South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-11-22
MeuSeL Pals a
Freak Play and
Gets Glad Hand
Attempt to Prove Gameness
Was Reason for His Steal
ing Home In Series.

Very often IN any form o. compe-
tition. player who richly deserves
praise tor his part ia some play. is
entirely overlooked
This Is particularly true in foot
ball In the gridiron games the
spectators have eyes for only the
player who happens 10 be carrying
the ball II t. is a kick or punt,
only the player who actually does
the kicking comes in for considera-
ton.
IN football an attack that lacked
a defense wouldn't get very far.
The feet-footed runner chosen TO
carry the bail wouldn't make much
Roadway unless his line held, and
he received proper interference from
his backs. In football the defensive
back is the main cog in the machine.
Yet the defensive back. because he
is either forming interference or
directly pUttA- some opponent out
Of the play, Nrely attracts much
attention from the spectators.
Applies In Baseball.
What holds good in football. often
applies equally Well 20 baseball
However. in a great many cases a
player receives much credit for do
ing something he really didn't in
tend TO. And often when he pulls
brainy play that fails. he is banned
because he was unable 90 success
fully execute IT, rather than heing
praised for the attempt he made.
The 1921 world series offered a
fine example OF the theory that I am
trying to prove. praise is not always
properly distributed In the first
game of the series Mike McNally
made a brilliant steal OF home. 1t
was a beautiful play In which he
got the break. timed the pitch per-
fectly, and then avoided tho touch
by a ski.Iful slide McNaIy was
lauded for his fine effort and deser-
vedly so.
The following day. Bob Meusel
also stole home. and drew just as
big type In the headlines Meuse. S
play was not a brain play that was
perfectly executed. Rather he got
away with Ii because Catcher Smith
put on the boxing gloves and cuffed
the ball all over the field instead OF
making a play on MeuseI
Now for the particular part of the
play. Bob Meusel never had the
slightest intention of getting away
with the steal Of home, which won
him a headline position in the sec
ond game When Meusel was at
bat Catcher Smith of the Giants
proceeded 20 try 10 get his goat.
. .l.erra~-g ion
"Weu. how Is the powder puff
right helder?" No reply from Meu-
sci. who by the way had brother
playing with the Giants.
why your own brother says YOU
are yellow. I heard him call you a
big gutter myself"
Too Much For MeuseL
That was too much for MeuseL
who replied.
We'll 1 hope I get a base hit and
manage to get round 10 third. If
do. get ready. for you are going 20
have chance 10 prove your game
ness. I am going TO dash for the
plate on the first ball pitched, and
will come in so high you viii wish
YOU had a suit of armOr.'
Meusel made a hit. He turned
and gave smith the laugh as he saw
the bail fall safe He finally reached
9 third. and true TO his word. dashed
I for the plate on the first ball pitched.
: He would have been an easy out had
smith held the bali. and then stood
for the big crash However smith
dropped the bali and fl probably is
/ Just as well There ia no telling
what might have happened Bob
NIeusel had proved that ne wasn't a
powder puff BAN player. However.
/ he drew praise not for that. but be-
| cause he had stolen home. which
really was no part Of the affair ~
\ far a g AIeusel was concerned.