The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-09-30

ers' chorus sang the song of hope OF
another pennant which might be de-
cided in the next minute.
Suddenly, at the end OF the tense
line of athletes on the bench there
was a movement. A player with earn
est, but rather weary face, immobile
even in tho moment when the whole
result Of his years work might be
raised his right hand to his
lifted it an inch from his head,
replaced it and without a muscle of
his face twitching sat watching.
Like a flash the coacher at third
base sprang down the line. Look
out, Steiney," he screamed. Look
out, Frank" came the echo from the
first base coacher's box.
The pitcher wound himself into fan
tastic contortions. From somewhere
of the tangle of revolving limbs a
ball shot like a flash to the plate, into
the catcher's mitt. AS the pitcher
started to wind up, the mi at first
base leaped 20 feet towards second,
stopped, hesitated, and took a step
back towards first base. The catch
er, who had caught the ball in per-
feet position, leaped forward, right
arm drawn back, watchful, alert, in
perfect position to throw to second
base. The crowd groaned. Another
strike on the batter; the effort to
steal baked. Slowly the catcher re-
Taxed from his tense poise. His arm
dropped and he started to throw the
ball easily back to the pitcher. In
that instant the runner at first base
was galvanized into action. Two tre'
mendous leaps toward second, and he
was flying at full speed down the line.
The catcher hesitating a trice, tight
ened again into throwing position, and
threw like a rifle shot TO second just
as he caught a glimpse of a figure
tearing homeward from third. An In
slant later, in a whirling cloud of
dust, a runner pivoted around the
plate, his foot dragging across the
rubber just as the ball, hastily hurled
back to the catcher, came down upon
his leg. The umpire's hands went
down. The run had scored. The
game was won. The crowd in a
tumult of enthusiasm roared and
screamed and shrilled its Joy. The
man at the end of the bench let a
shadow of a smile fit over his face.
and watched more intently than eve.
The crowd had forgotten him, and
was cheering the others.
Let us see what really happened,
for the play described is the n by
which Frank Chance saved the cham
pionship of 1908 by beating New York
one game on the West Side grounds.
The crowd saw everything-that is,
everything it could see. What it did
not see was this: Tinker was batting,
Steinfeldt was on first base, Schultz
on third. The orders were for a hit
and-run play when Tinker went to
bat. After one strike had been called
Chance raised his hand, lifted his cap
from his head and quickly replaced it;
the signal for his men to attempt a
delayed double steal. Marshall, coach
ing at third cried: Look out Steiny,"
and Evers, coaching at first, Look
out Frank" No one noticed in the
tumble Of their yells, that they used
the names of the base runners for the
first time. The use of the name of
a runner was the signal for the de-
order for the assault was the single
word: Switch" That was all. but
Tinker, rushing eagerly forward to
the batter's position, knew that the
leash that had held the champions
had been cut and that he could hit
Crash, Tinker smoke the sphere a ter
rife blow and like a swallow the ball
darted out to right field, high, higher.
until, soaring far over the heads Of
the crowd 1t struck the sign above
the right-feld seats and the crowd
went Wild. Then. like soldiers attack
ing q preached wall. the champions
rushed to the assault and. before the
inning was over, they had made six
runs and their waiting game had won.
Chance had calculated from the
first that Donovan was pitching with
too great speed. and that no human
being could hold such q pace through
nine innings, and during all the time
that the crowd thought Detroit would
win, the leader of the champions was
sitting watching every move, waiting
for the first sign that Donovan was
firing or beginning to lose his speed.
At the start Of the seventh inning
he thought he detected signs of weari-
ness, but the Smiling Tiger still was
strong. After Hoffman scratched that
hit at the start Of the eighth, Chance
saw Donovan lower his pitching arm
as If weary, and he issued his order
and after Tinker drove that home run
he ordered: Take a crack at the
first one." Like a general, he had
found the breach and ordered the
charge, and his men leaped to the
plate and began the bombardment
that brought victory.
(Continued next wetk
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