keeler. q Of the neetest msn In the
business, seeing the ball was going over
his head leaped, upon the slope Of tho
fence and started 70 run along IT. going
higher and higher, and just q The ball
was going over the fence he oausht n.
His momentum carried him higher aloor
the incline. and before The biz crowd
realized that he bad caught the bali no
wss running along the top Of the fenos,
and hon holding the bsll alctt he plunged
Probably never a baseball player In Is
world received suoh . rousing ovation
a. he did when be climbed over the fenoe
and tossed the ball to the inaeld.
Nearly every baseball game IL won
and lost on one play, . play that oomes
At the psychological instant. Among
the player, who do not study psychology
break phenomenon which no one
has analysed and which the players them
selves do not understand.
Twenty men on the bench arc WATCH
ing cloeely and intently every movo
e he :sa pitcher q r: every swing Of his nm.
suddenly 1t the start Of some inning
something happens. What IL 10 no one
outside the psychic sphere Of influence
ever Will understand. but the silent, tight
Tipped, ~wstohful, alert follows on the
bench 80 somethinE or feel something
and the .m~ystertous break has come.
Gddsnly sti1en and prepare for acton.
Two ballsi'. Two players jump for
bats and begin swinging them, the
ooaehers. who have yelled only because
Il was their duty. suddenly begin raging,
screaming and paving the dirt, and the
manager, who has Appeared half ssleep.
his men. bawling loud orders and Wild
taunts.
The spectators do not understand
anything has happened. Other batters
have had two balls called many times
and it looks the same 70 the spectacle