The San Francisco call., 1910-01-01
FRANK WILLIAMS AERIAL BASEBALL

vanced him to third. after which Cap
tain Slaters long fly to far center
brought him in. The half inning closed
with the Prairie Dogs one more ahead.
Then the Monitors came to bat, while
the yelling mob OF rooters tried thelr
best to rattle the side they rooted
against, with some effect, too. For the
first batter up singled, the next man p
batted into what should have been
double up" but the double play was
spoiled by the Prairie Dogs second
baseman dropping the bad throw from
short. Then they steadied again and
the next man was famed" while the
next batter put up foul, which was
easily caught by the catcher, making
two outs
But the strain was telling on the
Prairie Dogs pitcher. WHO began to
weaken, and to the horror of the Prairie
Doggers he passed the next batter with
four bad balls, filling the bases.
And right here the opposing captain
displayed great generalship. He sent g
in his star pinch hitter, who had
an actual average of AS. II looked
black for the Prairie Dogs, who greatly
dreaded this move. Johnny" Hill was
always held in reserve and could be
coLhted on to sew up almost any
game with the needed hit He must be
put out to make the third out. or the
result would be sure tie with the
probability of cleaning up" the bases
III he got a long hit. This would be ,
the Prairie Dogs Waterloo.g @ NAF
Johnny" staggered to bat in the
proud consciousness of his greatness
amid the loud cheers of the Monitor
roOterS
Captain Slater of the Prairie Dogs
held up two fingers of his right hand
high above his head. Slater played
first base, and this was part of his I'm 3
sido baseball tactics. 1t signaled
the outfield to move back for a long
orjve e.s
Everybody up?' and the crowded
stands rose as one man yelling and
stamping, shouting encouragement or
jeers. The Prairie Dogs pitcher took
hia time. refusing to get ratified. IT.
seemed an age as he slowly wound him
self up for has delivery. Zip! the ball
shot toward the waiting batsman
Crack. Johnny's bat met the ball, fair.
and square. 49, y
Run Rum shouted the crowd and.
how those Monitor men on bases did
foot 1T! The man on third base had
crossed the home plate by the time that
soaring ball entered left field groan
went up as the Prairie Dogs partisans
watched its course.
The "in and outer had started to run
back the second the ball was hit.
Frank shot a glance over his shoulder
as he dashed madly backward. The ball
IL
overlook him with the speed of bullet.
Look out for the ropev' he heard
the cry, and he tried to avoid the drag
rope OF the Flyoyer, which had hither-'
to hung free above his head. But the
Flyover had dropped to a lower alti-
tude unnoticed by Frank, and now his
luck would have it to run into the
dangling rope.
Frank felt the rope strike his shout
der He twisted around to avoid 1t and
also to dodge the ball. The ball was
almost over him. Frank never could
explain how he did 1t, but with one
convulsive effort he grasped the rope
end with his right hand. swung him-
self upward. his left hand outstretched
high into the air. and
Thud the impact Of the ball could be
heard all over the field, it hit his gloyed
hand so hard.
The next instant there was pande-
monium, for the lin and outer" had
spoiled a home run and saved the game
by the most remarkable one handed
catch ever seen on that ball field
scoring the third out, shutting of the
three runners and making the final re-
suit:
Prairie Dogs. 80 0 o 0 % 0, 0 1t
Monitors .......0 0 / 0 0 0--5
Frank had won by involuntarily in
Producing aerial baseball into the
regular game. 1t may not have been
quite like that played in the exhibit
tion aerial ball game, but the fact re-
mains that he would have never made
that catch If the airship had not been
there.
And that was exactly the claim made
by the angry captain OF the Monitors
who. with his nine, surrounded the nm
pire. He asserted that Frank never
could have caught the ball If he hadn't
been able to jerk himself into the air
at least two feet higher by means of
the hanging drag rope. This was out
side aid, according to the beaten nine
but the umpire ruled against them. de-
claring the Prairie Dogs the winners
Frank was almost mobbed by the
fans" who carried him off the field on