The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1912-08-16
LUCK IN BASEBALL.
Freak Plays by Which Games
Have Been Decided.
PUT THE BALL IN HIS POCKET.

tiiF CarrolI's Funny Stunt That Let In
the Winning Run and Enrassd Chris
Won der Ahs-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 Ia one OF the most remarkable
stories:
Among the abnormal incidents that
figured In the earlier history Of the
national game. perhaps none Is as well
known to old timers as the one which
happened to Clin Carroll on the St
Louis grounds when he was men,
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. CHI
Carroll Is the reason. He was running
forward to take a base hit on the frst
bound.
1.-The ball bounced crooked and hit
him on the chest. He grabbed at the
bail hastily, and as he clutched 1t he
showed It down into the handkerchief
pocket on his shirt front The runner
saw Carroll Juggling and straining 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 that
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 ut the
same time:
Perhaps the strnngest freak play
was one made by Frank McNichols on
the Logon 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 In the ninth inning. The
Gunthers had runners on second and
third With two out. and base hit
meaht probable defeat for the I1ogans
and loss Of the city championship
"Matty Fitzgerald. a we'll known um
the pitchers slab His blouse was ILL
ed with extra balls. and in STOPPING to
sight along the plate ~ the pitcher
wound up he allowed one of the spare
balls to fall to the ground behind him.
The butter hit hard line drive that
seemed aimed at the pitchers ankles.
Fitzgerald ped aside to avoid be-
ing hit. the batted ball struck the
ball on the ground. and the two balls
kissed OF Mt right angles. One went
straight toward the shortstop. the 9th
er toward the second basemnn. 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 drst base at the same time.
1.-The shortstop threw high and to the
left OF McNichols: the second baseman
threw low and to bis right. McNichols.
with his left hand stretched high.
caught one ball in his mitt, and with
the other hand be caught the low
throw. and Fitzgerald. after scratch
Ing his head an instant, called the bat.
ter out and refused to allow either of
the runs that crossed the plate on the
play to be recorded"
The following might be called the
story of the base hit that never came
down:
"Of all the good luck freaks that I
ever heard recounted the best was that
which happened to Frank Isbell when
he was playing with st. Paul In the
old Western league In those days
baseball on Sunday was not permitted
within the corporate limits Of St Paul,
and Sunday park had been erected
outside the city's Jurisdiction.
1.-THE ground was extremely small
and was inclosed by high fence. So
small was the Enclosure that batters
hitting the ball hard against the fences
were compelled to sprint to first, be-
rnuse II the ball happened to rebound
directly to the fielder be could throw
a slow runner ont As It required
about four hits or their equivalent In
errors to yield run. small scores were
the rule.
"ln the ninth inning Of this game
Milwaukee had two runs the advan.
tage. and there were runners ON first
and second. with lsbell at bat. st.
l'aul's only logical hope was for q
home run over one Of the high fences.
lsbell hit hard line smash to right
Held against the fence. The runner
IN first WIS slow man. and the fielder
bln,tted. expecting the bali 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