Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-06-05
PUT THE BALL IN HIS POCKET.

| known to old timers as the one which
happened to Cliff Carroll on the st
Louis grounds when be was mem
Der OF the famous Browns Perhaps
you have wondered why baseball play
ers have plain shirt fronts and why *
few players have breast pockets. Clin
Carroll Is the reason. He was running
forward to take base bit on the 6rst
bound.
1.-The ball bounced crooked and bill
him on the chest He grabbed at the
ball hastily. and as he clutched it be
showed it down into the handkerchief
pocket on bis shirt front The runner
saw Carroll tugging and sraining to
tear the ball out of the pocket, and in.
stead OF stopping at 6rst 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 ~
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 Abe. Muckenfuss and
DiddIebock, 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 one of game
where two balls were 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. ball player of major league
caliber. to play first base against the
Gunthers, another strong team, and the
score was tied in the ninth inning. The
Gunthers had runners 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 we'll known I'm.
pire. was officiating alone from behind
the pitchers slab His blouse was Gil.
cd with extra balls. and In STOPPING to
sight along the plate as the pitcher
wound up be allowed one Of the spare
balls to fall to the ground behind him.
The batter bit hard line drive that
seemed aimed at the pitchers ankles.
"Fitzgerald ieaped aside to avoid b.
Ing bit. the batted ball struck the
ball on the ground. and the two balls
kissed OF at right angles. One went
straight toward the shorBtop. the 9th
or toward the second baseman. Each
player thought the ball rolling toward
him was the one In play. and each
dashed forward. made clever running
scoops at the same instant and threw
to flrst base at the same time
The shortstop threw high and to the
left Of McNichols: the second baseman
threw low and to his right hcNichols.
With bis left hand stretched high.
caught one ball in his mitt. ana with
the other hand be caught the low
throw. and Fitzgerald. after scratch.
ing bis head an instant, called the bat.
ter ont and refused to allow either Of
the runs that crossed the plate on the
play to be recorded"
The following might be called the
gtory Of the base hit that never came
down:
"Ot all the good luck freaks that l
ever beard recounted the best was that
which happened to Frank Isbell when
be was playing with st. Paul In the
old Western league. In those days
on Sunday was not permitted
within the corporate limits Of st. Paul,
and a Sunday park had been erected
outside the city's Jurisdiction.
1.-The ground was extremely small
and was Enclosed BY high fence. So
small was the Enclosure that batters
hitting the ball hard against the fences
were compelled to sprint to frst. be-
cause II the ball happened to rebound
directly to the fielder he could throw
Z slow runner out. A. It required
about four hits or their equivalent in
errors to yield a run. small scores were
the rule.
''lD the ninth inning Of this game
had two runs the advan.
tage. and there were runners on first
and Second. with lsbelt at bat st.
Paul's only logical hope was for
Dome rnu over one of the high fences.
isbeI, hit q hard line smash to right
tield against the fence. The runner
oD 6rst was slow man. and the fielder
sQnatted. expecting the ball to rebound
to him and to whirl and force the SLOW
man ut second base. ending the game
But the ball didn't rebound 1t I'm.
paied itself on wire Oail about ten
feet np the fence and while the Nil
waukee outue'dprs were hunting q
ladder iebeil clrcled the bases and Won
TIE CT n,s.
Fame oniv cunes when deserved. ana
rosO u !. ~ ,nevita tie ~ destiny. tor