New Ulm review., 1912-06-05
LUCK IN BASEBALL
Freak Plays by Which Games
Have Been Decided.
PUT THE BALL IN HIS POCKET.


ciiff carrells Funny Stunt That Let II
ths Winning Run and Enraosd chri'
Won der Ahs-A Hit That Put Two
Balls In Play at the Same Time.
In the American Magazine Hugh s
Fullerton writes Of freak plays that
have won great baseball games Fol-
lowing is one Of the most remarkable
stories:
Among the abnormal incidents that
figured in the earlier history Of the
national game. perhaps none Is as we'll
known to old timers as the one which
happened to Clin Carroll on the st.
Louis grounds when he was a mem.
Der OF the famous Browne Perhaps
you have wondered why baseball play.
ers have plain shirt fronts and why 90
few players have breast pockets. Cli6
Carroll Is the reason. he was running
forward to take q base hit on the first
bound.
'.rhe bali bounced crooked and hit
him on the chest. he grabbed at the
ball hastily, and as be 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 first he 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 Eat
time was at the head OF the euphonic
trio. Won der Abe, 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 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
name 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
~ Jimmy Callahan, had persuaded Nc.
Nichols a ball player Of major league
:aliber, to play first base against the
3unthers, another strong team, and the
,core was tied in the ninth inning. The
3unthers had runners on second and
bird with two out, and base hit
meant probable defeat for the Logans
and loss Of the city championship.
'"Matty Fitzgerald, a we'll known um
pire. was officiating alone from behind
he pitchers slab His blouse was ill.
ID with extra balls, and In STOPPING to
light 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 a hard line drive that |
seemed aimed at the pitchers ankles.
"Fitzgerald leaped aside to avoid be-
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 shortstop. the 9th.
er toward the second baseman. Each
player thought the ball rolling toward
lin was the one In play, and each
dashed forward. made clever running |
'coops at the same instant and threw
% first base at the same time.
The shortstop threw high and to the !
eft Of McNichols; the second baseman
brew low and to bis right. McNichols,
With his left hand stretched high,
aught one ball In his mitt, and with
he other hand he caught the low
brow, and Fitzgerald, after scratch.
ng bis head an instant, called the bat.
er out and refused to allow either Of
be runs that crossed the plate on the
LAY to be recorded"
The following might be called the
tory Of the base hit that never came
own:
''Of all the good luck freaks that l
yer heard recounted the best was that
vhich happened to Frank Isbell when
q was playing With St. Paul In the
Id Western league. In those days
aseball on Sunday was not permitted
'ithin the corporate limits Of St Paul.
nd Sunday park bad been erected
utside the city's Jurisdiction.
''The ground was extremely small
nd was inclosed by high fence. So
mall was the Enclosure that batters
lifting the ball hard against the fences !
'ere compelled to sprint to first, be-
ause II the ball happened to rebound
lrectly to the fielder he could throw
slow runner out. As it required