New Britain herald., 1927-06-11

unique in baseball annals. All tn,
 putouts in this game were made b3 the catcher and first baseman.
 The contest was staged at Rent. Ochler's Park around the late sos oi early 9o's between Meriden and Newark, N. J. in the old Eastern League. To explain why the game was played here. it might be we'll tc state that Meriden was very poor baseball town in those days and once in while when the team was playing seve-al consecutive games at home, the contest would be staged in this city.
 In this particular game "Phe- nomenal" Smith the Allentown Wonder" was pitching. Sam Clock vas catching and Tom Tucker was playing first base. Clock had 10 putouts in the game and Tucker has 1T, retiring the entire team through the nine innings, between them.
 Incidentally Tom Tucker was the first catcher to ever wear big catching mitt In game.
 Although such . feat as .7 put outs between two men seems almost an impossibility. Tommy Smith states that it Is . true occurrence and he is willing to bet . new hat that he can prove that 1t was done in the game. It was such an un- usual feat that 1t is contained in the record books although the edition is not handy at the present time.
 Tom Burns. the local man who made his name in baseball with the Chicago Cubs. was. besides making three runs in one inning. the holder of the long distance hits in the old days. He hit a home run while playing with the Cubs and in those days, 1t used to be custom to measure hits. This homo run was measured and it stood as a record for the longest hit ball.
 Of course, 1t can well be supposed that this record has long since been broken but in those days, Tommy Burns was the king pin of them all.
 New Britain has had its share ot representatives in the major leagues. These men such as Burns. the late Tom Lynch, Frank Cox. Larry Kopf. Merwin Jacobson and all the others who went out of this city into big time, started on the sand lots.
 There is many a big leaguer In the making in this city right at the present time If the boys who show promise only stick to their guns. It is, however. the tendency for the youngsters when they reach the age known as ''in their teens" to lose interest in the national pastime and through this, baseball loses many possible stars.
 Interest in baseball in days now long past was much greater than 1t is now, that is for the younger stars to make the leagues. A favorite story is one told about Tom Burns and his entrance into baseball.
 Toms parents admired him when he used to star in the pit on Myrtle street but when he spoke about go- ing away to play with the league teams. they put their ban on it.
 Toms ambition was too great to allow him to remain d sandlotter. so one night. in the dead. dark hours | Tom climbed out of the second story l of his fathers house and disap- peared.
 The next that was heard from him, | he was playing third base for the | Chicago Cubs. On his visits home, | he showed signs of great prosperity l and needless to say. his parents were proud of him.
 He used to be nicknamed Hind quarter" Burns because of & trick . he had in twisting his hip as run ner came into third. Burns had this down to science 50 that when the runner came in he could turn the trick so that the runner was cata- quilted out on the ground away from the base.
 Get Jim Grove. Frank Cox 'Snowy" Doherty. Tommy Smith. "Dinny" Donahue and many of the old timers together. and these old times are made as vivid almost as If the happenings had taken place yesterday.
 10 the younger generation, stories ah ut the baseball heroes of days gole by, read like tales of almost impossible romance, but they are true and the halo of mysticism that sv rounds them will never be for gotten in the days to come.
 should any of/our readers recall . s1,le of these old time incidents and
 to reveal them, We would be lad to spread them in these columns ,r the edification of the youngsters. any of whom have "hitched their , agon to. a starr and have fond < opes of some day being in the big 0agueS.
 There IS report current about the city that scouts from the big leagues are going to pay visit to New Britain this year to look over the boys playing in the Rotary lea que. This may seem far fetched 'o some but it is entirely within the 'ip,ffS CP roSuihilitx, t),ct Sh.,.