Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-03


hit. Tommy turned with the crack
Of the bat. ran without looking at
the ball. to left field, stole one
glance at the rapidly approaching
leather, and with his back toward
the home plate he jumped an in
credible distance into the air and
speared the ball.
1t may not sound SPECTACULAR
but Coach Heisman calls it the
greatest fielding play he ever saw
on a college diamond, and Pm well
content to agree with him in the
verdict.
A VOLUME could be filled with a
u narration Of Tommys wonder
full stunts. Once in a game at
Clemson, with Tech leading in the
last Of the ninth, two out, two
men on bases and the score to 3
In Techs favor, a nasty fly was hit
back OF shortstop. Mcmillan start
ed back after It and Just as he
ives slowing down and settling
himself for the catch he stumbled
and fell There was no time to get
up, no time to do anything but
throw himself full length and
stretch out his hands This he did.
and, living fiat on the ground on
his back and with his hands be-
yond his head at full length, he
caught the ball, retired the side and
saved the game
Probably no incident Of his col
lege career showed better his in
nate baseball instinct than one
which happened when the Tech
team was playing at Spartanburg
with the Wofford college team.
Tech had a grand team that year
with Lahtte and Day as Twill
ers-and IT won % out Of 26 games.
The Jackets had Just made a clean
run OF ~ straight wins and en-
tered the thirteenth game with
some superstitious misgivings II
was blustery day, with a gusty
young hurricane blowing into the
faces Of the fielders. The diamond
was skinned and sandy and to COM
plicate matters the ground keeper
had used overmuch lime on the
lines.
With the score to i'm Techs
favor in the eighth inning
and with men on second and
third bases, the times were
tense The batter hit the first ball
pitched a mighty wallop toward
Mcmillan. And az he did so the
worst gust Of the day swept cou-
pie OF carloads OF dirt, sand and
lime down across the field and
right toward Mcmillan. The murky
blanket reached the clever little in
fielder before the ball did.
The situation looked hopeless. No
man could see through the curtain
Of lime and dirt.
Yet suddenly out OF the middle
of the miniature whirlwind. the
ball shot. straight into the first
baseman's hands, the runner was
out and the side retired.
AS Mcmillan came back TO the
bench he was paving at his eyes
and almost blind.
We'll. how in the Dickens did
you see that bsll?" Coach Heisman
asked
Jaw, I dian't soc It," replied
Mcmillan lightly Il Just knew
where it was coming and put my
hands out and it jumped in"
We'll, how did you manage to
throw 1t TO first-you couldn't see.
could your" Coach Helsman per
sisted.
"See-naw," said Mcmillan. But
don't you suppose l know where
first ls?"
WHEN Mcmillan finished his col
w lege course he decided on
baseball as his profession. And
Bernie McCay grabbed him and
took him to the Baton Rouge club,
where he played his first profess
sional season in 1906, batting 1877
and fielding .S72-no very brilliant
performance The next year, at
Jacksonville, under the leadership
of the eruptive Dominick Mulla-
ney and playing then on the same
Cracker. he came nearer to his
club with Vedder Sitton. a present
normal gait, batting 256 and lead
ing the shortstops of the league
with an average Of 1884.
The year 1905 was NcMulan,s
last in the South. Though his rec
ords were not as good as the pre-
Yious year (batttng .2l7. fielding
.SlS). Pat Donovan looked him over
carefully while his BROOKLYN team
was training in the South and i'm
the fall he grabbed him.
Mcmillan continued his sensa-
tional fielding IN the National
league and showed a mark of GA
I'm l05 games with Brooklyn. His
batting average, however, was but
.212.
The following year. 1870 McMn-
lan's batting Siumped and Brook
lyn asked waivers on him Gin
Cinnau claimed him. His batting
mark for that season was only
1873, but his fielding was .92l: and
me ranked with such men as
Sweeney, of Boston; Fletcher, of
New York, DoWney. of Cincinnati.
and Zimmerman. of Chicago.
That year 10 was decided to send
him 60 the Eastern league. But
Brooklyn wanted him for the RoCh-
ester team, while Clark Griffith.
then with Cincinnati u-grfa5 p,