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Show HYWDPSTDLUrpm yssMajoi? League Diamonds Aw By JAMES RYAN, j fsC Former Outfielder Anson's Famous JY ' J White Stoeklngs, Who Was Re- i - . ;Jj garded as One of tho Greatest Player the Game Has Ever Known. i That fellow who wrote about the best laid plans of mloo and men going go-ing on the blink -would have made it a lot Btronger If he ever had played baseball. I am certain that the worst blunders in baseball, the worst "bone-headed" "bone-headed" playB ever made, must have been good plays, gone wrong. Maybe oven John Anderson's famous slide to second with the bases tilled could be explained if John wouldn't get bo sensitive whenever the subject ia mentioned. , I'll never forget my worst mistake, and it was on a par with that of Doo. Rice. Anson told Dan to watch for a chance to get rid of a ball that was in play, because the cover was getting get-ting wet and slippery, and he told Doc to pretend to let It slip and get KaHiaB Jao. Ryan, a new ball Into the game, Doo waited wait-ed until tho bases were filled, and seeing see-ing that the ball was getting creasy, let it slip over the grand stand. Mine waa funny only I didn't dare laugh. I think it was the. season of 92. We looked pretty good that gan to think we might become win nera again. We went down to New York for a series on the old Polo grounds. The Giants in those doyB weren't very mui, and we expected to make a cleaning up that would put us into the race as a real contender, so we went out on our toeB to win every game. The first one was a beauty. I think Jouott Meekin was pitching against ub, at least it waB one of those pitohers that always troubled us whenever we needed a game and was easy when nothing depended de-pended on us. We were going fine and battling them for every inch of ground, and in the ninth inning with one out New York was one run to the bad and had one of the slowest men on tho beam on second baBe, with Black Bill Clark at tite bat. Clark was perhaps tho Blowest runner in the entire league and I figured, that if he hit in mv rTirARtlon there wasn't a mi in my oirecuuu tuoxo chance for the runner from second to score, and that I'd try to make a I play regardless of him. . I. came for-ward for-ward a few steps. The old Polo grounds sloped back of first base, and the field was short and downhill, bo that balls came down there fast after they passed the baBe lino, and even If they got past thoy hit the bleachers and did not do much damage, bo a player could afford to take chances. Clark hit hard and straight at me he was a dead right Held bitter anyhow. any-how. I saw I could reach the ball on the first bounce and decided like a flash to make a desperate effort to throw the runner out at first I took the ball on the first bounce and without with-out looking at all I cut Ioobo at full speed for first. Clark waa coming down tho line at about the speed of a traction engine, and tbe ball was beaUng him by twenty feet. Then, to my horror, I saw Anaon with his back turned to me, covering first base, and watching the plate. Hb wasn't expecting the ball at all The ball was way ahead of Clark, but it hit Anso In tho middle of the back, bounced off onto foul ground and rolled so far the runner scored from second, Clark wallowed down to sec-ond, sec-ond, and a couple of hits sent hint |