Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-18
late Leagues Call Off Scheduled Games in Honor Of Nationals
MADE HEROES BY LONG
HITS IN BIG GAMES
Smashes That Decide Pen
nants of Worlds Champion
ships Never Forgotten.

CHICAGO, June 1S-When Frank Ba-
er, during the worlds series of 1911.
twice hit the ball out OF the playing
place secure among the base ball i'm
mor,als. AS long as the game is played
this pair of dramatic drives will be re-
membered.
Similarly Ty Cobb George Robe, Fred
Clarke. Sam Crawford Dan Murphy,
Frank Isbell and ice Tinker have applied
powerful bats to cunnngly pitched base
balls, with results that can never be eff
faced from the archives of the national
sport
All base ball loves hitter The skill
of the pitcher is respected. The success
full defensive work of inield and outfield,
the one handed stop or the running catch
must ever arouse frantic cheers. but,
when all is said and done. the wielder OF
the big stick is the giant who most rouses
the imagination and the hero worship OF
the fans
No thrill equals that which comes when
home player sends the ball ringing on
his bat safely. to the outfeld. AS the
number of bases gained by such hit In
creases. so does the excitement mount.
1t takes a combination of circumstances
to make such drives They cannot hap
pen IN every game. They must have more
than length. They must be timely and
must achieve results.
Oldring's home run in the fifth game of
the 1911 worlds series is hardly remem-
bered. not through any fault OF Rupe $,
but because the Athletics finally lost that
contest If they had won, his hit would
have ranked with Bakers.
1t is when all the excitement OF sea-
sons play eliminates in one deciding con-
test. and when the issue of this game de-
ponds on the individual exploit OF one
batsman. and when that batsman answers
the hopes of the fan with a smashing
run-and- victory-producing drive
That is the kind OF a hit that makes
base ball history.
Bakers Drives Unsurpassed.
OF all these famous drives, none equal
ed in dramatic quality Bakers two home
runs, especially the second.
The first game in which Baker drove
the ball out of the lot the Athletics
might have won without this hit. but Tor
the second they had not chance in the
world up to the time the Maryland boy
landed on Mathewson for the circuit.
New York and the Athletics were rum
ming along tie, with the score at one,
when Baker stirred up the first mad ex-
element of the series.
1t was in the sixth inning. Only two
hits had been made off Marquard IN tine
from his stage fright of the opening In
+ ming. he was twtrling superbly.
There was nothing startling about the
opening Of the inning, Lord and Oldring
Lretiring on easy. flies to Snodgrass ana
Devore Collins revived hope by sharp
double along the left-feld foul line. This
brought up Baker. He had not yet made
hit
Catching one OF Marquard's straight
ones Just to his liking. he gave it one ter
rife wallop. There was no doubt about
the destination of the ball from the mo-
ment he landed on 1t. Over the heads of
the spectators sitting on the right field
fence 1t scared. and. while the maddened
Baker counted.
One Drive Stopped Matty.
But, though the Mackmen had won one
game, a serious obstacle remained in their
way. This was Mathewson.
If they were to win the series, the Ath-
letics had to break the hoodoo and get
Matty out Of the way.
It took Coombs and Baker to do It.
The ninth inning came. The score was
10 Only two men stood between Math-
ewson and a victory. for Collins. who has
started so many rallies, opened the inning
by being an easy out.
Baker and Murphy alone remained to
bat Mathewson had every reason to be
cautious. for he knew what Baker had
done before.
For the second time in two days. Baker
dazed the base ball world with home
run 1t tied the score, and in the extra
innings the Athletics won out, breaking
the mastery of Mathewson and the hopes
of the Giants. Undoubtedly this blow
won the series for the Athletics. and
ranked Baker with Cobb as the most
famous ball player in the business.
Capt Murphy of the Athletics has also
been the principal in some dramatic hits
that made a big difference in the result