The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-05
SOME FAMOUS
 BASEBALL PLAYS Triple Play Is Made By a
 singe Player | HE BEING UNASSlSTED The Feat Is Accomplished for the Second Time in the History of
 the All-Absorbing Sport.
 Some Other Stunts.
HE BEING UNASSIS1EB
rom the Baltimore American.

Cleveland American league team. But one man had accomplished the feat be- fore him, and that one was OHagan, first baseman of the Rochester nine in 1902. Old-timers claim that Paul Hines also did 1t, way back in 1878, but as to that there is much doubt. No doubt, however, hangs about Balls trick. It was during a game with Chicago, and 5000 fans saw it.
 The bases were filled at the time, with none out.
 The Chicago batsman drove sharp liner at Ball. The shortstop caught the ball; and stepped on second base. This retired the batter and the man who had started from second to third. Before the man coming from first to second could retrace his steps Ball had also run him down, thus completing the play and re- tiring the side unaided.
 While the applause was still ringing Ball went to the bat and made home run, which shows that it was his day to be hero
 In recognition of the unusual nature Of the event gold medal was presented to Ball, and Ban Johnson, president Of the American league, made the presentation.
 This is highv spot put on the record. It matches some of the really notable things done since baseball came into It's own as the most popular of all sports and  pert followers.
 In the category of the really wonderful things in baseball much that is remark able must be dismissed. For instance, no-hit games.
 To pitch game in which the opposition is waved away without a hit IS inoeeo wonderful but it happens every once In A. while In big league history the feat has perhaps been achieved 20 times
 A greater exploit is that of retiring the 27 batters in order, without allowing one man to reach first base In major league history three pitchers have succeeded in accomplishing this notable feat.
 Way back in the early eighties, John Ward, then a pitcher, afterward a second baseman and manager. and now proml- nent New York lawyer Tammany politi- clan and golfer, retired team in one, two, three order for the entire game.
 In the season of 1904 Cy Young, that wonderful veteran who now, In his twen- tieth year on the diamond. Is pitching such great ball for Cleveland, turned the trick against the Athletic club of the American league.
 Last season Addie Joss the big twirler of the Cleveland American League club, sent 27 Chicago players back to the bench as fast as they could come up. This sums up the total of perfectly pitched games since there has been big league baseball, and the names of Ward, Young and Joss can never be taken from the records.
 The perfectly pitched game and the triple play unassisted exhaust the possi- pilities in the direction of twirling and fielding. Now for glance at the batting exploits that take the highest place in the records.
 io 1atf ftyao "a The long drive, especially the one that clears the bases and sends in two or three runs for the home club, Is the exploit that lies closest to the heart of the fan. Par ticularly does he worship at the shrine of the home run.
 But the homer is becoming a rarity It is almost unheard of for a player to make as many as 15 in a whole season, there fore what shall be said of player who made four in one game, and not way back in the prehistoric days of the game either, but in days that are well remembered by many men who are playing today?
 Ed Delehanty was the man who per formed this remarkable feat
 To make 1t more wonderful 1t took place on the grounds of the enemy in Chicago, and Terry, one of the best pitchers in the league. was doing the twirlins for the home team.
 F1Ve times Delendnty went tO the pldto. It never happened that the Philadelphia club had anybody on base when he stepped up, or his club would have won the game by a healthy margin. Five times he landed on the ball for clean hits Four of the drives were for home runs, the other was for single.
 Delehanty made all the runs that fell to the share of the Phillies, who were de- feated by a score of to 4.
 Delehanty is thought by many to have been the greatest hitter the game ever produced, not even forgetting Anson, Brouthers, Wagner or Iajoie. He was a Cleveland boy, member of family that produced seven brothers, every one of the bunch a ball player, four of them in major league company.
 Delehany lost his life by falling off the suspension bridge below Niagara Falls.
 Danny Murphy of the Philadelphia American League club made record that will stand in major league com pany, because 1t is doubtful if anybody will get chance to surpass 1t.
 In 1902, in the first game he played with the club, Murphy made six hits in one game.
 A teammate of Murphy, John Coombs, holds the proud distinction of having been the victor in the longest game of ball ever played in major league history.
 It took place on September 1, 1908, be- tweetn the Boston American League club and the Philadelphia American League club For 24 innings the two teams bat tied, before Harris, pitching for Boston, finally weakened, and the Philadelphia club won out by the score of to l.
 The contest took place on a Saturday It had been planned to play a double header, but when nine innings of the first game had been played the score was a tie at one run, and there was nothing to do but go into the extra innings, and so the two teams battled on, neither side being able to amass a run off the tight pitching.
 There were many chances on both sides but each time the pitching would improve at the critical moment and 1t was not until two full games and six innings of a third had been played that the contest went to a conclusion.
 Hugh Duffy, when with the old Boston National League club, made record that will never be surpassed. Altogether one of the smallest men playing baseball. he hit for 438, which is the best record ever made in the history of the National league.
 When it is borne in mind that pha nomenal giant like Hans Wagner is now only able to go for something like $50, 1t can be seen what wonderful exploit this was.
 Matt. I<ilroy, the great old Baltimore southpaw, has the curious record of breaking all records for catching base runners mapping. Kilroy, being a left handler, was able to watch first base very closely and. moreover he had n rnotior,