Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-06-13
FAMOUS bones"
OF BASEBALL
Boob Plays That Have Made
Noted Players Famous in
An INEVITABLE Way.
(By FRANKIE G. Menke.D

|
achieve, but others-Fred Merkle and
John Anderson, for instance-simply
blunder into it and get their names
enrolled indelibly on the pages of his
| tory.
Anderson passed from major league
view many years ago, but his memory
still lives-and will live as long as
baseball lasts. Anderson isn't remem-
bered because Of the fact that he was
once brilliant fielder and real
slugger His credtable accomplish
ments have been forgotten Anderson
lives in memory because he was the
first man in major league history to
steal second base with the bases full.
Nowadays when some player dupli-
Gates Anderson's accomplishment the
scribbling persons don't describe it
by saying that "Hinky Dink stole sec
ond wit hthe bases full" They simply
state that "Hinky Dink pulled a
John Anderson" And every man ia
miliar with baseball knows just what
Hnky Dink did.
Fred Merkle is another who never
will be forgotten. He pulled bone"
back in 1908 that cost the New York
club about 100000 and each of his
teammates from $4,000 to $4,000 in
world series money That one foozle
will make Merkle's fame-or infamy-
undying. And it ha sadded new verb
to the dictionary, for in these days
when a man performs some bonehead
action it is not termed that way. The
RECRUITERS Of the incident simply state
that "Smith merkled,' which is de-
scription enough.
Merkle, as many will remember, is
the gentleman who failed to touch
second base in one of the final games
of the 1908 season in which the Nation
al League championship, an da divvy
of the worlds series money was at
stake. One Of his New York team
sending man across the plate with
the winning run. Merkle was on first
when the hit was made. He started
for second, but when he saw that the
runner had crossed the plate in safe
ty he gave second base the go-by and
hustled to the clubhouse.
John Evers of the Cubs, who were
the Giants rival that day, noticed that
Merkle had failed to touch second. He
rushed to second shrieked to have the
ball thrown to him, and finally man
aged to get hold of it, although the
crowd then was sWarming into the
field. Evers touched second base for a
force out on Merkle, who by that time
was under the shower bath in the
clubhouse Evers grabbed one of the
umpires, called his attention to the
fact that Merkle hadn't touched sec
ond, and the umpire backed him up.
The game had to be played over, and
the Giants lost it and their chance to
get into the world series.
Niles Famous "BOnes."
Harry Niles long ago passed from
view along the major league horizon
but the memory of his two famous
"bones" still remains. Niles, who was
an outfielder. and speedy man of the
sacks, smashed out terrific drive to
center. Danzig, a slow-runner, was on
first when Niles connected, and he
started numbering down to second.
Niles turned first, crossed second
and pulled up at third after whirl-
| wind slide. 1t was not until then that
| he discovered that he had run past
nanzig who had pulled up at second.
| Oh, yes, Niles was declared out for
passing a runner, and the chances for
victory by his team-the Boston Red
Sox-died right there.
A short time afterward the SoX were
playing one of the eastern teams. 1t
was in the ninth, Boston leading by
two runs, the other side having three
on bases and only one out. The bat
ter sent long fly which Niles easily
captured Just as soon as he shared
the ball, Niles showed it into his back
pocket and started for the clubhouse.
His amazed teammates yelled at him,
but their yeiis were in vain. Niles
was under full head of steam for the
cooling shower and the yells, which
he took to be cheers as reward for
his catch, halted him not at all.
OF course, one of his teammates fl
nally chased Niles to the clubhouse
and relieved him of the ball-and him
sci fof some cuss words-but the dam
had crossed the plate and the Red Sox
had lost, Niles thought that his catch
made it three outs.
Chlef Meyers NOT immune.
Chief Meyers, the Giant catcher, is
another who has his name writ in the
Boobs Hall of Fame. He scored two
bones in one day and did it down in
Cincinnati, too. That may excuse
hint it may not But anyway,
Meyers, who has stolen only about Is
bases in the past six years saw a
beautiful chance to make it 10 during
this particular game. He started at
! full speed-100 yards in AZ seconds
amid yells from his teammate and
triumphantly anchored at the keystone
sack to find that he had pulled a
John Anderson" =
A few innings late, just to show that
it's possible for one fellow to do cou-
pie of foolish things in one day, Mey-
ers heaved the ball down to second in
an attempt to catch man off the
bag. The bases were filled at the
time, two were out and the man on
third had almost as big lead as the
man on second Result, the man on
third about walked in, the Giants
fl,,ctorod .,hooan IN throw the hall