Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-07-03
BRIEF BITS FROM BASEBALL

Several thousand people are still
talking about Crafton's great play in
the ninth inning at Athletic park Sat-
urday. This chunky left-fielder of the
25th Infantry is not only a corking
hitter but a fast man in fly balls and
has a wonderful throwing arm. In
the ninth inning Saturday Desmond
walked and Precfado, the Claras'
third baseman, slapped a whacking
hit out between left and center. 1t
looked like three-bagger at the least.
But out from left tield Grafton came
tearing at full speed headed the ball,
went into the air to meet 1t and got
il in both hands, but well above his
head. The ball popped out and it
looked like he had lost IL. But Graf
ton was going at such speed that he
was right on top Of the ball as 1t
came down from its little bounce out
of his hand, and he nailed It. Without
pausing a moment, even without set
ting himself, he hurled the pellet on
a line into the hands OF Hawkins on
first base. Desmond had started to
circle the bases on the hit, as he was
uOkA6' III nOuOos CAPCSt-
ed Grafton to get it. When Grafton
threw to first Desmond was nearly
to second and though he hot-footed it
back to his base the throw beat him
by 2Dsfeet and Hawkins was waiting
| with the bail. It was4ene of the su-
per-plays that come once or twice q
| season. It killed rally that might
have tied the score for the Santa
Claras. The boys son the Santa Clara
bench literally rolled on the ground in
amazement and despair. :. :
Once before his great throw in the
ninth Grafton had turned loose that
wing Of his, shooting the ball to sec
ond 80 fast he nearly got a man off
the base. This soldier looks like an
awkward runner until he runs for a
ball and then he gets over the ground
like a race-horse. .>
Rogan's three-bagger in the third
inning was high, long drive that
went far into left-center and rolled to
the fence. He went around the bases
like an antelope. !
Brown, pinch-hitter. for the Santa
Claras, struck out tamely and lamely
In the seventh on Saturday. The sec
ond and third strikes were fast ones
fright over the plate and Brown didn't
even swing his bait That kind OF
work never wins any BAH games q
Rogan took exception to several OF
Umpire Stayton's rulings on pitched
balls In Saturdays game. Rogan
thought they were strikes but the UNI
pIre rightly called them balls. The
j soldier looked peeved awhile but ulti.
mately cheered up. As matter Of
fact Stayton's calling on Saturday
was mighty good. -.
] Walter Argabrite got by in nice
shape as base umpire Saturday. He
had some mighty close decisions to
i make and one or two that could have
been called either way. .... .....@
The crowd had some fun Saturday
watching youthful baseball enthusi
ast on the Santa Clara bench who
ly won the nickname OF. "Red." Red
and some Of the 25th rooters on the
left field bIeaehers jawed back and
forth eheerfuIIy. After Rogan's drive
in the third put the Santa cIaras far
into the hole, Red subsidized consider
Eably. His xoice5Was beginning to give
out anyway. All through the game
by the way, there was a lot Of coach
ing from the Santa Clara bench. And
some from the 25th Infantry bench
too. .....
] The Santa Clarasainfield defense on
Saturday was very shaky. The Off
cial scorer doesn't show some Of the
weakness exhibited in the inner
works. "
| O'Neil's home run on Saturday went
straight over Johnson's head in cen
ter field. johnson made a desperate
jump, running backwards, and when
he hit the earth again he fell. Before
the ball was relayed in O'Neil was
home by many yards.
i Plenty of rooters in this town fol-
the Santa Clara boys. They are popu
lar and play hard and appear to have
many personal friends and acquaint
ances in the stands.
I The pitching on Saturday showed
considerable contrast. Leonard Of
4 Santa Clara worked with a slow curve
ball which was effective most of the
time and he deserved a better fats
than the score shows though In the
later innings the soldiers were learn
4 ing to wait on his "roundhoust
curve" Rogan had all sorts of speed
and curves that wriggled like snake
4 particularly. his straight drop, but hi
was wilder than usual The collegi
ans never did get on to his speed bal
and when they swung, swung too late
4 They should take some batting prac
i tise against straight speed pitching
and drop curves.
i Where two or more pitchers art