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Show SKILLFUL SHORT-CUT ARTIST IS EXPOSED Tough Pitcher Finds Way to Stop Crookedness. Lands Stunning Blow on Runner's Jaw as He Attempted to Take Cutoff for Second Base Umpir Saw This Short Turn. Cotton Tierney, persistent story teller tell-er with the Pittsburgh Pirates, says that on a team he played with In a certain minor league, there were two or three other sharps who made a practice of cutting bases and getting away with it pretty often, since only one umpire to the game worked in this league. Rival teams howled, but the short-cut artists were clever and the umpires always alibied they didn't see the base cutting. In one game one ot these persistent persist-ent base cutters singled and as the umpire ran over toward third to take a possible play there the runner cut first about ten feet and landed on second. The opposing team howled as usual, and as usual the umpire had missed the play. The opposing pitcher was a tough guy and he was mighty mad about it. He told the blind umpire: "You're going to see it If another one of these dudes tries to cut a base, for I am going to fix him so you'll have to see it." About three innings later one Ol the base cutters hit, the chance for him, as the umpire was busy elsewhere, else-where, and it was evident he meant f t :& 1 Cotton Tierney. to take the cutoff for second. The tough pitcher started toward first base as the runner left the plate, and met the player just as he started his short turn, out went his fist, it landed full on the runner's jaw and he went down cold, completely knocked out, well Inside the diamond. The umpire turned around about that time and there lay the runner like a clog, with the pitcher standing over him. "Did you see this one?" shouted the pitcher grimly. "Come and look at his tracks where he cut the base, then tell me if he's out." The umpire solemnly announced that the runner was out for cutting first base. "Yes, and he's out because I tagged him on the jaw," sarcastically answered an-swered the tough pitcher, "and he'll stay out until somebody brings him a drink of water." |