ward ▁in field ▁hit ▁on ▁the ▁third ▁ball . ▁Ask ed ▁why ▁the ▁inf iel der ▁did ▁not ▁throw ▁home ▁instead ▁of ▁to ▁first ▁Mike ▁answered : ▁' Oh , ▁we ▁had ▁b one head s ▁in ▁those ▁days ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁you ▁have ▁them ▁now .' " ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁The ▁Sport ing ▁Life ▁wrote ▁that ▁Mc Ge ary ▁was ▁the ▁best ▁base - runner ▁of ▁his ▁era : ▁" The ▁famous ▁Mike ▁Mc Ge ary ▁in ▁his ▁day ▁the ▁best ▁runner ▁in ▁the ▁profession , ▁and ▁the ▁Mike ▁Kelly ▁of ▁that ▁period , ▁in ▁point ▁of ▁base ▁ball ▁bra ins ▁was ▁the ▁one ▁player ▁who ▁regularly ▁pract iced ▁sl iding ." ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁and ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁Mc Ge ary ▁also ▁developed ▁a ▁reputation ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁least ▁likely ▁bat ters ▁to ▁strike out ▁at ▁the ▁plate . ▁ ▁During ▁those ▁six ▁seasons , ▁he ▁struck ▁out ▁only ▁six ▁times ▁in ▁ 1 , 5 1 8 ▁plate ▁appearances . ▁ ▁He ▁led ▁his ▁league ▁in ▁at ▁b ats ▁per ▁strike out ▁ratio ▁on ▁three ▁occasions , ▁with ▁r ati os ▁of ▁ 2 7 5 ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁ 3 1 0 ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁and ▁ 2 7 6 ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁ ▁Mc Ge ary ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁players ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁game . ▁ ▁An