New-York tribune., 1919-05-05

history of the Polo Grounds-outs
bleachers were filled and tardy fans
1t happened that the game was one
OF those real dramas that happen once
IL a while in the game of glortied
FOUNDERS. Harry FraZee, owner of the
Red Sox, who doubles in drama and
baseball, watched it with the eye of a
man whose business is the staging of
thrills. "For Heavens sake, why
doesn't somebody write play like
thia?' he exclaimed at the end of the
eighth inning when the Giants were
stopped short just when they seemed
about ready to put over the run that
would tic thc score.
But the event of the afternoon was
The filled blcachers. Every day or so
the sporting writer, taking things for
granted, refers casually to the bleach
ers. Up to to-day the reference to the
bleachers in that manner has been
pure fiction. There have been no
bleachers at the Polo Grounds. 1t is
true that there are some elevated
benches painted a dark green behind
the centrefeld of the Polo Grounds,
but never have they been populated by
more than a few hundred.
Bleachers Redeem Name
There always has existed an aversion
to sitting in the bleachers. Up to yes
terday baseball in greater New York
was for the semi idle, the floating
population of New York City. Yester-
day those bleachers teemed with life.
The men from the docks and the fac
tories came and they brought their
wives and their children. Those dark
green benches held thousands of fans
who never in their lives had seen a
big league game. 1t was not wildly,
Nociferous crowd, perhaps, because the
Giants were losing and the suspense
q their efforts to overcome the early
lead of the Phillies was not conducive
t. yelling.
Harry Frazee, regarded as a base
manipulation of thrills tidgeting in his
seat, started in the second inning when
the Giants put over their first run.
Benny Kauff. of whom those in the
bleachers had read SO much and seen
So little, started it with a clean drive
to centre field. Heinie Zimmerman was
caught out on long fly TO right field,
in a creditable attempt to hoist the
ball into the stands for a home run.
Young AL Baird, who is substituting
for the invalid Fletcher at short, drove
a hit into right. McCarty fouled out
tc third.
1t was Rube Benton, the side-wheel-
ing, sometimes side splitting, cotton
planter of South Carolina, who poled
one into right field, scoring Kauf. On
the signal for double steal Baird was
caught out between third and the home
plate.
In the third inning the Phillies put
over the punch from which the Giants
so desperately tried to recover. 1t
happened after the wheeling Rube
had thrown out Baird, of Philadelphia.
Adams got his base on balls, not with
out protest on the part of Mr.. Benton,
who made several audible remarks in
the dialect of South Carolina Umpire
Bill KLEIN walked to the box to remon-
strate with the irate Reuben, but as he
could not interpret the language he
did not order him from the lot.
Jacobs, the pitching ace of the
lhlllies, holsted one out to the right
field wall. Young made a running
catch, dropped the ball, but recovered
it in time to throw out Adams at sec
ond. George Whitted, of North Caro-
lima, singled to centre field, and lool
of bewildered worriment came over the
face of the Rube. This look became
intensified when Williams bounced one
past Doyle and filled the bases.
Flirting With Disaster
The speaking literally anc
truthfully for once, after years of mis-
statements concerning the dark greer
benches at the Polo Grounds-wers
silent with worriment. 1t looked a!
though the Giants were flirting will
plenty of disaster. The trouble cam,
In the silence that -nsued when Ban
croft, the Philles' shortstop, banget
hit through short, and Jacobs ant
Whitted scored.
By this time the Philfies were try
ing tactics that were additionally Clan
strategy Bancroft made dash TO
peg to head him off. The ball wen
wild, cavorting to the outfeld, an,
Williams fitted home. Bancroft silt
into second. twisting his right foot a
he did so, and had to be carried fror
the field.
From that time on the bleachers-
the first real bleachers at the Pol
Grounds-watched and waited for tn
Giants TO recover from that punch. T
the fan the struggle gave more thrill
than the efforts of Jean Vatican t
cvade Jarvert, more throbs than tn
efforts OF the good-bad lady of tn
screen TO come back and redeem tina
past of hers.
1t was an emotional drama of tn
diamond, but, unfortunately, it ha
that unhappy ending upon which bot
stage managers and watchers Of dram
frown. However, you cannot alway
hang the kind Of ending you want on
baseball drama. That sort of play
written by combinations OF circun
stances. Nobody had better try wr
ing happy endings for baseball game
either.
The first encouragement to tn
nleacncrs-one likes to write Of tn
bleachers after really having them fc
once came in the sixth inning, whcl
with tao out, Hal Chase smashed h
through second. Larry Doyle drove Al
other hit IN the same direction. The
these two veterans executed doub
steal. man on third and one on sc,
ord, with Benny Kauf at hat and tu
runs needed to tie the score. ANY bas
ball fan can see the possibilities ,
such situation
Bat IL happened, even as It happene
in the epic concerning one Casey, Ber
Jotrin Kauf struck out
4 Little Comedy Relief
The drama OF the eighth inning W.
iightencd by n little comedy relic
ffeinic Zimmerman became involved
verbal tilt with Umpire Bill Klcr
~ waA over Mr. Klcm's low visibilit
Zimmerman asserted that Kiem's Wis
b;lity was the lowest known TO &c
ence. @hereupon SIR. KLEIN waxed ~