Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1900-12-05
HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE PLAYED
WITH THE ROARERS.

Get behind the Plate In Time 40
Catch His own Pitching,
"The fastest base runner / ever saw"
said the fat ex-mascot of the Lightfoot
Lilies in comparing baseball of the
present with that of the old days, was
| little Sammie Salmon of the Lilies. But
the fastest base runner | ever heard Of
was, or wasn't, as the case may have
been Steve Speed who played, or who
didn't play. don't know which, with
the Ringtai Roarers. At any rate,
whether he ever played with the Roar
ers or not, lie was certainly the fastest
! That ever came over the crossways.
| You don't understand? Well. I'll tell
you all about him.
, "One afternoon about q month before
the last game we ever played with the
Ringtail Roarers the boys were all sit
ting round in the postoffice discussing
our chances for the big contest. Cap
tain Slugger Burrows, who was tend
ing postoflice that day, was over In the
corner reading the ball news In Jones
County Courier that had accidentally
slipped its wrapper before delivery.
Suddenly he clutched the paper tight
~ and sprang to his feet. For heavens
sake. boys, listen to this: We have 1t
from high source. he began to read
breathlessly. that the Roarers have
/ uncarthed a phenomenal base runner,
with whose services they feel cOrS,deat
of Wrestling the Jones county laurels
from the crstwhile invinclble Lightfoot
Lilies. The newcomers name Is Steve
Speed. His extraordinary ability was
first discovered while he was in the
box one day last week. He stopped an
easy grounder and tossed it over to
first to catch the runner. The ball had
no sooner left his hand than. to his hOr-
ror, he discovered that first was uncOy-
cred. Without a moments hesitation
he made n dive for the bag and sue
ceeded in reaching 1t just in time to
catch the ball that he had thrown but
m instant before, thereby scoring a
! put out and an assist unassisted'
! . Boys said the Slugger, crumpling
the paper sayagely in his fists. to Lily
park with you. Practice begins at
| once. Hustlen
well. sir, that week we practiced.
In the morning the boys would all so
down to the station and race the trains
as they steamed out of town. After
ICONS they'd ease up bit and just in
dnlge In short sprints paced by the
town trolley car. At night the daily
practice would conclude with brisk
cross country run around the town
ship. The work began to show. At
the end of the week we began to have
some hopes of beating the Roarers aft
CT all. And then came second copy
of The Courier knocking our hopes
higher than taxes.
The wonderful baseball feat per-
formed by Steve Speed the article
said. which was published exclusively
by The Jones County Courier, has been
eclipsed by an even more astonishing
performance by the same player. We
have 1t from the same high source from
which We obtained our former news
that Speed has now become so prof.
cient in running that he is able to
pitch the ball from the box and by an
incredibly quick start reach the plate
in time to catch the ball behind tho
bat. The Roarers have released their
catcher Wouldn't that hasten your
pulse2 1t did ours.
and the next weeks accounts were
even worse. The Courier got straight
from their own private high source
that this guy Speed was even better
than the week before. He was now so
super ut the game that he not only ran
down behind the plate and caught the
balls that he pitched, but In case the
batter Knocked n fly he sarted out In
the field and caught 1t himself. The
Roarers had, according to The Courier,
released their whole outfield. When
we read that, Bull Thompson wanted to
cancel the game. but the Sugger
wouldn't hear of ii. The Lightfoot
Lilies he said, may be made to look
like tarhecl thistles. but we won't
wither before we're picked
when the big game finally did come
off, the Roarers certainly had us on the
run. Fore three innings they piled up
rms almost ut will But then we be-
gan 10 get wise. Where was this fast
running phenom? Cy Priest was still
in the pitchers box. and the whole out
field seemed TO be In their usual places
Perhaps he was sick. The thought
gave us courage. and we began to pick
up n bit, You all know how we finally
pulled-the game ont of the fire In the
last half of the tenth. That's n mat.
ter of history now. Well, after Il was
over the Siugger went up TO Cy Priest.
Say he asked where's that hot
base runner OF yours. CyT
You mean Steve Speedr, replied
cy. with a funny look In his eye. oh.
we couldn't pay the sa,.ry he demand
ell AMI had to let him go. The last
heard of him he was touring the north
west. playing exhibition games TO enor-
nous crowds.
"fcs. sir; he was the hest that ever
was--if he was. AS said. don't real
/ ly know. OF course The Courier said
| that they had In from n hiph source