New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-13
Fletcher Work at Short
Dm1s MATHIS Siluerware
old Master" Presented with
Gift by Fans-McGraw's
Men Win, 6-3
BY W. O. McGEEH AN


Giant, but now resident of the Cir
cinnsti Cemetery, left here last night
with p silver service and a headache.
The silver service was the gift of fans
who knew him well before he passed
away TO Porkopolis. The headache was
due 10 another raid Of the Giant tank
through the shuddering ranks Of tho
Reds. The casualties of the final day
Of the series report, Giants. s; Reds, 3.
The presentation of the silver ser
vic, with oratorical trimmings, con
tributed by Dudley Field Malone, and
sartorial decorations by Louis Mann,
the ubiquitous thespian, was TO have
been the feature of the day. But Art
Fletcher knocked the programme to
pieces and made himself the feature
not only Of the day-but of the season
so far by staging some Of the most
spectacular fielding that has been seen
on Harry Hempstead's Harlem Estate.
Ii was billed as Matty Day. But
long before the sun took the daily dive
over Coogsns Bluff it was evident thai
May ~, 1917, was Fletcher Day, ana
quite lurid one at that The sheen
of Mathewson's silverware was dimmed
work at shortstop.
Unobtrusive for Texan
Art Fletcher is an unobtrusive person
for a Texan. He is never trying 10
horn in when the limelight is turned
on and he plays his position without
much apparent effort. Even when he
is addressing the most caustlc remarks
to the umpires and the others he does
so in a quiet and transformations fash
ion, without trying TO attract any at
tention. McGraw. who knows baseball
players. would not trade him for all
the other shortstops Of both leagues,
even if there was considerable boot
thrown in.
In the fourth inning Kopf snapped
out what should have been hat by all
the rules Of mathematics and physics.
The ball was whirling by second base
yards away from Fletcher and would
have rolled on TO centrefeld. Fletcher
slid to the left like shot, flung HIM
self on the ball, rebounded to his feet
and shot the ball over 70 first mailing
Kopf by yard. That stop will hardly
be duplicated this season, neither will
that throw. In the fifth inning Fetch
er robbed Chase, Thorpe and Getz out
Of what looked like sure enough sin
giles by sensational stops and equally
sensational throws. Eight assists and
four put-outs went down TO his credit
for the afternoon and not one of them
was achieved on an easy chance.
Infield Looks Invincible
With Herzog back the perfect infield
of the Giants certainly looked lnvln-
chile. The Maryland aviator and Zim-
norman also made some scintillatlng
stops and with the India rubber
stretching work Of Holke at first, they
were able to smother all attacks of the
Red batters upon Rube Benton until
the eighth.
By the way, the Rube was on the way
to the Hall of Fame until the eighth.
Up TO that time, with the assistance OF
the wonderful fielding behind him. the
RUDE had not allowed a single, solitary
hit. But just as he was about to be
hoisted TO the pinnacle of pitching
fame, almost when he had his lunch
hooks on the topmost rung, his foot
slipped and he Topped through the ar
faster than ever the late Steve Brodle
did
wonder if the Rube will really pitch
a no-hit game" somebody commented
as hal Chase came up in the eighth.
Those within hearing began to give
the score cards the once over. Sure
enough. Up TO that point not single
/ blow had been recorded against Rube
Benton.
But hardly had the status of RUDE TO
/ that point been ascertained when It
ceased TO be Of any interest TO the
( multitude Five hits in row were
scored against him and the Rube's
chance for eternal glory wasn't any
better than a Chinaman's. The same
mutitudes that were ready TO hail him
as a radiant hero of the No-hit Legion
were proclaiming him as dumb brother
of the Roquefort and insisting that Nc
Graw send in a wrecking crew to re-
move the debris before the inning was
over.
Such is the national pastime. The
hero of one inning is the hick of the
next.
Giants Busy in First
The Giant tank rolled Mitchell TO an
untimely death in the first inning.
Mitchell is the young man who plays
outfeld very well for the Reds when
he is not pitching, and makes him
self generally useful to Garry Herr
mann, hardly ever getting an afternoon
for himself. 49,,
Burns beat a roller to third, and
Herzog was thrown out by Groh. David
: Robertson, the blushing bridegroom,
smashed a triple TO centre and scored
Burns. Zimmerman hit to centre and
scored Robertson. Fletcher's out sent
Zim 20 second, and single by kaun
scored him. Holke tripled to centre
and scored Kauff.
By this time il was apparent that II
was not Mitchell's day to shine in the
bo rpDlaCpQ Dy King,
who pitched some alright baseball
until the sixth.
In this spasm Holke forced Fletcher
AZ second. and reached that bag him
self when Getz made a wild heave over
Cbase's head. Then Lew McCarty,
who has settled down to his real hit
ting stride for the season, cracked out
a home run 10 deep centre field. Inc
hall rolled TO the fence, and Mac was
81 the plate several seconds ahead oil
the relay. With this decisive drive
The Giant tank knocked of work Tor
the day.
suddenly and Unexpectedly in that
fatal eighth. Chase ripped clean
smash 10 right field, and RUDE, seeing
his tablet in the Hall of No-hit Fame
being consigned TO the garbage can
seemed 70 lose heart. Jim Thorpe
caused him TO lose his wind a secono
later BY slamming a ball into MS
rsophagus and all but laying him OUT
for Keeps. Getz lobbed one over 10
Fletcher and beat II TO the bag ming
the corners. c,,.io
The multitude began 10 moan. Cutle
Cueto. the Cuban reconeentrauo;
, slammed 4 hit over second and scored