Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-01-07
THICK HEADED STUNT
Mccormack Couldn't Resist Hit- ting at Straight One.
Former Manager of Philadelphia and Providence Teams Tells How For mer New York Player Lost
 Game by Stupidity.
By BILLY MURRAY.

The greatest play I ever saw-one that never was made before and l hope never will be again-was pulled off by "Bill' Mccormack, when he was playing for me at Providence.
 You fellows probably remember him as outfielder for the New York Giants. and when he played semi-pro ball around Chicago,
 You know that most of the famous bone-head plays made are by smart players acting under impulse that they can't control, so don't think I'm accusing Bill of pulling solid ivory stunt because he was in the habit of it. He wasn't.
 We were playing at Providence game that meant q lot to us, and we were fighting for the pennant, and had 8 good change to win. The game was one of the hardest and best pitch ed of the year. and the score was tied when We came to the bat in the ninth inning. 1 don't remember ex- actiy, but think the score Was one to one. and that we had scored our one early in the game and hung on i to the seventh before Buffalo could tie it up. The Buffalo pitcher had i everything, and 1t seemed as if we were In a fair way to being licked-- and We couldn't afford to take beat i ing. They came near scoring in the first half of the ninth, and l Ni.s wild i to push over run in our half, and ! not give then another crack at our pitcher, who seemed to De slowing ,lp and losing everything he had.
 The first man up for us in the ninth l inning beat out slow luck bound l.er and the next one laid down a sac Tifice. Our two pest hitters were con1- ing to bat--and I was praying for a single to finish the game. Mccormack was waiting to come to bat in case the hitter who was up failed to deliver g. safe clout. and was standing about half way between the plate and first base, swinging his bat and getting ready He hadn't made hit that day, and the Buffalo pitcher seemed to have him or the string, yet like all l players, be was confident that he could hit and was anxious to be up there.
 The batter smashed hard single down between left and center, and the Hummer on second who was fast came tearing around third for the plate The left fielder headed off the ball. and although there wasn't a chance on earth to catch the runner at the plate, he cut loose the ball as hard as he could toward the plate without taking time to look or straighten up. The only chance he had was thousand to one that his wild heave would come somewhere near the plate. 1t didn't. The ball came on .line about half way be. tween first and the plate, so wild that the catcher couldn't reach 1t, and what we though was the winning run came over. Imagine my surprise to see Mccormack run at that ball. swing his bat and hit it mile to center field. The umpire. of course, promptly called the runner out for the interference, and in the next in. ming they fell on our pitcher and hammered him all over the place, beating us out of the ball game. And when I asked Bill why he hit that I thrown ball, he said: Honestly, Bill, couldn't help it; it was the first .atrRight one I've seen today"