Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1913-06-20

6dlneb ana not mIreQuenLly beILle pen
nant races, 1t will be found that most
of the strange bits Of play that seem
inexplicable, happen to clubs during
their winning streaks. In looking
over the queer 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
4 try will win,
| During the early weeks Of last sea-
son It seemed as if, no matter wheth-
er they did well or i'll, the freak plays
all resulted in their favor. ITS 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 1t. The
game was at Chicago and had gone
into extra innings In the tenth, !
believe it was, Chicago had runner
on third base with two out. The bat
ter smashed 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 1t was passing, slapped his
mitt down and by this despairing Of
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
flash Konetchy leaped in pursuit of
the\ ball, retrieved 1t and whirling 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
.ment he saw the ball beating him to
the plate he made belated effort to
slide, but Bresnahan blocked him and
touched him out 1t perhaps was the
only time on record when a wild
throw to first base ever caught a run
ner at home and saved 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 ! 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. II was filled 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 certain winner. First,
Walter Johnson hit one of the longest
drives l ever saw, a ball that on
still day would have cleared the deep
center-field fence A high wind, how !
sver, was blowing directly from cen
Ter toward the plate and the ball, soar |
ng high, was caught by 1t. Bodie had I
started straight outward at top speed
seemingly without chance to reach
he ball, but as the wind checked the
'orce Of the drive, the ball began to I
ylow up and then fall, at first directly
downward and then backward toward
he pursuing fielder, who actually
overlook 1t, and made spectacular '
,atch. A few moments later Walker,
n left field for Washington, raced to G
eft center in pursuit Of vicious line G
rive. There was puddle Of water q
n his path and Walker appeared to 8
10 watching that puddle more than
Ie was the ball He skirted the wa C
or and turned as If In pursuit of the t
all and, glancing up, he saw that the
Ugh wind had broken the flight of e
he sphere and that 1t was coming t
traight at his head. He ducked v
brew up his bare hand as if to ward t
If the blow, and the ball struck his d
and and stuck there. n
Inning after inning of sensational Q
atches, startling stops, line smashes b
lined straight at flelders, rapid dou- d
lie plays, followed, keeping the s
rowd rolled up and wild with enthusi- f
sm Finally Prince Henry" Schaef- Z
r capped the climax by starting a a
lay that became historic, and started 8
ever ending discussion. Clyde Milan, p
fast and clever runner, was on e
bird, Schaefer was on first, two men A
ere out and a weak batter was at 9
ne plate. On the first bali pitched 81
chaefer stole second, lettering pur- n
osely and trying to draw a throw b
ON the catcher that would give "
Lilan chance to score. As two runs Il
ould not do any more damage than h
ne, the Sox let him run unmoIested u
selling certain the batter could not II
it. On the next ball pitched, also a Il
.rike, Schaefer stole from second 81
ack to first, again striving to force e,
hicago to throw. The White Sox In al