The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-11-30
Sport Snap Shots
BY JACK kEENE.

Some of the boys were swapping
yarns the other day about the good
old days" in baseball, when the talk
drifted to the fights and near fights
Of those days when there was none
Of the handshaking "ata boy feeling
between the clubs.
"The greatest night ever booked for
ball park was never pulled off," said
Big Bill Kingzett, who was roofing for
Pittsburg in those days.
"They talk about press agent stun
to get crowds nowadays" continued
the big engraver. THAT near battle
between Bowerman and Fred Clarke
was the best little bit Of publicity ever
pulled
'Bowerman and Warner were catch
ing Matty and the rest of the boys
on the Giant team. When Fred Clarke
and the Pittsburg team blew into the
Polo grounds for series, Warner, so
everybody said, told Bowerman that
Clarke had said something about Bow
erman that wasn't exactly parlor talk.
"Bowerman nailed Clarke In the
clubhouse befare the series ended and
smacked him cold.
when the Giants were due in Pitts
were full of what was going to hap
pen to Bowerman Clarke. everybody
said, was going to lick the big back
stop in front of the whole stand. The
Pittsburg club hired few hundred
special cops. There was cop every
three feet around the field. They
backed up two or three patrol wagons
at the exits to haul away the guys that
they expected to get into the scrap.
park was packed at noon. | got there
at 1880 and had to crowd in.
"Bowerman caught every game OF
the series, II remember right, and
there wasn't the ghost OF a fight.
Bowerman was boo-ed every move he
made. He'd turn around and answer
the crowd with large bow.
II think the New York bunch won
the series and the clubs took in for
tune at the gate"
| was lamping the latest averages
of big league catchers today, and the
thought bobbed up again as to how
many persons give catchers credit
for helping to make great pitchers.
Very few, probably because Nley
are interested mostly in the pitchers.
But great catchers in their day
have played an important part in
turning nut great pitchers.
One ! yrs lot more about Old
, Hoss l~tdbourne, Mccormick, Cy
Young and other great fingers than
one does about Buck Ewing, Mike kel-
", Chief thinner, O'Connor, Barney
Giligan. little Nava and Bushong.
Cy Young often said that Chief
thinner and O'Connor deserved much
of the credit for his wonderful work
with the old Cleveland club from 1890
1899.
Cy has said that many of the great
victories for which he was given all
he credit, were achieved through the
ability of those backstops.
Mike Kelly was one of the brightest
and quickest thinkers in the game.
old-tmers will tell you
One story of Mikes cleverness tells
how he rushed from the bench in
Boston one day and caught a foul
from a Chicago players bat which the
Boston catcher could not have reached.
As Kelly ran for the ball. he yelled
to the catcher, Bennett: You are out.
Bennett. and am in" In those days
q player could be substituted for an
other at any time, but it remained for
Kelly to conceive the idea of changing
while batted ball was in the air.
The umpire had never dreamed of such
a play. 1t was over his head. He
refused to allow the out, but techni-
cally. Kelly was right, and the jumps
got the laugh.
Ewing's happy spirit. his ability to
make pitchers buck up in dark mo
ments in the game. and his strategy
made him a catcher to be feared by
the opposition. He was terrific !
hitter and speedy man on the bases. |
But first Of all, he was a strategist. |
When Old Hoss Radbourne was
startling the world with his pitching. |
Barney Gilligan and little Nava were !
catching his shoots with bare hands. |
His speed was terrific. The pain must !
have been terrible until the hands of
the backstops became pulled up and !
bruised to the point of numbness.
Bushong was dentist and had the |
soft. velvety hands of one. But day |
after day he handled the bullet de-
livery of Nc Cormick, without finch
ing.
The catchers of today have big
mitts, chest protectors and other
equipment to protect them, but to !
shine in the big show they must have
the skill and thinking ability still.
What part did Roger Bresnahan and
Bowerman play in Mathewson's ca
reer?