The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-17

player-in the flash of an eye-had seen that if he hoofed it for second he was headed into a certain double play which would have retired the side. Kelly de- cided to stay near first base because ne knew that the very second that the
 batter was put out, it made first base free for re-occupancy by himself in case he could get back before the nrst pase- man touched him with the ball. On another occasion, Chicago went into the ninth inning with the game tier up. The first batsman famed. The next got a base on balls and went 10 seconu on Kelly's attempted sacrifice, which re- suited in an infield single The swat smith who followed, hammered long single to center. And then the stage was I set for a play by Kelly unlike any ever seen befcNe on the ball field-and propa- bly, never seen since.
 | The runner ahead of Kelly was rather slow moving individual and before ne had fairly rounded third, Kelly was on his heels The runner, closely followed py | Kelly, raced for home as the centerneider
 made d mighty-and perfeet-heaVe U" ] the plate
 Don't slide in-go in standing up
 and spread your legs out Kelly panted 1 to the runner in front of him. l The catcher caught the throw anu 1 damned the ball against the first Chicago runner, retiring him for the second out 1 Then he tried to touch Kelly. But 100
 late, King Kel'' had slid between. the legs of his teammate and his feet were resting on home plate before the catcher could "stab" him.
 1 That run of Kelly's won the game | Mike Kelly-and not the Baltimore Orl- ] o]es originated the hit-and-ru play. Be- fore his time scientific hitting was prac- tically unknown. In that era the com mon method was to step into the bail ana i bust it' taking the chance Of 1t taliins safe. But Kelly revolutlonlzed 'nihss
 With a runner on first, Kelly never
 would seriously attempt to hit the firs pitch But quite often he would sWlns at the ball and take the penalty Of
 strike. There was a method in that pc
 cause as soon as Kel swung, the mar
 who was to cover second for posslDie
 force play, automatically would Juml
 for that bag. Sometimes it was th'
 stortstop, other times it was the secont
 baseman. A. If the shortstop made the jump Tor tn' hag to take the possible throw, kel. knew that it was shortfield that "oui' 1 remain uncovered Kelly then woui'
 signal the runner to start for secon' on the next pitch, and then ann III
 drive through shortfield. If 1t was tn
 second baseman who was to cover LII !
 1 first and second. IL
 Soon the whole team was pulling tn
 trick-with great success But, after , time. the opposition learned the tflch cry that Kelly had originated. Manaser . instructed their players not to move Iroi orioinal positions with the first pltcf , Kelly met the strategy by instructin . the funner on fist to fake steal y second with the first pitch. Almos
 without fail the man who was take the throw would run toward ,n : bag. That gave Kelly the "t1po11 an |, ba vyould hammer the ball to the terri V tory that he knew was going to : unoccupied.
 /, Chicago played the hit-and-run gam k with splendid success for many years U. o the play wasn't widely heraiaeo unl d the Baltimore Orioles began making pase a hall history in the early sos.
 CThe second Kelly story Will appee t tomorroW.)