The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-17
HEELIN PLAYS IN FIELD
 SOMEWHAT LIKE TY COBB
Runs, Hits, Errors and Human Forms Are Tangled Up In Such Mass That Official Scorers AL
 most Go Insane.


 Cannon looking on. and powerless to call the minority to order or bring in a special rule shutting off base hits. the democrats of the House of Representa- lives wallopee all sorts of tariff schedules out of the republicans at American League park today and won the most famous congressional baseball game on record by the thrilling score of 26 to 16. The minority wanted to make 1t Is to 1. but the republicans defeated the proposition once again The democratic victory-the first of the extra session--was followed by cloud burst. The deluge did not descend until the seven-inning battle had ended with the stout men all puffing and groggy from running bases and chasing balls. and the lean members prone on the grass from exhausted energy. The crowd which wit messed this game was equally weary from laughter. The throng included most of the distinguished government officials, and they barely had time to reach their homes from the ball park when the heav- lest thunder storm of the summer broke over the city and all of Washington was swept by miniature flood
 President Taft did not attend He was at Chevy Chase with Vice President Sher- man playing golf.
 Heflln's Star Performance.
 More kinds of baseball were played in that game than ever crowded into seven innings before, and strange as it may seem. it was not all bad. The democrats put up rattling good game in the field sometimes. Representative Heflin of Ala bama playing in one of the outer gar dens, reminded one strikingly of Ty Cobb. No one ventured to tell MT. Hefiin just why. Once he had a chance to be a hero. The republicans suddenly came to life in the fifth inning and were scoring 8 or or 10 runs, when a line drive flew out into left field straight at Hef1in. The portly Alabamian who played in white flannel trousers with a black silk watch fob dangling from his belt, cast one weather eye at the ball and another at his bare hands and ''ducked" The hit ought to have been good for home run, but Representative Rowland of Ohio fell exhausted on the second sack and yelled for somebody to come on out and finish the run.
 Representative Nicholas Longworth of Ohio, signed at a tremendous outlay, it was said. by the republican manager failed to live up to his advance notices. He presented a natty appearance in golf trousers, brown stockings and negligee shirt, but he "Caseyed out" twice, with two men on bases, got a base on balls once, and then in the last half of the seventh showed a flash of rare speed when he beat out a tiny little infield hit. His only other acquaintance with the Of fO1i1 foc nd eral long runs after two-baggers, slammed out by the unterrified democracy.
 Wierd Official Score.
 The official score looked too much like a House tariff bill coming out of the Senate committee on finance to be print ed in full. The republicans stuck to their original lineup throughout the game, but the democratic wore themselves out mak- ing ten runs in the second and after that substitutes were called upon with ever increasing frequency. and the batting or der was shifted every inning.
 The nearest the newspaper scorers-old hands at the busness-could come to the base hits and errors was to give the democrats 23 of the former-no jest in- tended-and five of the latter. The re- publicans are credited with 20 safe hits and nine errors The real reason there were not more errors was because the players sde-stepped the hard ones and couldn't reach the long ones.
 Texas leaguers were there in punches and once, In chasing pop fly, the repub- lican catcher and pitcher collided. with fearsome results Representative Burke of Pennsylvania, who was at the receiv- ing end for the majority, Is of slight build, and when he crashed into Pitcher Gaines of West Virginia the little catch CT was sent heels over head to the ground He picked himself up, undaunt- aJ onl ttau ha an fba nit ahav were doing an "Alphonse and Gaston'' stunt, three democrats, with warped idea of chivalrous courtesy, raced home and added three runs to their already opulent total.
 Dark Rumors Afloat.
 The game had been brewing for weeks and the members Of the House were keyed up to high pitch of enthusiasm. Deep. dark, dank rumors were in circu- laton at times that ringers would be introduced Into the contest.
 The first victory of the day for the free traders was won at the gate. The game was supposed to be for charity, but everybody seemed to have pass.
 This certainly Is funny" said the old gatelSeeper. as the passes were handed in like bills dropping into the hopper on the speakers desk the first day of ses- sion. 'If I got a paid-for ticket wouldn't know where to put it'
 The republicans were-cap ptained by Rep resentative Tenor of Pennsylvania, who played short MT. Tenor used to be q professional pitcher and 1t was agreed in advance that all negotiations would be of if he essayed to enter the box. Repre- sentatives Gaines and Burke made an ex- cellent battery. In fact, MT. Burke caught so well in the second inning that one of his colleagues called out For Heavens sake. Burke, come on and catch one ball. anyway"
 ,-sioie Laid In Shade.
 The democrats had for their leader Representative Kinkaid of New Jersey, who played second in a way that would turn Iajoie green with envy. He wound up a brilliant record by making a double x,Ia at oS fha suikA