Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1919 — CHARLEY RADBOURNE USED TRICK PUTS [ARTICLE]

CHARLEY RADBOURNE USED TRICK PUTS

Bill Gieason of St Louis Browns in Reminiscent Mood. * y—djyai* ....... - Light Turned on Career of Pitch** 1 Who Won National League Pennant for Providence in 1884— Used a Balk Motion. Bill Gleason (Brother Bill), now a captain in the St. Louis fire depart* ment, once a member of the famous (fid Browns of the eighties under Charley Comiskey, was in a reminhr cent mood the other day and told some stories of the days when the monarch* of baseball—the old Browns—were beating ’em all. During the fanning bee he cast some lights on the career of Charley Radbourne, w’ho won the National league flag for Providence in 1884. “Providence in 1884 had a great team and one that was full OY triCks, and Radbourne pulled his share,” said Gleason. “Radbourne used a balk motion that was better than Ed Walsh’s, and you remember how the ‘Big Moose’ used to get away with it for Fielder Jones. If a hitter got on, Radbourne frequently caught him napping. He was almost as good as Matty Kilroy at picking ’em off the bags. “Irwin and Carroll were clever bunt* ers and kept the opposition guessing, although to bunt in those days was considered a “baby act.”— “Gilligan, after he would catch two strikes, would cover the plate from tihe umpire’s view by stooping almost over it. When the next ball came over whether it was a strike or not, he would snap the ball to the shortstop or second baseman. “The umpire generally sang out ‘Three strikes!’ just as Farrell was apparently putting the ball on the runner. That fellow was a wondet at bluffing a putout, and got credit sot lots of outs he never made. “Providence worked every angle and used their heads from the minute the batter came to the plate. He had to outguess Radbourne to get on, and then fight a battle with him if he took an inch off first. At second, if he tried to steal, it was almost a cinch he would be called out on account ot Farrell’s marvelous ability for faking the ‘touch.’ If he went to third, he had to cut around the third baseman and shortstop, who were always in bis way. “ITou sure earned a run when you got it off Radbourne.”