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Show TELLS STORIES OF FREAK PLAYS Hugh S. Fullertou tells in the May ' American Magazino some wondet'fJl stones of freak plays that have won big games Following Is one of the remarkable stories I Pei baps the strangest freak play was one made by Frank McNichols on the I ogan Square grounds in Chicago Chi-cago McNichols, besides winning and managing and playing with the West Ends and representing his district in the Illinois senate, Is a ball player of major league euliber who plays because be-cause ho loves tho game The Logan Square team then owned by Jimmy Callahan, now manager of the Chicago Chi-cago White Sox. had persuaded McNichols Mc-Nichols to play first base against the Gunthers. another strong team, and tho scoie was yed in the ninth inning. The Gunthers had runners on -second and third with two out, and a base hit meant probable defeat, for the Logans, and loss of the eity'chnm-plnshlp, eity'chnm-plnshlp, Matty Fitzgerald, a well Known umpire, was officiating alone fiom behind the pitchers' slab. His hlousc was filled with ex'tra balls and in stooping to sight along the plate as the pitcher wound up he allowed one of the spaie balls to fall to the -21 omul behind hi in The batter hit a hard line drhe that seomed aimed at tne pitcher's ankles Fitzgerald leaped aside to avoid being hit, the butted ball struck the ball on the . giound and the two balls kissed off at right angles. One went straight toward tho shoitstop, the other ta-waul ta-waul the second baseman Each player thought the ball roll-fng roll-fng toward him was the one in play nnd each dashed foiward, made clever clev-er running scoops at the same instant in-stant and threw to first base at the same time. The shortstop threw I115I1 and to the left of McNichols, the second baseman threw low and to his right. McNichols, with his left hand stretched high, caught one ball in his milt and with the other hand he caught the low throw and Fitzger-1 aid, after scratching his head an In-1 stant, called the batter out and refused re-fused to allow either of the mns that crossed the plate on the play to be recorded. |