The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-01-14

'h ehe dcnu OF baseball 1tera-
ture lately. readers must think that
playing the game IN a very serious
business. The Federal league has In
creased this impression with the big
ngures mentioned in connection with
the backing OF the clubs and tho sal
aries or the players. But baseball
has its light spots.
Most players to-day have a sense
OF humor. but ! think II was more
prevalent when first broke into the
Dig leagues because the men In the
game then did not take the sport 40
seriously and they were no combi-
nation ball players and bankers. The
desire OF ball players in recent years
TO get ahead has improved the stand.
ard OF the men and the kind of hall
played, TO be sure. so I am not find.
ing fault with IL, but that does not
prevent me from clipping back a few
years and digging up some incidents.
Ed Delehanty was playing with
tho philadelphia club when | first
joined the Giants. and there never
was man in the game who liked his
hits better than old Ed" Bunting
was not so popular in his time as IL
Is now. and | would like TO have seen
lay IL down. In his bright lexicon.
there was no such word as hunt"
His favorite hit was between the out.
helders, and | don't believe there
ever lived n man who could oftener
punch the ball between and beyond
TWO outfelders. Whenever he would
get one OF these drives. he always
sought out the man the ball had
whizzed past, when the teams
changed places between the innings,
with this remark:
We'll. | made YOU show me YOUR
back on that one"
This got to be a regular challenge
10 the outfielders from Delohanty un.
I'll many OF the men I'm the league
were playing very deep so that he
could not see their backs" Then
Delehanty would cross them up by
pushing one just over the infield and
getting two bases on il because the
outhelders Were playing so far back.
had him do this against me one day
when ! was pitching. and he greeted
the outfielder victim as usual. but
with this remark:
80 Vel your chest looks just as good
20 me az your back when / can set two
bases on one right in front OF YOU
IN The ola days when Delehanty play-
ed with the Philadelphia team t6av hsd
the old buzzer under the coasbcr's no
~, third base Tor large part Of tho
tlme. by which the signs OF the visftin,
battery were transmitted to the hitter
IIon a man in an apartment house In
.finter He,d armed with pair OF fiell
s9ss-- Morgan Robinson was the SOY
outside the park In center field. and the
STORY or how this tipping system ana
ARTIFICIAL aid TO anaomic batters was ois-
covered one day when a contest was
played after "a morning rain and there
was puddle In the coacher's box -
~
ten been told.
Delehanty was a man who took every
advantage Of his acquired knowledge n
what the opposing pitcher was going TO
deliver and his favorite ball was "A fast
one. nave seen him have the audacitv
70 stand up az the plate and indulge in
me lnelegant act Of splitting at the hn ~
- IL passed when he knew From, fbg
ip-off that curve was TO be expectad.
Give me something else. 1 don't uke
nose he would say.
the first time faced Delehanty 7
was green, and an old base tail mar.
VINO f"eed as friend 20 me. the new
conner Just breaking In; came 10 me with
2 zap. or course. llelehanty carried n
Dig reputation as a flusgcr. and ]. being
youngster, was anxious 90 De told
what sort OF STUFF he could not hit
Whatever you do" warned tgv al
wiser. don't slip him n high fast on.
IT you do, duck down In the boz
Following the advice 7 knnt handing
Delehanty curves. and he kept Consist
entity kissing them between tie outneid-
my mind mat things could not be anv
worse, and switched 20 my fast bal.
which had lots more steam on 10 in thofs
days than 10 carries nov. struck tina
great sluggcr ont twice. and only two
Or the six balls be struck 90 were
strikes Now perhaps This inf9rrner Of
mine had not intended to Iupe me. huf
"H 10 nftcu occurs. what lq one pitcher =
meat in baseball is another mans poison
not hit Co., your delivery. p1ehantv
,Dltl smash -nF curve, because 10 was