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Show Here's a Real Pinch Hitter. Frank Bancroft, tho genial secretary of tho Cincinnati club. Is a great story teller. A recent vl3lt of Scout Arthur Irwin of the Highlanders to his office led to him telling some stories on Irwin, Ir-win, who started hl3 baseball career under Bancroft thirty years ago. Ir-wln Ir-wln was the greatest placo hitter in the world," said Bancroft, "Ho was a regular sharpshooter. The time he put the ball through a hole in tho fence at Boston when he played for mo at Providence was a case of fine hitting. "Tho score was a tie In the ninth. The Boston field waa not a large one, and all tho fences -were pretty close up, bo that a home run Inside the grounds was impossible. Arthur did not waste any strength trying to lift the ball oor the fence." said "Banny. "He was too wise for that. While out In tho field ho had noticed a hole In the left flold fence, not much bigger than a baseball and about nix feet from the ground. When he came to bat he set his eye on that hole and aimed for it so successfully that his drive went cleanly through tho hole. The Boston fielder was playing back from the fenco to get tho ball on tho rebound and hold Arthur to two bases, but there waa no rebound Without taking even a epllntcr off the board tho ball shot through tho holo and disappeared from view and that run won the game for us at a critical period In tho race." |