Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 178, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1916 — QUEER CIRCUIT CLOUT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

QUEER CIRCUIT CLOUT

Most Remarkable Home-Run Drive by Cutshsaw. Bipoklyn Player Makes Accidental Hit That Eventually Terminated in Zig-Zag Course Over Right Field Fence. George Cutshaw of the Dodgers exuded a circuit clout against the Phillies a week or so ago, which will romp down through the vales of history as the most remarkable since the game was born. It was a drive that Cutshaw made in an accidental way to start with; a swat, that sent the ball in a zig zag, course to the fence; and a tally that was flukey in the extreme because after the ball hit near the bottom of the fence It practically crawled up to top, fluttered there a second or so—and then dropped over. Cutshaw’s ludicrous actions while the ball was deciding what It should do form the humorous chapter In the story. The score was tied in the eleventh when Cutshaw went to bat, facing Mayer. The Phlllie pitcher heaved a slow one at the Dodger second sacker. Cutshaw started a swing, went half way down and then “tumbled” to the fact that the ball was a floater. He “pulled” his stroke but just as he stopped, he noticed that the ball was curying in, whereupon he made another swipe at it and through some freak caught it on the end of the mace. Ball Zipped Along. The ball shot through the air, about ten feet above ground. It sailed just inside the right-field foul line, turning and twisting as it went. To the spectators watching the ball zipping along, It looked like a succession of inshoots. As it neared the fence it started to descend. It struck a board which was nailed to the bottom of the fence, but which jutted out about three feet. As the ball hit that board just where the top of this board and the fence meet, It seemed to hesitate for a fraction of a second. Then, to the utter amusement of the crowd, it climbed the 12-foot wall as though It

had legs. Slowly but surely it moved upward. Finally it reached the top of the fence. Defying the laws of gravity it remained stationery for the barest fraction of a moment and while the 25(000 crowd stood spellbound, the ball rested for a second on the top of the wall and then rolled out into the street. Strange Antics. But, in the meantime, Cutshaw was performing antics that almost were as strange as those of the ball. When he rounded first, the Dodger second baseman saw that the ball was headed for the bottom of the fence —a normal two-base hit, if a player hustles. And Cutshaw hustled. He turned first under full head of steam and slid into second in whirlwind fashion. He jumped to his feet a second later and began, looking around for orders from thg coaches. Wilbert Robinson, manager of the Dodgers was signaling something in a frantic way. Cutshaw figured that Robinson was Ordering him to try for third. Cutshaw started, but when he got no sign from the other coacher, who, by the way, was too busy watching the climbing ball, he figured he had misinterpreted Robinson’s signals. So Cutshaw whirled around, ran back toward second and swept into the bag In a cloud of dust. Then Cutshaw jumped to his feet again and while he brushed his togs he began looking for orders —and also for the ball. But he couldn’t see one or hear the other. The park was a bedlam.

But did “Robby” mean that Cutshaw should stay at second or go to third? Cutshaw pondered and at last decided to try the advance. Cutshaw raced for It Halfway along on his journey the third base coacher, taking advantage of the temporary lull in the cheering, shouted: “You hit a homer, George —a homer; slow down.” And then the amazing truth dawned upon Cutshaw and he walked the rest of the way to the home plate, while the huge crowd went Into another frenzy of madness at this unexpected eleventh inning victory.

George Cutshaw.