Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-06-19
faCnan
By Hugh S. Fullerton

Oddly enough, when one begins to
study the freak plays that decide
games and not infrequently settle pen
nant races, it viii be found that most
Of the strange bits Of play that seem
inexplicable, happen TO clubs during
their winning streaks. In looking
over the greer plays OF the last two
seasons in my records [ picked out
twenty and discovered in every in
stance that the luck broke" for the
club that was at the time having a
winning streak" There are times
when Everything breaks for one
club. when nothing another club may
try will win.
During the early weeks Of last sea-
son it seemed as if, no matter wheth-
err they did well or i'll. the freak plays
all resulted in their favor. It's the
only team | ever saw mourned Fred
Clarke, that can win games by max
ing errors" There was one play that
must still remain impressed upon the
memories Of those who saw it. The
game was at Chicago and had gone
into extra innings. IN the tenth, !
believe it was. Chicago had a runner
on third base with two out. The bat
ter smashed a fierce drive just inside
the first base, the game seemed over
and the victory Chicago's. Konetchy
the Cardinal first baseman. dived at
the ball as it was passing. slapped his
nitt down and by this despairing eff
fort, he managed to make the glove hit
the ball. But instead Of stopping, the
bali rolled slowly back into right field
on fair ground and stopped perhaps
twenty-five feet behind the bag. Like
a flash Konetchy leaped in pursuit Of
the ball, retrieved it and whirfng he
threw to the pitcher who was cover
ing the base at top speed, only step
ahead of the runner. Konetchy is
one of the most powerful throwers in
the business and he threw with all his
force in an effort to make the play
and save the day. The ball flashed
past the pitcher so fast he hadn't time
to put up his hands, shaved the head
Of the runner, who lodged. and bound
ed perfectly into Bresnahan's hands
at the plate. The runner coming home
from third with the winning run had
been lettering, and when to his amaze
Eent he saw the ball beating him to
the plate he made a belated effort to
slide. but Bresnahan blocked him and
touched him out. 1t perhaps was the
only time on record when wild
throw to first base ever caught run
ner at home and saved a ball game.
1t was merely an exaggerated exam
pie of the manner in which fortune
followed the Cardinals during that
period
The most sensational game I have
ever seen during twenty seasons of
watching major league baseball was
that between the Washington team
and the Chicago White Sox late in
1911. 1t was filed with freakish plays
from start to finish. The Washington
team just then was in the only lucky
streak it enjoyed during the season
and seemed a certain winner. First,
Walter Johnson hit one of the longest
drives l ever saw, a ball that on a
still day would have cleared the deep
center-feld fence. A high wind, how
ever, was blowing directly from cen
ter toward the plate and the ball soar
ing high. was caught by it. Bodie had
started straight outward at top speed
seemingly without a chance to reach
the ball, but as the wind checked the
force of the drive. the ball began to
slow up and then fail, at first directly
downward and then backward toward
the pursuing fielder, who actually
overlook it, and made a spectacular
catch A few moments later Walker,
in left field for Washington, raced to
left center in pursuit of a vicious line
drive. There was a puddle of water
in his path and Walker appeared to
be watching that puddle more than
he was the ball He skirted the wa
ter and turned as If in pursuit of the
ball and, glancing up, he saw that the
high wind had broken the flight of
the sphere and that it was coming
straight at his head. He ducked,
threw up his bare hand as If to ward
off the blow, and the ball struck his
hand and stuck there.
Inning after inning of sensational
catches, startling stops, line smashes
aimed straight at fielders, rapid dou-
bic plays, followed, keeping the
crowd rolled UP and wild with enthusi-
asm Finally Prince Henry" Schaef-
er capped the climax by starting a
play that became historic, and started
never ending discussion. Clyde Milan.
a fast and clever runner, was on
third. Schaefer was on first, two men
were out and a weak batter was at
the plate On the first ball pitched
Schaefer stole second, lettering pur-
posely and trying to draw throw
from the catcher that would give
Milan a chance to score. AS two runs
would not do any more damage than
one, the Sox let him run unmolested.
feeling certain the batter could not
hit. On the next ball pitched, also a
strike, Schaefer stole from second
back to first. again striving to force
Chicago to throw. The White Sox in
stantly raised a protest. The umpires
were silent They could not tell the
Chicago players what to do, although
baseman to run ahead Of Schaefer,
take the throw from the pitcher,
force Schaefer back to the first base
and touch him out Milan hadn't a
chance to 60 home If the play was