Double Boneheads

[RUKen]

Originally Posted by dlfallen

On a lighter note, I found this description of a double bonehead in the April 6, 1912 issue of Tip Top Weekly #834:

Further queries produced (-Chicago Tribune “by exclusive content" July 10, 2006):

"Invents New Double Play.

Manager Chance took himself out of the game just to spite O'Day in the seventh inning, and called Hofman in from center to cover first, putting Gessler in "Solly's" place. Thereby he laid the plot for the original and comic finish. Hits by Howard and Brown put runners on third and second with one out, in Boston's ninth. Strobel lifted a long fly to center and Gessler captured it after a long run back. Immediately he stuck the ball in his pocket and started for the clubhouse, thinking it the third out. Howard scored from third on the fly, but Strobel stuck to first, of course, until he awoke to Gessler's mistake, and started for second. Meanwhile the Spuds were splitting their lungs trying to wake up Gessler. He grasped the situation just in time to make a long distance throw to Evers, who touched Strobel before he reached second and ended the game with the most original double play on record. It was a huge joke to every one, but might have proved disastrous in a closer game."

This one doesn't make sense. Strobel, the batter, was out when Gessler caught the ball. There was no reason to tag him out at second. The image of Cozy Dolan in a Giants uniform is the wrong Cozy Dolan. The Dolan who may have been in this play with the Cubs was Patrick (aka Cozy) Dolan, who died in the spring of 1907 while he was still an active player. The second Cozy Dolan didn't begin his major league career until 1909, long after Harry (Doc) Gessler had been traded from the Cubs. Arthur Hofman was known mostly as Artie Hofman during his playing days, but he was occasionally called "Circus Solly" after a cartoon character known at the time. I've never seen him referred to as Solly Hofman in newspaper articles from his day, but that seems to be the name that has been given to him in present-day reference sites.