The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-06-21
Our Baseball Experience.

we could 70 through almost anything fol
the sake of entertaining our young folks,
and if the following experience does moi
prove it we shall be tremendously disap-
pointed. You see we thought some Of
our readers would very much like to have
an account of q base ball match such as
the insurance and dry goods clerks gener.
ally indulge in Tor for what they call
unprofessional') and although we did
not know the first thing about the game,
we did not think of allowing anyone else
to write it but just ourselves.
We borrowed big bingham umbrella
| for shade, and started out in search of the
ball grounds. We found q game Just
about to commence, and selected a seat in
the softest grassy knoll anywhere about.
We took out our spectacles, opened the
umbrella, our ears and eyes just as wide
as possible, and felt pretty sure we should
hear and see everything of the slightest
importance.
The very first thing we heard was a
loud "hallo!" from the field. We looked
over our spectacles and saw sixteen arms
reckoning to US, and presently two gen.
tlemen stepped up and explaining that
there was vacancy in one of the mines,
requested us to fill the position.
Old as we are we have not forgotten our
habit of opening our mouth very wide
when astonished, and this time our nose
did not get out of the way in time, and so
our spectacles tumbled off.
iOu have splendid hands for base
hall, SIR" continued the gentleman, " for
if were a ball should not mind being
caught by you, for there's such nice
chance to run round in 'ein."
- Rn01lVy cir Nynpp1ro hind ~ Vryn
said. We didn't know what he was talk
ing about, but knew he must be compli-
mentary; so we wiped and put up our
spectacles and Joined the crowd on the
field. We saw them glance at our hands,
and then they Immediately announced
that we should be the "catch." Why
they should have put us in that difficult,
not to say dangerous, position, we cannot
say. We did not ask at the time, and as
we are not on speaking terms with any of
the party now, we give ourselves the ben
eft of any doubt. Some one asked as for
cent. 1t was thrown up, and the UNI
pire said: You take the head" Some.
body else took the cent.
The umpire then said: ''How high will
you have it ?" and before we could answer
something struck us in the stomach, and
the man shouted lone strike!' 1t seemed
to US that it ought to count for more than
that, for it was hard enough for six strikes
at least. Before we had time to fairly
straighten, the ball came again, and we
needn't have jumped out Of the way as
we did, for the man at the cat struck it.,
and turning around with the widest look
of establishment, and everything else that
we ever witnessed, deliberately SHE'D his
club at our shins, and started for the base.
Seven men went for that ball. While the
other ones jumped up and down, clapping
their hands and shouting, "Slingerin. !"
AS they rushed after the ball it was our
praycrful wish that the man who pitched
it in:O US might be killed, but he wasn't
only slightly injured, and took his
place with a sort of "do.or-die," aspect
that set our teeth ON edge. We tried to
think of our home and our mother, but it
didn't seem to comfort us very much.
The striker reached his base after a
stormy passage, losing his hat and one
boot, and throwing himself in the arms of
the first baseman with such vehemence as
to make him his enemy for life. At this
point some one complicated matters by
shouting, "LOok out for the second, -
when we had more than we could do to
look out for number one. The ball came.
The batsman missed it and 50 did we, and
to make matters worse, that man began
to run for his next base. Then we COM
menced to pick up that ball; but it
wouldn't come. We undertook to throw
our left toe, at least four times, and dug
our fingers Into the dirt, and we waltzed
around with our head between our legs,
getting sight of it now and then to in.
spire confidence, and finally stepped upon
it; when, after several revolutions in q
prOmiscuous sort of way, accompanied by
few remarks we did not learn at OuI
mothers knee, we struck out for the UNI.
pire, dived straight into the small of his
back, when he, with the most unearthly
yell we ever heard, grasped the batsman
by the hair, and we all plunged into q
pile of camp stools and reserve players,
and encouraging cries of "pick it up,
home run, and one to carry, give 'em
more room. ! say, there. why don't you
put on your specs?" while the more
thoughtful fastened up and asked us il
there were any other game we were a
little surer of in some minor points,
The doctor thinks he can mend our leg,
but it now seems as if we shall have to 20
through life with only one eye, and with.
out nearly so much left ear as we ought to
have.-Erchange.