The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-09-04
LUCK IN BASEBALL
Freak Plays by Which Games
Have Been Decided.
PUT THE BALL IN HIS POCKET.

PUT THE BALL IN HIS POCKET.
Cliff carroIrs Funny Stunt That Let In
the Winning Run and Enraosd Chris
Won der Ahe-A Hit That Put Two
Balls In Play 1t the Same Time.
In the American Magazine Hugh 8. |
Fullerton writes Of freak plays that
have won great baseball games Fol-
lowing 10 one OF the most remarkable
stories:
"Among the abnormal incidents that
figured In the earlier history Of the
national game. perhaps none IL az we'll
known to old timers as the o which
happened to Cliff Carroll N the st.
Louis grounds when he was a mem
Der OF the famous Browns Perhaps
you have wondered why baseball play.
ers have plain shirt fronts and why so
few players have breast pockets. Cliff
Carroll Is the reason. He was running
forward to take a base hit on the first
bound.
1.-The ball bounced crooked and bit
him on the chest. He grabbed at the
ball hastily, and as he clutched It he
showed it down into the handkerchief
pocket on his shirt front The runner
saw Carroll tugging and straining to
tear the ball out Of the pocket, and in
stead Of stopping at FIRST be sprinted
on to second. while Carroll, still trying
to dislodge the ball, ran to second. The
batter passed the fielder and turned for
third with Carroll In pursuit. At third
Carroll stopped and tried In vain to re.
lease the ball, and the runner kept on
across the plate and scored the win
ming run.
Chris von der Abe. who at that
time was at the head OF the euphonic
trio. Won der Ahe. Muckenfuss and
Diddlebock. which operated the club.
was furious and ordered all pockets
removed from baseball shirts. Other
teams followed. and the pockets never
have been restored except by a few
players who are willing to risk the
repetition Of the accident"
A curious story Is this n of a game
where two balls we're in play at the
same time:
"Perhaps the strangest freak play
was one made by Frank McNichols on
the Logan Square grounds in Chicago.
The Logan Square team. then owned
by Jimmy Callahan, had persuaded Nc
Nichols. a ball player Of major league
caliber. to play first base against the
Gunthers, another strong team, and the
score was tied tn the ninth inning. The
Gunthers had runner on second and
third with two out, and a base hit
meant probable defeat for the Logans
and loss OF the city championship.
"Matty Fitzgerald, a well known um
pire, was officiating alone from behind
the pitchers slab. His blouse was fll-
ed with extra balls, and in STOPPING to
sight along the plate as the pitcher
wound up he allowed one of the spare
balls to fall to the ground behind him.
The batter hit a hard line drive that
seemed aimed at the pitchers ankles.
"Fitzgerald leaped aside to avoid be
ing hit, the batted ball struck the
ball on the ground. and the two balls
kissed of at right angles. One went
straight toward the shortstop. the 9th
er toward the second baseman. Each
player thought the ball rolling toward
him was the one In play. and eacf
dashed forward, made clever running
SCOOPS at the same instant and threw
to f1rst base at the same time.
1.-THE shortstop threw high and to tn
left Of McNichols; the second basemal
: threw low and to his right. McNtchols
with bis left hand stretched high
caught one bali in his mitt, and Will
!, the other hand he caught the low
throw, and Fitzgerald. after scratch
ing his head an instant, called the bat
( ter out aud refused to allow either o
the runs that crossed the plate ON tn
= play to be recorded"
The following might be called tn
, story of the base hit that never cam
!. down:
. "Ot all the good luck freaks that
q ever heard recounted the best was tina
which happened to Frank lsbell whel
o he was playing with st. Paul In tn
9 old Western league. In those day
J, baseball on Sunday was not permitte
4 within the corporate limits of St. Pau
and a Sunday park had been erecte
outside the city's jurisdiction.
. 1.-THE ground was extremely sma
and was inclosed by a high fence. s
small was the Enclosure that batter
hitting the ball hard against the fence
were compelled to sprint to first, b