On this date in 1905, Fargo lost both games of a doubleheader to Crookston, highlighted by a rare triple play in the fifth inning of the second game.
Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:
First One of the Northern League Season – Fargo Lost Two Games to Tail Enders.
There were numerous sensational features to the double header in league park yesterday afternoon. The chief event was the triple play in the fifth inning of the second contest.
Fargo lost both games.
Maloney pitched and won both games for Crookston.
Fielding stunts by Olson in the first and Rose in the second evoked applause.
Dolan, the Great, got three of Fargo’s hits in the first contest and failed to hit in the second.
It was a case of too much Maloney all through the double header.
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Fargo was short of twirling talent and Second Bagman Mehl was stuck in the first contest to serve the benders. Rose was behind the wind pad, Dolan in right and Stripp started at the first corner but after making two errors exchanged places with Finnigan who was subbing in center for Warnish, who replaced Mehl at the middle corner. Just why so many men were out of position is not known. It looked like horse play.
Mehl was liberal in his gifts and was also hit once oftener in the initial contest than his opponent.
In the first a base on balls, two errors and a hit resulted in a score for the visitors. Fargo went that good and raised it one in their half, by getting two across on a base on balls, a sacrifice, an error, an out and a hit.
That ended Fargo’s communication with the home plate.
In the third another score was added on a two bagger, an infield out and a fielder’s choice.
In the eighth a base on balls followed by two singles got another score and in the ninth the game was cinched when Baker walked with two down, swiped second and scored on Wing’s single and Stripp’s boot.
The second game was the real thing for the sensation in the triple play. Neither side scored in the first three innings. In the fourth it looked a runaway for Fargo and Maloney’s finish seemed imminent when Fargo bunched four singles with a stolen base and error for two runs.
In the fifth the sensation was sprung. Fitzgerald hit. Traeger drove a grounder to Livingston who fielded it quickly enough for a double, but he had something else in view and threw wild to second, Fitz going on to third and Traeger reaching second. With those bases occupied and no one out it looked like a procession and the fans began to feel sorry for Maloney.
Then came the sensation. Rose sent a sharp drive to Livingston, who stepped across the second bag, then threw to Baker. The play was so quickly done the fans scarcely realized it. Traeger and Fitz both had long leads, though some of the fans thought Fitz might have gotten back to third if he had hurried.
This braced Maloney up and he allowed no more runs.
Crookston got four runs in the seventh on a pair of two sackers, a base on balls, a wild pitch and two singles.
Fargo got men on in both the seventh and eighth, but could not get them around.
An ad, as it appeared in The Forum on August 24, 1905. Newspapers.com
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