New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-11
YALE WARNS Up GIANTS
Makes Good Showing Against
National League Champions.
MERKLE SCORES ON TRICK
Turns Puny Tap Into Home Run,
While Becker Is Being Trapped
on Base Lines.

| their last warming up spin DeloTe the open
ing of the National League pennant race at
Washington Park, Brooklyn, to-day. Incl
dentally. the score was 10 2 in favor Of
John J. McGraws men, and. also incident
ally. Charles Victory Faust, who last year
served the Giants so we'll as a jinX to OPP
posing teams, made his formal bow to the
assembled fans" after being introduced
by Arlie Latham. and in a short speech an
nounced. without removing his hat, that he
was back on the job
Some two thousand onlookers were almost
/ lost in the vast stadium, but those who
| turned out saw two fairly snappy and in
! teresting games After the real Giants had
! beaten the Yale varsity by the aforesaid
score of to 2 the New York recruits took
issue with the Yale substitutes. and won by
a score OF II 10 3.
! The score Of the first game does not indi-
/ cate how well the college men played. With
the exception of some ragged work in the
fourth inning. captain Merritt and his
mates showed commendable skill and
dashing style that augurs well for games
to come with rival college teams. Scott.
who was in the box for Yale, held the Ma
tional League champions to eight hits, and
altogether made a most favorable impress
sion. Six errors behind him, however, nulli-
fed some of his good work and made the
game look bit one-sided. Scott had good
control. too giving only three bases on
balls. but unfortunately they were punched
in one inning.
George Wiltse held the Yale batters in
the hollow Of his hand while in the box for
the Giants but the college men had less
respect for Otis Crandall, the great relief
pitcher OF the New York team, ami greeted
him with three singing hits in the sixth
inning, which netted two runs. An error by
Shafer started the trouble for Crandall. as
Scott got a life at first base. Croft and
Captain Merritt then followed with two
baggers down the third base line. and two
men scampered nome. Reilly also came
along with single, but was left. Just 10
show that 1t was not scratch however,
the same player slammed out a wo-bagger
in the next inning. but again II counted for
nothing.
Arthur Fletcher was still nursing the in
jury he received two or three days ago. so
that Groh played snort for the Giants.
| Captain Doyle also was excused, and
Shafer took his place. Both showed a lot
Of snap and dash in their work. accepting
six rather difficult chances each. McGraw
said that ne expected Fletcher would be in
his regular place to-day.
BY far the most interesting feature OF the
game was an unusual play by Fred Merkle.
which set the crowd in roars OF laughter.
With ore QUO in the sixth inning Becker
Whaled the ball 10 deep right field for three
bases, and when Merkle dumped the ball
just beyond the pitchers box the former
was trapped between third base and home.
While FIVE or six Of the Yale players were
tying 10 run him down Merkle was sailing
around the bases at top speed as II trying
10 stretch two baSger into a home run.
He rounded second at top speed and dashed
past third as IL utterly regardless OF what
was going on before him. but both he and
Becker were wide awake and the latter
allowed himself to be touched out just be-
fore Merkle raced by and on to the plate
to score before the surprised Yale men real
lied what was happening.
That's pulling something" was the err
thusiastc remark OF one OF the bat boys,
and most of those in the stand agreed with
him. II the Yale men had been alive 10
the situation they would have waited for
Merkle to pass Becker before touching the
latter out and the run could not have been
counted, but everything happened so quick
~ that they could not be blamed for being
caught by a rather sharp and unusual
trick.
The Giants practically won the game in
the fourth inning, when three bases on
balls. three or four wild throws and a sin
gle by Snodgrass were responsible for four
runs They added one more in the sixth,
when Merkle converted a puny tap into
home run. and two In the eighth on hits
by Devore, Snodgrass and Merkle. Some
charged Carhart. the Yale right fielder,
with an error in failing to pull down long.
hard drive from Devores bat but IL did
not appear to be justihable although the
out1elder may have slightly misjudged the
ball.
AS said before, the Yale men played a
fast snappy game, but two stood out
rather prominently In Blossom and Cornish.
who are making a great Gght for the regu-
lar place at shortstop. Blossom had the
call in the big game yesterday, az he has
been hitting better than his rival. and made
a good impression but the work Of Cornish
I'm the second game was little short of re-
markable. He took throws from the
catcher at second base like an Eddie Col
Inns, while his fielding of ground balls and
sharp, accurate throwing stamped him as
a natural baseball player and one with
great future.
Captain Merritt made a brilliant catch of
a high foul over near the grandstand, while
Thompson pulled down a fly in the second
game in deep centre field and cut down
man at third with good throw that drew
we'll merited applause.
Walter Camp Yale's athletic mentor, and
Captain Spalding Of next falls football
eleven, sat in the grandstapd and watched
the play The crowd, such as ii wasy was
made up largely Of Yale men, as the fans
stayed at home waiting patiently for the
big noise and the real fun to-day.