The Detroit times., 1910-12-05

all. With hands as small as a woman $
he played In the days when gloves
were unknown. OF him Mr.. Splnk
writes as follows in his book, The
National Game.
II have seen all the great second
basemen from the time Al Reach Gov
cred second for the Athletics or Phil
adelphia In the early sixties down 10
Nap. I.ajoie, of the Clevelands and
johnny Evers, of the Chicago Cubs.
And | would easily pronounce Dun
lap the greatest player that ever NIL
ed the position.
Dunlap was born in Philadelphia and
learned to play ball there at about
the time that Al Reach Jimmy Wood.
and the old army OF second basemen
were beginning 10 retire.
Cotemporaneous with Dunlap were
such great second basemen as Bid Nc
Phee. OF Cincinnati; Fred Pfeffer and
Joe Quest, Of Chicago; Joe Gerhardt
OF Louisville Danny Richardson, OF
New York; Zap. I.ajoie OF Philadel-
phia, Cupid Childs, OF Cleveland;
Sam Wise, OF Boston; Reitz, OF Balti-
more Ritchey, OF Pittsburg; Joe
Quinn. OF St Louis and Boston, and
Others.
But none OF these players could be-
gin to compare with Dunlap In all
around work or in covering the bag.
Never See His Equal.
4 \ The baseball world will, perhaps,
never again see his equal; and | say
this for several reasons. First OF all,
Dunlap was the right size for sec
ond baseman, being jus. little above
!. the medium height, and he was built
20 close 10 the ground that 1t was an
easy task for him to get down quick
and handle the meanest hit grounder
OF the poorest throw.
He never wore glove, and MS
hands were az small as woman's but
he could handle any sort OF throw
or hit, running at the ball from either
right or left and never hating at bad
throw, or difficult ground-hit
Dunlap was ambidextrous. In Gov
ering second he would run and catch
a badly thrown ball as well with his
left as with his right hand and in
rapid work, and In putting the ball
swiftly on the runner with either hand
he has never had an equal.
Dunlap used TO say: Ball players
are born nat made" An he was GER
tainly one OF this kind.
hen Dunlap was lad OF ten the
base ball craze had begun 10 spread
its wings
"On tie outskirts OF Philadelphia
the prairies were dotted mornin4,
noon and night with street gamin Woo
played hockey from school and who
put IL their mornings and afternoons
playing baseball. Dunlap had neither
father nor mother in that early time
and the people he lived with cared
little where he went. So when he was
not "at home" eating his meals he as
out on the prairie hitting fungoes,
catching the ball, throwing it or some
thing else.
"The lad learned nothing but ball
playing. II was his only source OF de-
light He learned every trick and
tnrn OF the game. He had such a good
eye that he could follow the hardest
hit easily from the crack OF the bat
until the sphere landed in his hands.
Ii a ball was thrown low he could
tell where the rebound was to come.
Thus he handled throws and hits hat
man. OF the second basemen of the
present day would not try for.
Had An Early start.
I'm the seventies managers OF the
base ball teams who were trying 10
get along IN the professional arena
often went TO the Philadelphia prairies
10 hunt for material. From the lots
there hundreds OF great players were
Z graduated. One day one OF these ex
(. perts espied Dunlap. A year or two
later. In 1881. to be exact, he was
piaylng az second base for the Cleve
land National league team.
And soon the news OF lis wonder.
ful work spread re was with Cleye-
land when that team had, perhaps, the
greatest mfeld ever known. In in.
Guided Big Bill Phillips first base
Dunlap, second base: Jerry Denny,
third base; Jack Glasscock. short
field.
IL was while Dunlap was playing
with Cleveland that henry Lucas OF
ST Louis, got him TO sign with his
ST. Louis Union team. Strange TO re
late, Dunlap, although the greatest
player. knew absolutely nothing but
baseball. He had grown up in the
game and learned nothing else While
B his little comrades were going e
school Dunlap was learning the alpha
bet OF baseball His knowledge OF the
game was acute. lie knew every let
4 ter OF IL. He could turn the ueatest
trick In jiffy and he always sent the
ball In the proper direction.
Playing ball too made him am ath
Z 1efe. He was as supple and free with
his limbs as though made OF rubber