The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-09-09
:. ha c,,rxe hall Is IN doubt.

IA that many OF INC P1o10eA N
n,ovs repeatedly and won games BY
them without being initiated. Many
nlavs. such as the push bunt." Inc
.hlnf bunt," the delayed steal" have
been discovered" about once Z
decade, and then neglected, II NOT
forgotten, until some other enius
brought them into action. In the
nioneer days of the game. it seemed
that II q player invented or evolved
MAY. the others, instead of seistng
mon II to use, gave him a KIND OF
patent r!Sht to it. Indeed, it was not
until 1855 that any decentralization Oh
plays was begun.
When Dickey Pearce invented the
bunt, and used it as a means OF reacn-
ing first base, he was scorned and MS
fellows thought 1t rather ababy trick II
never occurred to them that 1t might
be more effective as a run.gettins de-
vice than trying to beat the cover on
the ball.
During the early eighties. there
came into the game two of the great
est inventive geniuses 1t has known:Yy
Mike Kelly Of Chicago, and Charles A.
Comiskey, leader of the st. Louis
Browns. According to James A. Hart,
who was for years head of the rules
committee, fully one-half of the re-
strictive rules enacted were the direct
result of the activities of Kelly and
Comiskey to find ways of beating ex-
listing rules and. winning games.
Whether they invented them or not,
both used the bluff bunt," the de
layed STEAL" the double steal with
runners on first and third, and many
other plays used today by the best
teams. Kelly's greatest invention,
however, was the famous Chicago
slide," now used by every good base
runner The slide, it is conceded by
the veterans of Anson's famous
White Stocking infield, was the inven-
ton of Kelly, although every man on
the team used 1t with great success
until it became the trademark Of the
White Stockings. The slide consists
of throwing the body either to the
right or to the left while at full speed,
and sliding upon the hip, with the leg
doubled under, and the foot extended.
so as to hook around the bag. The
runner throws his body away from
the baseman to avoid being blocked
or touched, pivots on the foot that
hooks the bag, and prevents yer
sliding.
The Chicago team of 1880, which
reached its fullest development five
years later, was the pioneer of inside
baseball" and from that team came
more original plays, now in common
use, than from any other source.
Those were the formative days of the
modern game, and the players, Quest
Arson, Kelly, Burns, williamson
Gore, Flint and Corcoran, were learn
ing from each other while teaching
others. But it really was with the
coming of Pfetfer in 1885 that the
team began to play inside baseball
coherently, both at bat and on the
infield. A system of signaling. in
volving the catcher, third and second
baseman and pitcher, was invented,
Arson for some reason being excluded
from the team play. The marvellous
success of the team was due more to
intelligent team work, and the pro-
tecting of base m by the batters
than to the Individual skill of the
players, although that was great.
During that same evolutionary
period another leader was coming for
ward in the rival American associa-
ton. Oddly enough, Comiskey, lead
ing the st. Louis Browns, vas working
along the same lines Of developments
Of team play as was the Chicago team,
inventing plays, teaching them to his
men, learning from others and win
ming %pennants.
Comiskey was and is one, Of the
great constructive geniuses Of base
ball, and the only one who kept
abreast of the progress of the scien-
tific part of the game, and usually
ahead of 1t. He was one of the first
to use the h%it-and-run play effectively,
but his great improvement in defen-
sive work was his style Of playing first
base, which vas revolutionary in its
effect upon the inield game. Comis-
key not only invented plays. but seized
and improved upon plays learned from
his men and his opponents.
There is scarcely a doubt that A.
most every play made today was made
by some pioneer. Kelly, Tom Nc
Carthy. Pfefer and others made plays
their own team mates did not compre-
bend, SO II a play Is called a new"
play it is in the n that it probably
has been rediscovered. Frank Chance,
in 1906. commenced to work the de
layed steal" persistently and was pro-
claimed the discoverer of the play. Yet
Kelly, Hamilton, O'Neill, Comiskey,
Duffy and many others used the play,
and Sadie" Houck stole in that way
with much success.
Maloney once vas On second base,
another runner at third and the ball
was hit to the short stop, who threw
home. The runner trying to score
from third vas thrown out at the
plate, but Maloney, following him