The chronicle=news., 1913-01-25

Mcrkl". then on" OF III" New York
Giants recruits. saved the Chicig"
cubs from oth"Twisc certain defeat
In the National league pcnnant rae"
of 1905 will bc remembered for ia"
res, OF their lives by all who Saw ih"
most costly bon"hcid play yet per
p.,rat"d in baseball
1t cust New York the lcasu. cham
pionship. COS, the owners OF ,hr
Gotham cluL around S5O.""". and
cos, tho Individual players "f ia"
team between $4,000 and siunn
apiece. Everybody though, II would
cost M.rkl- his job and career, but
IL didn't. The Giant manager slim
ply figured IL out that M"rklc would
never do II again.
Wherever baseball Is spoken on"
hears frequent references today to
that famous play. aud until some
on" beats II the maine of M.rk!c VIII
L., used to Indicate III. aputhcOsis of
IVORY. Even the Suoderass mufi.
which cost the Giants q worlds pen
uant aud 81 500 apiece this year,
viii not eclipse Mrrklc'. failure To
touch second. SuOdIrass ended srn-
sa,ional worlds series. but NcrkIc
began u train OF events which were
almost epoch making and raised .
wranglc that could be heard arounI
the wCrld.
Everybody knows McTklc failed 10
touch second base oil that memor-
able September 20. 1905. but there
u a surprising vasucncss IN the
minds OF baseball fans regarding tn"
why's and whcreforcs OF that act.
Nearly every explanation that could
be imagined has been used as the.
reason why Merkle robbed B:ldwcll
OF base hit and McCormick OF the
tally ,hat would have won ball
game and eventually II league pen
Lgnt.
Merkle Has been accused of run
ming out OF line before the winning
run scored: OF turning to the right
after passing first base on his own
nit. which the fan said. made ii nee
.ssary for him to advance TO second
immcdiat TO avoid being put out.
and OF several other impossible base
ball crimes OF which he was inno-
cent.
mere IL NAh Hhbt'h hh' w. q
Cubs and Giants Went into the last
half OF the ninth Inning New fork'
halo with the score knotted ut l to
/. Seymour went out on groun-
der to Eycrs. Delviu hit to center for
u single. Mccormick bounded one to
Evcrs. forcing Dcvlin at second. then
Mcrkic singled into right so far that
Mccormick went to third on 1t. That
set the stage for play with Giants
on first and third two out and one
run needed ~ terminate the game ii,
New York's issSny. =
Bridwcl Wlialr6d the first bali
pitched to him safely into center aud
ran to first base. while Mccormick
crossed the pan with what ought 10
have been the winning run, but
wasn't Mcrklc was tho answer.
This young man. who was sifbbing
for Fred Tcnncy on 1ira that hay,
started toward ssnond on Bridwcll' S
hit. but when half 'wRy there duckcd
his head and ran for the chbh1isc
back of right field to beat the crowd
which already was swarming on tho
arena in the belief thy the game
was over.
When Mcrklc s'artctiyior tir club
house Evcrs set up yell, demand
ing the ball from Hoffman. who had
stopped it. That wised up several
Giants to what was going to happen
Capt. Donlin started on the run aft.
er Merkle. McGinnity. who was
crossing the field near second but
ted in. catching the ball as it was
thrown to Evers. Three or foul
Cubs pounced on the Iron Man, anc
10 keep them from taking the ball
away McGinnity threw it among the