Williams news., 1916-08-03
Fred Merkle sizes up as one of the

Fred Merkle sizes up as one of the most remarkable men in baseball.
 Seven years or so ago he pulls a "boner." It was slip of mental cable that would have been excused 99 times out of 100. But that was the hundredth time. Merkle's misplay cost the New York Giants the championship of the National league and deprived them of a split of the world series gold.
 And from that day to this he has been the target for sarcasm. For two or three years after that incident his every appearance on the ball field was greeted with hoots. He was jeered at, scoffed at and spoofed wherever he went He was ridiculed and his name became a synonym for "bonehead."
 The treatment accorded Merkle would have broken the spirit of any other man. It would have affected his work to such an extent that not only would he have skidded out of the ma jors, but would have landed eventually in the baseball scrap heap. It was the sort of treatment that only a man with iron villa man filled with the door die spirit-could have submitted to- and lived through. And Merkle is that man.
 Despite Jeers Becomes Star.
 For seven years he has remained in the same uniform that he "discredit- ed." For seven years he has played brand of baseball that marks him as one of the most valuable cogs in the Giant machine; one of the best first basemen in the land. He has played always to hostile crowds; always be- fore people who were "gunning" for him. He knew that every second he was being watched; that the slightest slip would bring renewed hoots and misses and jeers.
 It has been seven years and a bit longer since Merkle pulled his "boner" and Merkle today is playing better brand of all-around baseball than he did earlier in his career; playing it in face of open opposition not only abroad but among the home town fans.
 Erred Merkle is the most courageous man that ever donned a baseball uni- form," was the compliment John Me Graw paid to him some time ago. "He stands out today as an heroic figure of bravery and gameness in face of terrific obstacles"
 How "Boner" Was Pulled.
 The Merkle 'boner" is fresh in the minds of the fans of eight and ten years ago, but new generation has arisen since then. For its benefit the story of the "boner" is here retold. The misplay was made on the Polo grounds, September 23, 1908, in the Giants went to bat in the last half of the ninth the score stood 1 to 1. By | the time two men were out Mccormick was on third, Merkle on first and Brid- | well at the plate.
 Bridwell shot a single over second base and Mccormick raced home with what seemed to be the winning run. But it wasn't. Merkle, instead of run ming to second base and touching it, suffered a mental lapse in his elation over what seemed to be a Giant vic tory which would have cinched the pennant.
 Merke never touched second base, but detoured on his way and raced into the clubhouse. Johnny Evers, playing second for the Cubs that day, noticed Merkle's ''boner" and knew that if he could get back the ball and touch sec Ond base before Merkle he would force out Merkle, making the third out and nulling McCormick's "winning" run.
 McGinnity's Plan Rolled.
 Evers yelled to Hoffman, who grab bed the ball and threw toward second. However, the crowd already had jumped upon the field and the ball, in- stead of going direct to Evers, hit one of the spectators and was defected. By this time Joe McGinnity, the Giant pitcher, sensed that something was wrong. He rushed onto the crowded