The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-20
RUCKER Is MASTER
OF PIRATE BATTERS
Using All His Ancient Cum
ming and u Spitball as Well
lie Scores ShutOut.
DODGERS TIE FOR SECOND

Wilbert Robinson, the Man OF Mystery
who tolls for Squire Ebbets of Fla;bush
has as many tricks up his sleeve as the
next mounteback. But Wllbert Is not
so temperamental as the usual run OF his
class In %springing his wares. He held
Fred Clarke's Pirates spellbound for
an hour and a half yesterday afternoon
at Ebbets Field with one OF the oldest
saws known 10 the genus fan. no less
a sample OF the black art than Napoleon
Rucker, supposedly laid on the shelf
these many. many years. Rucker was so
motheaten that he could do no better
than to shut out the Corsairs by 3 to o
and boost his teammates into a tie for
second place with the Cubs.
Rain over In Philadelphia knocked
some OF the wind out OF the sails OF this
SAINT Rucker. But for the fact that the
elements cancelled a noble start Of the
Phillies In their second tilt the Dodgers
would have been ou' all BY themselves
for the place position. lie did well
enough as II was. however. for PITTS
burg didn't score or him. Ii didn't
look as Il Plttsburg could have scored
III HIm ia a mllliON years mat Is JUST
how good Rucker was.
Before Fuckers shoulder gave him
trouble a few seasons back lie was sup
p-sed 10 he the hcadiest pitcher OF the
decade. Wise as the proVerhial owl. he
never offered anything anybody could
hii. Well. yesterday Ruoke7 wss just
about twice ms aeady as he had ever
been before In his lie.
Olson. an iutielder recently acquired
from the Cincinnati Reds-who fur
nisied Douglas 20 the Dodgers. by the
way-watched Rucker for an inning.
say" he asked Robbie, 'is that AL
tina; guy ever had
Watch him through the game" re-
piled Robbie. "and tell me your option
then
said the crestfa,len Olson. when IL was
ali over: He threw ore hundred AID
ten balls. No two OF them we're alike.
Whew and there lies the answer.
To the casual observer yesterday AZ
~ternoon 1t looked as u Nap Rucier
was just puiterIns along. lie didt'i
seem to have much speed, taougn he did
have control. His n1ky nook was
nothing extraordinary, tholgh he could
Fave hit the eye of a needle wish IT,.
But no two p.tches came up alike, He
had the Corsairs simply breaking their
backs.
Rucker. for the ars, time in his life.
actually uSfU ~ eplANills anu ~ Wd~ ~
thing Of beauty. II was masked beauti-
fully and came up with the half over
hand motion OF beth the amous drop
aud the slow one. Ruckcr had speed
toe. though he didn't use II much. He
got away wlthou, crowding his arm
in tie early innings. for m the fourth
his teammates handed him "A handsome
lead. Clarke sent = coterie of pinch
hitters into the game toward the close.
Then Nap really did unl'mher. lie cut
through ali a dozen balls that whipped
in with the snap and the kip OF the
Rucker of Ave years ago. That Fucker
was Just about the best left handler
t,at ever warmed the cookies OF a nan
ayers heart.
Nan Rucker-on his last Two perform
ances-will do for some years To come.
His comeback is as sensational as mat
OF Jack Coomhs His was no huke we
tory over the Pirates. for in spite OF his
versatility he often was thrown bacA
upon his own resources. \ MT, a pass
and an error filled the bases Tor the
Pirates In the third inning. but Nap
famed t,e smuggling Doc Johnston. 4
mass and , single put Pittsburg run
ners on third and first with two OUT
in the Mt. Rucker again tanned
Johnston. Carey's double IN the seventh
came with two down. The hlts OF
Hircnman and Vlox in the eighth were
,,ndyichcd round Wagner's fly to ccn-
ire for the second out. Duncan pIn'h
hitting in the ninth, hit safely WIN
one gone. but was unable to advance
Southpaw Kantlehner or i1'tshuiG
va ,t freely IN each OF the sN IN
hinge that he tarried on the MI. hu'
excellent support pulled him ihr"ush
the hrs, three OF them. Wheat opened
Inc f,ur,, with a single TO left. lie got
,ouud 10 third on tutshaws s'c'lhce
and STENCILS out. GetLs single 10 le't
nave the run. ,;etz stole secohu 10
,nally on Miller's hit to left.
MYERS dropped "A Texas league single
into right at tn. beginning OF the MIN.
o'Nara walked. Wheat's OUT advanced
both runners. Cutshaw's single to N'e,
nor scored Myers. oMara was traVi'en
oa,footed off third on nm attempted
double steal with Cutshaw. ,
Hummel batting for Stenge'. opener
tho sixth with a single to centre he
advanced on ,ietz's grounder TO JONI
.,n Collins by "A wonderlu' "m'
handed leaplng catch OF Miller 'err'nc
liar cut off Brooklyn's last oppor-
,,ni,v ia score. as In the last two M
nTnr. Councilman proved "A real enigma
, T,a scpre