The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-04
ny SMITH D. FRY

A
 Washington, June S.-(special)- Jake Stahl, former first baseman of the Boston Americans, recently gave to the Illustrated Sunday Magazine an inter view concerning Neal Balls unassisted triple play at Cleveland July 19, l9os' a play of which Stahl was one of the victims His interesting interview was marred by the following expression:
 "They say that Paul Hines made a similar unassisted triple play back In 1878, in a game at Providence, but most baseball authorities deny it. don't believe it."
 There are millions of great plays which Jake Stahl never saw. If the fact about Paul Hines great play was ever to be denied or doubted 1t is well that the doubt has been expressed while there are living reliable witnesses for the first and greatest unassisted triple play ever made. Paul Hines great play was not similar" to the one made by Ball. It was different and more diff cult; such a play as no living player fleet Ty Cobb.
 Paul Hines was the greatest center fielder the game has ever known, bar none Billy Sunday was Paul's peer, for fleetness, but he was a right fielder, and never such batter as Paul was. Paul Hines was indescribably swift, and he was better batter than the others, past and present When Hines batted against Bond, Clarkson and Radborun, he was batting against the peers of any living pitchers. He could hit all of them, and he could hit them hard, too.
 N E. Young (''Uncle Nick'), for many years president of the National league, the Grand Old Man" of baseball, re- sides in Washington, and when he was seen in his office, and told of the Stahl | story he said:
 Everybody in the baseball world knew that Paul Hines made that triple play, unassisted. No baseball author tiles have ever denied it. Paul Hines was one of the most gentlemanly play CTS the game has known He was a powerful athlete, and the most grace full man that ever stepped to the plate, 1 bat in hand. Ills record as a hitter is phenomenal. Two of the greatest catchers that ever played the game re- side in Washington, and both of them witnessed the great triple play. Charley Snyder caught for the Boston Nationals and Dug Allison caught for the Provi- dence Grays, and both of them were in the game when Hines made his great play. Get their statements, and you will need no other proof. They are well known in Washington, and I will vouch for their reliability and integ- rity."
 Charley Snyder, well and prosperous. was found at his place of business. and he said:
 T certainly saw Paul Hines make his great triple play, tinassisted I was catching for Boston. Burdock, one of our best batters, was at the bat. We had men on first and second bases. Bur dock slammed a hit to short left that looked good for three bases; certainly good enough for the two men running | to score on. But the unexpected hap pened. Paul Hines ran like a wfirlwint
 from deep center to short leftfeld.s Ht
 caught that ball about knee high. | was going like rife shot, but Pau gripped 1t and held it. He kept on run
 hing and touched third base, after ou
 men had passed that bag That is th'
 way the great triple play, unassisted
 was made. Paul Hines speed after tha ball was inconceivably swift. It was mar Il velous; a matchless play"
 Readers will remember that Neal Ball
 at Cleveland, caught fly ball back o
 second base, ran about 20 feet, touche
 second, and put out the man who had lief
 that bag for third. Then Jake Stah ran right into the bali. Thus Ball mad
 a quick triple. unassisted. It was a grea
 play. But, as compared with Paul Hines
 great play, rushing from center to shor
 left back of third base. taking the ba sideways near the ground, while rushin thus, gripping 1t and speeding on to third compared with that play Balls perform