Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-12

1
happened in this way.
With two Saints on bases, Moriya-
ma nailed ground drive down the
first base line, which eluded the SOL
der right fielder and disappeared
through a. small hole at the foot of
the fence An inspection of the hole
shows how genuine a freak play it
was for the size of the hole will only
barely permit the passage of the ball
and then only when the ball enters
directly from the front The location
Of the hole was costly to the soldiers,
for the hit Melted three runs and
lost them game that otherwise
would have been tied in the ninth.
A couple of Years ago an article
on freak plays was published by the
well known sporting writer of the
Chicago Tribune, Hugh Fullerton. It
W.. be remembered that he is the
scribe who has reduced baseball
chances to mathematical basis,
and who achieved a national reputa-
ton last fall by writing series of
articles. just before the opening game
of the worlds series, in which he
compared. player for player, the rival
teams to the decided advantage of
the Boston Red Socks and drew on
his unhappy head the wrath of all
New York and and letters of protest
by the bushel from admirers of the
Giants from all parts of the country.
He survived, however, and with a
few exceptions his predictions be-
came facts, so his stories of freak
plays may be accepted as genuine.
Another Hole.
| He writes of a hole in the fence:
On the Washington grounds, when
Washington was in the National
League, the players left the field by
passing under the stands, and the
entrance 20 the passage was closed
ty cellar door arrangement which
s.Oped down to the ground. The
0oors, of course, were kept closed
during games, but at the top, cut in
the planks of the stand, was small
square hole to permit the players to
reach through and unlatch the doors
when they desired to leave the field.
During one game / saw ball, which
had Eeen thrown wild to the plate in
an effort to cut of the tying run, roll
up the doors and disappear through
that hole. The batter circled the
bases and scored the winning run.
The Chicago club, under Arson, was
beaten and protested the game on the
ground that the opening existed in
violation of the rules. In the inyesti-
CATION OF the complaint, an effort
was made to force ball through the
hole and, although 1t was pounded
writ hat he hoD rnf ~
through the hole until the cover
gave way. After that almost every
team that came to the grounds tried
to put balls through the hole and
failed. How that thrown ball man
aged to twist its way through the
aperture never has been explained
satisfacI orily.
Hung on Nail.
'sOf all the good luck freaks that
| ever heard recounted, the best was
that which happened to Frank Isbell
when he was playing with Saint Paul
in the old Western League. In those
days baseball on Sunday was not per-
united within the corporation limits
Of Saint Paul, and a Sunday park Aad
been erected outside the city's juris-
diction. The ground was extremely
small and was enclosed by high
fence. So small was the enclosure
that batters batting the ball hard
against the fences were compelled to
sprint to first, because, If the ball
happened to rebound directly to a
fielder, he could throw slow runner
out.
As 1t required about four hits, or
their equivalent in errors, to yield
run, small scores were the rule. In
the ninth inning of this game Mil
waukee had two runs the advantage
and there were runners on first and
second with Isbell at bat. Saint
Paul's logical hope was a home run
over the high fence. IsbeH hit a
haru line smash to right field against
the fence, The runner on first was
slow man and the fielder squatted,
expecting the ball to rebound to him,
and to whirl and force the slow man
at second base, ending the game. But
the ball clint rebound. 1t impailed
itself on wire nail about ten feet
up the fence, and while the Milwau-
kee outfielders were hunting for a
ladder, Isbeli circled the bases and
won the game.
Scarcely less extraordinary was
an incident recorded by Jack Holland,
owner of the Saint Joseph team,
which was made in a game against
Denver The field was extremely dry
and the pitchers, paving and dig
ging their spikes in front of the slab,
had dug hole so deep that the front
of the rubber plate was almost two
inches above the ground. The bases
were filed with Denver players in the
seventh inning, with no one cut TIE
batter drove hard low smash
straight back at the pitcher, who
failed to touch the ball. The ball,
however, hit the exposed front of the
pitchers plate, bounded straight
back into the hands of the astonished
catcher, who stepped back on the
plate, threw to first and completed
the double play"
An Eventful Game.
Mr.. Fullerton's best freak play
story is the following: