New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Old Bill Shakespeare
At the Polo Grounds
Captain Arthur Fletcher
Plays Leading Role in
Comedy of Errors
By Charles A. Taylor


day afternoon at the Polo Grounds.
Old Bill Shakespeare should have been
there. But on second thought, no. it
is a good thing Bill was missing. For
Bill never turned his comedies into
tragedies. There was always happy
ninth inning to the funny tales Bill
wrote ages since, but he had good
actors in those days.
The Giants who attempted to as
sumo the roles laid down by the I'M
mortal Bill were bad actors. They
carried their comedy so far that they
sulcided themselves into second place
in the National League standing. Bill
never introduced suicides into his
comedies.
The st. Louis Cardinals, under the
leadership of one Jack Hendricks, who
@ons ago used to wear Giant uni
form, gained the glory of ousting the
McGraw men from the lofty perch
they have occupied since the season
opened. While comedy reigned among
the Giants the Cards were reaping
harvest of twelve runs, or twice the
total CLEANED by their pompous rivals.
Old Worm Twists
And the Cardinals were so kind too,
TO these Giants when the Mound City
lads played the part of host two weeks
ago. The Giants made clean sweep
in st. Louis on their first Western trip
and won their only series in the open
ing sectional clash of the year. 1t
was time the proverbiai old worm
twisted, and he did
Six thousand fans were on hand to
cheer, laugh and groan at the antics
of Coogan's Comedy Company By
$3.50, when the dinner gong rang for
the last time, the six thousand had been
properly introduced by Hankus O'Day
to practically every member of the two
teams. Fourteen players were called
into more or less activity by the man
agement of each team before the cur
tain fell on the comedy.
Mr.. O'Day has become hoarse through
long service as baseball arbiter, but
it could be noticed that he waxed
hoarser and hoarser as he was called
upon to announce the regiment of
nch-hitters, pinch base runners and
relief pitchers that appeared on Henry
Fabian's green. In the ninth inning
the strain became so great that O'Day
was bereft of voice. He just whispered
his news bulletins.
The comedy opened with Fred Ander-
son in the box for the Giants and
southpaw named May on the hill for
the Cards. One merry wag in the press
box remarked: "It's the wrong month
for May; he won't last long" The wag
had the right dope. May walked off
the field after an inning and a half
and one Hortsmann took up the fling
ing assignment.
Hortsmann retired in the seventh for
Smyth, pinch hitter, and was succeeded
by Specs Meadows, who pitched one
inning and then gave way to Snyder,
another "pincher." Packard finished
the tedious box job.
Anderson Gets "Gate"
Fred Anderson and his splitter were
removed by McGraw in the seventh,
jeff Tesreau getting the call to duty.
Jeff allowed only two hits during his
stay of two innings, but he gave two
bases in balls, which, aided and abetted
by the deeds of the comedians behind
him, resulted in five runs for the foe.
Ferdie Schupp stood in the box for
the Giants during the last inning. The
word "stood" is fitting, for with his
team three runs behind Ferdie Just
tossed the ball up to the plate, trying
to find out whether Bonesetter Reese
had got all the kinks out of his
troublesome wing. The test only cost
the Giants three more runs, but maybe
Ferdie derived some profit.
The second inning was the first
fruitful period for both teams. The
Cards tailed one run and the Giants
chalked up four. The visitors run
was due to a wild throw by Captain
Arthur Fletcher, the arch ch-comedian of
the entire proceedings. One man was
out when Heathcote, the Card left
fielder, hit to Fletch, who bounced the
ball past Holke to the concrete, Heath
cote continuing his journey to scond.
Fletcher braced sufficiently to throw
out Kavanaugh, but Mike Gonzales
singled to right, scorin Heathcote.
The Giants fell on Mr.. May in mur-
derous fashion in their half of the
second. Holke singled and Rariden
doubled, driving Walter across the
plate and also driving May from the
mound. With Hortsmann pitching. Rod
rlguez singled, Rariden scored on
Youngs safe blowto centre and Rod
riguez counted on Benny Kauff's
double, which bounded hither and Won
off the shins of Baird. sacrifice fly
by Burns Tailed Young.
Inc Cardinals tied the score in the
NTH. Smith singled to right and went
all the way around when Young al
lowed Baird's drive to go between his
legs and roll to the fence. Baird also
registered on the error. Walton
Cruise next landed on one of Ander-
sons spitters for home run into the
upper right field stand. This savage
blow tied the knot.
Giants Again in Lead
The Giants assumed the lead again
IN their half of the fifth on Fletcher's
double to right and Holkc's single to
the same field. They added another
and, as 1T turned out, final run in the
sixth on safe bingles by Rodriguez.
Young and Burns.
The Cardinals tied matters in the
eleventh, thanks to the buncle of an
other comedian, Hoosier farmer
named Whoa Bill Rariden Tcsreau
walked Smyth, batting for Hortsmann.
Jack Smith hit in front of the plate
and Rarldan had an easy force-out at
second and possible double killing
IN hand, when he threw wildly to
Fletcher and both runners were safe.
Baird sacrificed, pitcher to first. and
then the irrepressible Cruise banged
the ball through Fletcher for a hit
that cleared the bags
The climax Of the comedy was mt
on in the eighth. With one out, Kav-
anaugh walked and went to third on
Gonzales's single to right. SNYDER.