New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-02
DIRT TRACKS DANGEROUS TELLS Of FANCY CATCH
Willie Keller Recalls the Most
Dazz|inq He Ever Saw.

II have seen world OF fancy catches In
the many years that | have played the
game" says Willie Keller. and 1t would,
perhaps, be hard to pick the one most daz-
cling effort Of them all. In fact, I'd hate
1 have seen and say that they were the
TO name any ten Of the great catches I
greatest. for there aren't many games that
pass without some splendid fielding feat
! being performed.
Still. I believe the one catch that sticks
lcngest in my memory and the one to which
my mind always turns when I want to
take a standard OF comparison was one
that Hughey Jennings made In Chicago one
summer day long, long ago 1t was the
Fourth Of July. If | remember rightly, and
the crowd was so enormous that the fans'
were jammed into the field by the thou
sands. Along the left side Of the arena
they stood in shoals. mass that covered the
players bench and packed the spaces clear
to the front OF the press box. Every foul
tip hit somebody, and wild pitch would
have killed SOM millinery, / assure you.
1T was desperate game, for the Colts
were pretty near the front. while Balti-
more was on TOP end determined to stay
there. Every game counted lot, and we
PLAYED ball for all there was in it. That
game was battle Of giants, and the great
crowd was driven into a frenzy by the
doings of the afternoon. Long hits were
mixed with brilliant fielding. daring base
running was checked by great throwing.
and the teams came down the homestretch
neck and neck. AT last it looked as II Bal
tmore was on the run. The sacks were full
OF Colts, only one out. and Lange. II I re-
member right, was at the plate
"Bill swung at a low ball. 1t rose and
sailed over the crowd that had massed par
allel with the players bench--a far away
foul. and one that would have been almost
| impossible to get even II the crowd had
been out Of the way. Usually when try
for foul I'm that neighborhood Is made,
either the catcher or third baseman races
! after IT,
Usually, did I say? Better make 1t al
ways-the Instances where a left fielder
rushes in or a shortstop outfoots the third
| baseman are so rare as to be practically
unknown. But there was the ball over the
! heads Of the crowd; fat Wilbert Robinson.
realizing that he couldn't even reach the
| fringe of the crowd before the ball fell.
was standing calmly at the plate. Jimmy
| Donnelly. who was on third at the time,
had turned and got the sun full in his eyes.
and Joe Kellys view was apparently cut
off by the crowd.
There was whirl Of black and yellow
stockings and dark uniform. Jennings was
coming across the field at pace I never
saw any shortstop equal before or since.
and the crowd-a decent crowd and willing
| to give fair play-was trying to split out
and give him room. But they couldn't.
/ They were massed so thickly that they
could give him hardly space to plunge his
head. Hughey never stopped
He dove into the crowd like football
star, and seemed for an instant 10 rise
| high above their heads We saw him lift
his hands and then go down, diving head
| first and vanishing. while his spikes flashed
for an instant as he disappeared. And the
next second up he came. holding the bail
above his head. while IN. fair-play crowd
nearest him were believing like devils. He
got it, He got 1t" and cheering like fiends.
| THE runner on third broke for home.
Although he could hardly realize the NON
derfu catch, he figured that Jennings was
| lost in the crowd and could not get arm
room for throw. But Hughey. somehow
or other reached his forearm between two
mems heads and sailed the ball home, beat
ing the runner as he slid. The double play
saved the game. and was the proper climax
| to the best catch | ever saw shortstop
make, II not the greatest | ever saw made
by any star. The crowd? oh, the crowd
simply went dwelling, dotty. nuttily in
sane"