Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-20
"REhDWoRk" IN BALL GAME.
Some Remarkable Plays Made Possible
by Players Stopping the Pill With
Their Top Pieces.


to h" hit "n the "donc' by a ratlrd
or pitched bali While som, OF these
pi1ys lGtvc been anything but pleasant
I" the man hit. there's mo question but
nat most al thrIn prov, humorous to
tie fans.
Il have seen many players hit on the
head viii hattcd or thrown halls, said
Manager Roger Rrcsnahan. of the eur
dinals. but the funniest play of this
KIND happened when | was With TIL.
Giants. Jack Dunn WAS pla wing third
base ut the time and a foul fly was
sent up near third base
Il was catching ana started aftr-
the bah until he shouted I've got it
I'll" Sc, med to be campcd under il all
right until the sun got in his ewes and
he lost the ball. 1t came and hit him
on the top of tic head. The balll
knocked Jacks cap off, and. as nc was
as bald rs door knob and very SEN
sitiNc about his slick dome. lie made a
wild scramble to recover his top
piece"
Manager RhoGy Wallace. of tGrl
Browns Was hit ON the knob by q |
ha.ted ball and admits il. 1t was in
one ot the first games | played with
the cleveland Club in St Louis" sal
REodN. Il was playing third base with
Pat Eel eau, because OF 4 shortage Of
,saNers, doing duty 1T shortstop. There
WAS lard hit bah bounding my way.
but il took Il bad non and hinged me-
on III" roof. II took a peculiar bound
after l"aSinS my head. jumped over tol
Tehe%u vino gathered it in. and tossed
eGt the nan as first | got Il hard
Wdllop on the head. but also drew an
assist from the scorer"
Ed Honey, the Cardinals big first
baSemtu. recalls Il play at League
pork last season when Johnny Evers
ard Manager Frank Chance, of the
cubs. We're made to look foolish.
There was i Cardinal on third base
when a slow roller was hit to Evers."
said konev. "Eyers gathered in the
ball, but Chance for some strange real
son started running toward the plate.
our man on third. of course. hilied
Tor home as soon as the ball was hit
t.vers pulled the proper play in whip
ping thu ball to the plate. But Chance,
also rushing, got in the way of the ball
and it hit him in the back OF the head
The bail bounded over, to the stand
and the RIM came over with ease.
Chance and f.vers, and, in fact. the.
Whoie Chicago team Went up in the
air and the only regret We had Was
tiiat The bases were not filled"
a play which seems almost an I'M
possibility but one that is an actual
fact VAS performed by Ben kochlcr
ana Emil Frisk. two former st. Lows
outieldcrs.' said Secretary Lloyd Ii.
lickart of the Browns. akochlcr, as
vas pretty we'll known. was one of
the greatest feeders in the game. his
weak hitting being the thing that ke pit
him eut Of fast company. ON the 9TH
er hand, Frisll Was just the opposite.
He coulC hit, but whenever ball was
lit his Way those who knew him fear
al fot his life.
In Il game several years ago Il bal!
@as hit midway between center and
right koehlrr and F'rsk started for it.
l<oeltler, TIE usually reliable. called
that he had the ball. But he began
dancing around and finally lost it in
the sun. lie 'duckcd' t. avoid being
struck, but the ball came down, hit
him on the head. bounded up, ana
Frisk. the uncertain, caught it for the
out. Fans who have seen the play
would expect the opposite, bat it's a
matter OF record that the play hap
pcned.
Secretary Herman D. Seekamp. of
the Cardinals. contributes the follow
inE yarn: Mike Hostcttcr was the
man hi; IN this case" said Seekamp.
Il. happened in the spring games be
tween the Cardinals ana Browns in
1856. Host,tter pitching the only game
that the Cardinals Won in the series
y Brownie was on first and started to
steal. Hostetter pitched to Mike Ora
dy. who was catching. OF course he
peSsed to second. That is he tried for
| that pillow.
"HoStt tier didn't do what the pitch
crs usually do in case like that. In
stead of 'ducking' or stepping aside
| he stood up ard turned to see the play
at second base. The ball hit him in
| tn" back of the head and bounded. not
| relied. out to right field. 1t was one
of the hardest blows | ever saw a
| player receive. but Hostetter didn't
! even rub his head. Jack Barry whip
| ped the ball IN. Hostetter received it
and continued pitching
| Umpire Silk O'Laughlin was hit on
| tie head with Il ball one day and
| wanted to start a fight" said Harry
| Howell. former Brown pitcher and
| scout. This happened in Boston in
ianS. when tie Browns We're in second
| place. There We're men on first and
third and OLaughln, working alone.
| was calling them behind the plate.
| we started a double steal and the
| catcher tossed to second In order to
| see the play more clearly. Silk pulled
| off his mask and cap. Earlier in the
game u ball had been fouled over the
| grand stand, and while SILK was
| squattng, some one outside tossed this
| bell over. Before our man reached
second the bah came down hard on
| Franks bare head.
1T almost stunned him, but he didn' [
| turn around until after he had given
| the decision. | never saw Il fellow so
| sore in all my life. Afte rhe waved the
| man out, Silk turned around and
| looked into the grand stand for the
| man he thought had thrown the ball
| at Elm. Some of the players rushed
| Il 1n;,