Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-11
BY j. W. Heisnan.

OrRANGELY enough the longest
hit and the best throw / ever
saw made in a baseball game
were both made by amateur players,
not by professionals.
The hit occurred during a game be-
tween Princeton and Pennsylvania
at Philadelphia in the spring OF 1890.
Up to that time Princeton had never
beaten Pennsylvania a game of base
ball in their lives. and that day she
was destined once more to go down
in defeat TO the Quakers.
II was about the sixth inning, and
as yet neither side had scored. Penn
had runner on second base
and two men were down. Captain
Young was i'm the box for Princeton.
and a grand pitcher he was.
Up to the plate steps our center
fielder, Jim Watts, a raw bOned rail-
splitter from Minnesota. He was
about feet inches i'm the vertical
direction, and about 8 l-2 feet across
the shoulders, but as lean as a
hound. He always used an eNcep-
tionally long stick. and he clutChed
II at the extreme end.
YOUNG looked him over but evil
L IDENTIFY wasn't worried much
about him. for Watts had done moth
ing his first two times at the platter
The Princeton captain turned loose
neat drop for the first ball, and d.
came squarely over the plate and just
a hairs breadth above Watts knee.
Watts, hitting left handed. swung
that long pole down of his shoulder
and made the prettiest golf drive OF
il you ever saw. The way that drop
BAN pumped right down onto the
nose of that bat would have made
you think that Watts had been hold
ing his bat right there all the time
as a target for Young 20 hit, and
that Young had shown unerring skill
upcoming bat. Well wonder if
that ball isn't going yet. No one
ever saw il again, so it may be.
OUR right field fence al Penn. ON
- the old athletic field, was
about 2SO feet away. Then. just on
the outside, was Spruce Street then
came the main building of the Uni
versity Veterinary Department,
building fully 40 feet wide, and three
stories high. Then came "A narrow
vacant lot, and after that "Old Block
ley" a city hospital and big one,
] can tell you.
Well sir. that ball started off like
a skyrocket At first everybody
thought ii was bound 10 hit the fence
at least. which would score the run
ner on second and give us one tally,
anyway Il scored him all right. but
10 didn't hit the fence. No. 10 dis
dained SO iowiy "a thing as a mere
fence. II simply kept on travelling.
and by tine time IL scared over the
fence fl appeared 10 be about q quar-
ter IF mile lrigh. over Spruce
Street it sailed majestiCaily. Float
ing over the Veterinary Building "a
looked just like balloon that has
started or an international long dis
tanCa matCh-distaHCe. Oh SO very
small and distant. The whole crowd
was ON its feet Tine Penn rooters
had gone mad With JOY and noise.
Wag0uhuTst our runner on second.
had arrived IN the plate on schedule
lime. and WaS now standing with tine
Princeton catcher shading mis- eyes
ana looking after the departed planet.
4 CROSS thu vacant lot The bail
flew. and then. at last. 10 seemed
90 be approaching terra firma again,
or else BiocSley was jumping up to-
ward IT, Anyway the ball and the
roof OF Old Biockley appeared 20 col
Tide something like what seemed an
agile after Watts swat and there
came a high bound Of the horse hide
that all could see. Then on iis way
IL went again. bounding ana bound
ing over the roof Of the big build
ing. ever away from us, until il was
completely lost TO view
How far do J guess Not an inch
less than $50 feet before it stopped
altogether. il IL ever did, is my
guess.
After that Young made balloon
ascension OF his own. and Penn won
by the score of To %.
T lie best throw ! ever saw in g.
game. was made by chip BOB. ~
q bout -four years ago I'm game be-
tween Tech ami Trinity College out
at Tech Park.