Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 224, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1916 — TRIED A DOUBLE-CROSS [ARTICLE]

TRIED A DOUBLE-CROSS

One Play Manager Stallings Couldn’t Dope Out. Two On, Two Out, Hap Myers Bunted, but Couldn’t Get Away With It— Easily Thrown Out and .... Braves Lost Game. The score was 3 to 2 against the Braves. This was In a game played in Boston in the summer of 1913. It was the ninth inning. Two men were out and the Braves had a man on first and second. “Hap” Myers, the lanky Boston first sacker, walked to the plate. A long hit would either tie the score or win the game. “Hap" let the first one pass—and bunted the second. He was thrown out by at least ten feet, and the game was over. The Braves had lost , Myers In Terror. “Hap,” in terror over a» possible rebuke from Manager George Stallings, sneaked into the clubhouse. Stallings was there, enshrouded in deepest gloom. Baseball never knew a hanTer loser than Stallings. But Stallings never said a word to Myers then, and Myers ducked out of the clubhouse and went home thinking Stallings had overlooked the bunt-out. But Stallings hadn’t. The next morning found Stallings at Myers’ home. Myers had just gotten up. “‘Hap,’” said Stallings, “I want to know why you bunted with two out and two on bases." “Well, you see, boss,” explained “Hap," “I thought I’d double-cross the other fellows.” “Double-cross ’em?” asked Stallings, puzzled. Looking for a Hit. “Yes. You see they were looking for me to hit it out, and I thought I’d catch ’em asleep with a bunt.” “Oh, that’s it, eh?” said Stallings. “Thought you’d double-cross ’em, hey? Well, you didn’t double-cross them, but you did double-cross me. I’ve spent the whole night trying to figure out why you bunted. That’s the reason, eh —wanted to double-cross the other fellows?” “Yes; that’s it.” “Well, lemme tell you this, ‘Hap’ Myers,” and Stallings poked a menacing finger at his big first baseman, “if you ever again try any of that double-crossing stuff there’ll be a funeral in this particular neighborhood. Good day, double-crosser.” And Stallings walked away.