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Show BASEBALL S BIGGEST BONES iDave Bancroft Fields Same Ball He Hits to Outfield i i T DAVE BANCROFT, brilliant shortstop short-stop of the New York Glanta, Is rated as a smart ball player. Hughoy Jennings, now acting as assistant as-sistant to John McGraw in directing direct-ing the Giants, sas that Bancroft la the brains of the New York club. Only recently in a game in thfl National league, Bancroft pulled a play that might have given him high rating in the list of "bones," had not the umpire come to his rescue. With a runner on third base. Bancroft Ban-croft lifted a fly ball to the outfield. It was a hard-hit ball and the fielder was compelled to go deep to make tho play. It so happened that the runner on third was a very fast man, also that th. fielder making the catcli had a rather poor throwing arm Theje I two things tended to save tho day for Bancroft. The runner on third held his base I until the fly ball was caught The moment It struck the hands of the fielder he dashed for the plate. Tho fielder with the weak arm j realizing that he was too deep to i have any chance of cutting the runner ' down at tho plate, returned the ball leisurely to the infield Bancroft, playing proper basebal' had run out his hit to the limit and was between first and second when the relay came back into the lnflcld. Hanny couldn't resist tho temptation to field the ball and toss it to some ' other player of the team in the field The team In the field contended that in fielding the ball, Bancroft had killed a chanco for a play at the 1 plate, and for such Interference the runner who had scored should be declared de-clared out. The umpire at the plate, however, ruled that the run had crossed tho plate before Bancroft even touched the ball, and that tho act of tho New York shortstop In no way prevented a play, since there was no play postal, pos-tal, le. It was a close call for the I h rainy Bancroft |