The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-06-12
Montana
Sports Tales
other days
JACK FLANNERY, DIAMOND VET

BY JOE L. MARKHAM, ChAtrmAn
JACK FLANNERY, DIAMOND VET
What Montana man has played on
more minor league baseball clubs than
any other player past or present?
Who was responsible for the spit-ball
being introduced in the big leagues?
Who was the first manager to thwart
the squeeze play, as well a. being re-
sponsible for its Introduction in the
majors?
Who was the toughest riding base
runner of the minor league players?
What player of 80 o. 40 years ago
was greeted with yells of fire" when
he came to bat?
Jack Flannery OF Helena Is the an
! sWer to all six questions.
Played Most Everywhere
Jack played with st. Paul. Grand
Rapids, Tacoma, Helena. Butte, Salt
Lake, Boise, Murray and some eight
I other clubs. He played with Butte and
Helena clubs of three different leagues,
namely: Montana State, Pacific North
west and Pacific Coast leagues. He
managed Helena, Tacoma and Grand
Rapids teams, and captained a half
Jack tipped off Clark Griffith, then
manager of the New York Americans,
about the .spit t@T an n !, d @pnt %sa ed
the III turn of the century. Griffith taught
the splitter" to his pitching staff. For
many years past Griffith had been
owner of the Washington club in the
American league.
Stopped First Squeeze Play
The Los Angeles club of the Pacific
Coast league, in the early 1900S.- was
the first team to try the squeeze play
orl ~ V,oe AGAINST the Hn1ona Nl11h
that Flannery was managing. In the
last half of the eighth inning with
, runners on second n third, there was
I one out and the score tied one to one.
Los Angeles runners were impatient to
move homeward. Jack sensed some
position at shortstop, he told Peabody,
Helena pitcher, to keep the ball high
on the batter. The batsman finally
hit one, and the runners were off to
the races. F1annery hollered to Pea
body to cover the ball and shoot it
feet. Jack hunted up Manager Cronin'
Of the Angels after the game and asked
him about the play. Cronin admitted
it was a brain child" of his and re-
marked that it was the first time he
had ordered the play tried out. He
wasn't a bit disappointed over the
failure Of the play to work, and told
ooSA CA4og Az SOAS ASAA AANAy @NAAS ~
his team before the SeaSon was over.
The Helena club of that year, too, was
q great exponent OF the squeeze play"
The formula was sent on to Griffith.
and the Yankees, then the Highlanders.
were the first major league club to-
employ the squeeze" III.
Jumps Called, Him mister" ).
An umpire's life was anything but
a bed of roses when Flannery was in
the game. Jack had a fiery temper and
i the nerve to back it UP. While arguing
with an. Jump Jack would step on:
the arbiter's feet, wave his fists in the
face Of any or all umpires; tell them
dared them to: send him to the bench
or out of the park. He caused umpires
more trouble than all other players in
the league. All umpires addressed Jack
as Mister Flannery."
After he quit playing he now and
then was pressed into service to UNI
pire games. If any player questioned q
decision or tried to ride" him, that
from the park and what is known as a
good sock on the jaw.
Jack was never a Ty Cobb on the
bases. He didn't have Cobb'S speed, nor
could he execute the fade-away slide
like the Georgia Peach, but he wa just
as big a threat. When Jack was on
IN bdoCS, H4dyC4S 4Oo4 INV w 6Su
in his path, and, when he crashed into
a bag. his feet were sure to hit any
| obstacle. Jack got away with many
stolen bases because of timid base guar
dams. If a baseman didn't like the way
Jack hit the bag, they were promptly
it. Nothing pleased him more than
stealing a base, unless it was to wrangle
with umpires or to pile up base hits.
Wherever Jack played, whether 1t
was in the American Association, Gen.
trail, Three Eye, Coast, Pacific North
west or Montana State league, the fans
would yell fire" as he came to bat.
Jack wa a member of the Butte fire
department. His first Encouragement
was with a Butte team. In his first time
at bat in his first game there, the fans
greeted the Flannery lad with shouts
Of Fire" Fans Of other cities took
up the call.
Greeted by Friends in East
One year Jack took Over the manage
ment Of the Grand Rapids team of the
Central league in mid-seaSon. His re-
lease was purchased from the Tacoma
club. He got on a RATHER and headed
for Wheeling: West Virginia, where the
Grand Rapids team was scheduled to
pened that four or five Butte men
were in Washington at the time. One
of the number noted in the Washing
ton Post that Jack F1annery would
make his debut as manager Of the
Rapids team with the opening game Of
to run down to Wheeling and say "Hel-
10" to Jack. They went from the train
to the ball park. When Jack made his
first appearance at bat, the group
yelled Fir .".Jack looked at the stands
but couldn't make out who the friends
we're.
Jack knew the yelling crew had to
be friends from the northwest or the