The Washington herald., 1911-02-05
BASEBALL FORTY-NINERS
FORGOTTEN AT FAN FEST
How a Hard-lu Story of the Game Was Drawn
Out-Utca's Place in the annals of Game
By J. l.. RODIER.

by J. L. RODIER.
Tanning bee out by Garrison's that
sloppy Tuesday night. Quite bunch of
baseball forty-niners present, and bou-
quets were being passed around like
bricks at a Knockers banquet.
Big guy with torrid mustache bulges in.
Huh" he says, tust like that. That's
fine bunch Af elderly gents to be at
tending tany pulling. To hear you-alrs
pink tea stuff one would never guess you
ever had any hard shedding"
"Oh. don't know" said Joe Miles. but
l can remember a certain game at Wilkes
barre town wherein nine home runs were
made
tale of hard luck" put In Bob Barr,
Washington's erstwhile Walter johnson.
For a real case of hard luck you would
better listen to me. The Jinx, that simiah
cousin OF the hoodoo. had not been
evolved from the protoplasm of supersti-
ton at the time of which l write, but
the Jinx of to-day has nothing on the
What or Why which then prevailed.
Let's go back a day or two while
that's sinking into your system. In 1889 1
was III ISOSHcStci, thch iis
the International League. Buffalo, To-
ronto. Moptreal. and Syracuse were
among the\ towns in the league. Pat
Powers was' manager. We weren't long
on pitching material, and when you were
disabled you got no pay. So you may be
sure We did not reveal any Of our weak
nesses unless forced to.
Il worked one day in Buffalo. 1t was a
hard game on a hot day. Tired out as We
A<~I<l
the hotel We had to catch the a. m.
on a jerkwater road for Syracuse. and
that We would better Franklinize the
night-early to bed,-&c.
Bound for Syracuse.
Shortly after supper We turned in. 1t
seemed to me I had not slept an hour.
when l was aroused. With the bunch
caught the train, and rode in a daze all
the way to Salt town-down on the map
as Syracuse.
Breakfast over, 1 lay around the cor
ridors until time to go out to the park.
where I was amazed to learn that l was
the only pitcher in sight and would have
to perform, despite my protests. AS 1 re-
member now. Toy caught me that day.
Phil Baker was on first, Sandy Griffin.
Simons. and Petty were in the field. to
my right at short and third were Phillips
and Tom Callahan, while Collins was at
second.
Never will forget the subsequent
proceedings. Wright. first man up for
Syracuse, stung the first ball pitched for
a single. Cupid Childs followed with an
other. Bones Ely with anOther-three balls
pitched. three singles. three on base. Toy
snaps one over TO Callahan and nips
- TivSe
left-four hits, one out, bases full. Next
man hits into a double, Phillips to Collins
to Baker.
when We got to the bench Powers
cut loose a line of sarcasm that would
have made a certain man of noisy-vest
fame jealous. Says he was glad had not
pitched more than six balls. else the
game would be over: intimated that
little bean-bag practice might help out.
and divers and sundry things calculated
to put me in a better humor.
Didn't have time to gather myself to-
gether. First three men on our side
struck out. Went in the box again. First
three Syracusians got bases on balls:
Callahan got a line fly and made a double:
another base on balls: Bones Ely up;
hits one d mile out into center: Sandy
Griffin gets it with one hand by miracle.
Game Ends in Tie.
Same old thing next inning; We POI
fly or strike out. they keep the bases
filled with clean hits or bases on balls.
but there was no scoring: deeper the hole
/ put our fellows in the easier they get
out Game goes over to twelve innings:
they have about twenty hits. dozen bases
on balls. thirty men left on bases; We
have no hits two or three left, nobody
gets as far as secand. Score, 0 to 0.
I'm the twelfth I tumble an easy chance
on third man; Syracuse scores one run.
More sarcasm at bench. We go to bat;
Baker gets hit; Phillips out. Baker goes
to second: Toy out, Baker on third. I'm
up; haven't as much as fOuled ball all
evening: get one shoulder high; over the
fence it goes; foul by inches. Foul of
half a dozen more and then get one
shoulder high again; this time IT goes
true. on l go at full speed: turn second;
going into third somebody calls out.
Take your time; it's over the fence
turn to look, and down 1 go in heap;
try to get up: can't: one leg surely
broken: start to crawl home; Phil Baker
rushes up. grabs me by the shoulder. and
shouts, Get up; get up; what are you
doing crawling arouNd the room? It's
train time And / shook the nightmare
of. No; don't know how the game
ended: Baker broke it up"
How far Is it to Jimmy Burke.s?'
asked the big guy with the torrid mus
tache.
That classic city called You-tikky by
its denizens. but put down on the maps
as Utica, N. Y, Is famous not alone for
its Sunny Jim and its Congressional COM
mittee clerks. Time was when it was
\ 0~YNY my