The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-04-06
TWO GREAT CATCHES
vERACIOUS ACCOUNT OF RE-
MARKABLE BASEBALL
EPISODES.
GREAT GAMES IN SOUTHWEST
5ombrero Responsible for Turn in Tide
of BattIe-Cayuse Gets an Assist
Happy Hogan Scorns Riches to
Win Game.
By HUGH S. FULLERTON.

Truthful James Scott, better known
as Death Valley jim, the tall and
lanky pitcher of the Chicago White
Sox, forwards to me the following
authentic account of perhaps the most
remarkable catch yet recorded. No
affidavits accompany the story. Jims
word Is sufficient On the following
mail came second equally truthful
narrative from Jesse Orendorff, catch
er. If he hasn't tied Jim it isn't his
fault
These yarns come right from the
seat of action, for they are playing
ball all winter down in the desert
league In Arizona and southern Cali
fornia.
Stop the press-Another one just
came In. 1t begins to look as If the
athletes down in the desert are full
of alka-or some other brand of lie,
JIM SCOTS YARN.
This happened, which makes It un
like lot of other baseball stories |
have read. ] can get affidavits for it
if necessary, but think you ought to
take my word for it, 1t happened only
the first week after New Years, in a
game that | was pitching at Bisbee
The day was hot. The pleasant little
rattiesnakes were sporting coyly
around in left field, a few centipedes
and scorpions were pursuing taran-
tula past the pitchers slab, and the
short stop was patting Gila monster
on the head. All Arizona nature
seemed in a joyous mood, for we
were winning the game. The score
was to in our favor in the seventh
stopped bounder 1t was an easy
little bounder and should have retired
the side without run and prevented
the awful catastrophe that came aft
erward. But | just stopped the ball
with one hand, and when | started to
pick 1t up, 1t was gone. 1t had
rolled down prairie dog hole. i
stuck my arm down as far as 1t
would CO. but the owl that lived with
the prairie dog evidently thought an
y
into the happy home and bit my fin
ger, and before we could get that ball
out two runs had scored and they
were leading us to l. That looked
like hard luck, but the worst was to
come In the ninth inning we had
two men on bases and no one out
when hit the ball far out to center
field.
The center fielder was wearing one
of the big sombreros that they have
down here made of felt and weighing
about seven pounds. He started after
that ball He didn't have a chance to
catch it on the fly, but was trying to
field it back before two runs counted
and gave us the game. He sprinted
along straight out to center with his
back to the field. The bali was 60
ing over his head, but instead OF
clearing 1t hit the summit of that
sombrero and fell onto the rim. All
the runners were tearing for home
when the accident happened The
ball fell onto the rim at the back and
lllt Htlutl ldu W tHdSt II III tee illIICS
around the rim with his hand before
he finally coralled 1t and tossed it
back to the inheld making an easy
triple play and beating US out of the
game.
j. ORENDORFFS TRUTHFUL TALE
Unlike the story that Scott sent
you, this one is accurate and truth
full. | do not dispute the gentleman's
veracity, that being an unwise thing
to do In this climate, but it strikes
me there are some Inaccuracies In his
statement, to say the least.
This play occurred In game play
ed near Tucson only few days ago,
In which l took part. 1t is not a
hard luck tale, as it won the game
for us. l was catching the game and
we had it won by one run when the
ninth inning came. The game was be.
ing played on open ground, and the
teams were composed mostly of local
talent, with a few of US professionals
on each side. 1t was the Cowboys
against the Miners, and the betting
was heavy. | was catching for the
Cowboys. | will say that before the
game I tried to get some Of them to
take off their high heeled boots SO
they could run faster, but they in
sisted upon wearing them. A large
crowd Of partisans of both sides was
gathered around the field, In buck
boards, carriages, automobiles and on
their COW ponies, and delegation of
cowboys stood holding their ponies
the ball ground. AS l said. we were
a run to the good in the ninth in
ming, but the Miners were last at bat.
and with one man out and a man on