Evening star., 1924-12-09
Lindstrom's Third-Base Play
i'm the Series.

THIS is story which follows
strictly the lines of regulation
base ball fiction for young
folks, but it proves again the old and
oft-repeated assertion that truth is
stranger than fction-even strange
fiction for ball-playing boys.
No Horatio Alger, jr., or Harry
Castlemon in their most daring con-
cepts of the diamond ever had the
baby of the team, the lad who is
rushed to the rescue when all seems
lost, make good on a great big league
team in the greatest base ball series
in the history of the national game,
as Fred Lindstrom. the 19-year-
third baseman, did in the seven
nerve-stretching struggles of 1924.
The groundwork of the yarn is in
the prep school classics-the star
suddenly stricken as the team is
rushing for the championship, the
CONSERVATION of the public, the long
drawn faces of the management, the
questioning "What'n we do now?''
and then the placing of the young
hero on the field and his sudden as
cent to dizzy stardom. All is there.
But even Pat Adams and his remark
able triple play of Noah Brooks's 8
THE Fairport Nine" can match what
Lindstrom did.
Hearts Sank With GrOh.
There isn't New York fan but
remembers the gray days in Septem-
Der when Heinie Groh, regular third
baseman of the Giants, who had just
rounded into form and begun to hit
the ball, slid into second try
ing to stretch a single and rolled
over with a dislocated knee. AS he
was carried off the field there were
few in the crowd who did not think
that the 1924 pennant was being car
ried with him.
To take the place went Lindstrom.
It didn't seem possible that this fra
gile youth, in only a few games In
the entire season, could hold up in
the bruising finish. But he did. He
didn't bat heavily, but he batted
headily, and his fielding was a Joy
to watch. He kept his head up
many a tough situation. And that
brings us to the world series.
Even with his success in the clos
ing days of the regular season 1T was
generally regarded as a risky piece
OF business to put one so young in
the hardest spot in the infield in the
world championship, where every
play means SOUlelnlIlS anu SNciy III
ming may decide the entire fate OF
a year. There were suggestions, when
it was seen that Frisch would be able
to start in the series and Groh would
not, to place Frisch on third and
Kelly on second, with Terry taking
kelly's place on first.
Saved Big Game.
But McGraw had faith in Lindstrom
and the youngster justified II. He
earned his spurs in the memorable
twelve-inning fight which opened the
series, continued in the second and
then went to the Polo Grounds, and
before the home crowd reeled of
three exhibitions in the third, fourth
and ffth games which stand up with
and exhibition by a third basemar
in the history of the interleagut
struggles.
Good as he was in the first and sec
ond contest at spearing grounders
hauling down line drives and grab
bing fouls, he was superlative in the
three games in New York. Arthur
Deylin in the 1905 series, Steinfeldt
in all the years of Cub supremancy
Frank Baker and Larry Gardner anC
Groh and Frisch and Dugan In later
wears, never showed anything better
than this boy just out of high school,
in his first year IN the big leagues
and only two years in professional
base ball.
Take the ninth inning Of tha,