The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-15
THE GAME WAS LOST.
AND 412 POUNDS OF B4SEBALL
 IDOL

Downfall of the Lightfoot Lilies
 Club Mascot When Ina an III Ad-
 vised Moment They Told Him to
 Slide.
 Well, why is it you never played
 baseball yourseh?' asked a latter day
 fan of the very stout man sitting in
 the corner You say you were the
 mascot for the famous Lightfoot Lilies
 of Jones county, and yet, with the eN- ception of the time that they put you in to force the winning run in the thlr-
 teenth by being hit in the stomach you never seem to have played your
 self After such successful daring were
 you never asked to play again? l don't quite understand"
 The stout man gazed at the speaker | searchingly for a few minutes and then, apparently satisfied that the ques-
 tions were asked in good faith, proceed
 ed to unfold the one dark shadow in his otherwise sunny life.
 Have you never heard?' he began
 Then now you shall hear, and though
 I think no blame should rest with me,
 you yourself shall judge of that. Lis
 ten. You have already referred to the contest in which | forced the winning
 run owing to the pitchers inability to
 put the ball over the plate without
 striking my corporation. This, l be- 1 lieve, was due to a law of physics
 which states that but one body can oc- cupy the same space at the same time
 or words to that effect But, whatever 1 the cause, I acquired a reputation for
 high class baseball second to none in
 Jones county and at once got a regular
 position on the team. My figure being my stock in trade. Captain Slugger | Burrows of the Lightfoots spared no pains in bringing me to physical per lection. Under a carefully selected diet of beer, butter, lard, potatoes and cod liver oil rapidly rose from a mea- ger 32O pounds to the magnificent fig ure of 412.
 For the first eight innings of the great contest, which ultimately proved my downfall I fully sustained my en- viable reputation for artistic ball play ing. Three times the bases were full, with the Roarers one run in the van.
 HI lllNCs plpNGd lAb IlElllIOulo salvation by forcing the tieing run by means of my superior figure. Three times the home rooters vied with one another in futile attempts to pay me suitable homage. I was truly more than queen. And then that fatal ninth, with it's brimful cup of gumless bitters! Four hundred and twelve pounds of shattered idol,
 Tn the last half of the ninth I reach ed first through my customary strategy. Later I succeeded in gaining third by a daring bit of base running while the Roarers' fielders were searching for |, Bull Thompson's liner on the other side of the center field fence. Sammie Salmon and one of the Foote twins died easy deaths on intield pop flies. There we were: Ringtail Roarers, 17; Lightfoot Lilies. 16; two out Thomp- son and yours truly on second and third bases respectively and the in- vincible Home Run Hankins at the bat All were breathless with sus- pense. The pitcher swung his arm back slowly, and then, swish, bang! Home Run Hankins never missed his aim. 1 struggled bravely toward the plate, and in less time than it takes to tell it Thompson was at my back push ing violently. I doubled my efforts A moment later Hankins himself caught up and joined in the single file struggle for home and victory. Twas do or die and the people were like lunatcs | in their wild excitement. Spurred on by their cheers, I was soon but five feet from the plate, with Thompson and Hankins still dancing at my heels. | Then suddenly a voice rose clearly | above the others. Slide, Willie, slide!' it rang out Oh, fatal words,"
 At this point the fat ex-mascot was | overcome by emotion and stopped | short. It was some minutes before he | could pull himself together sufficiently | to go on with his sad story
 Well" he said at last, q slid Div | ing gracefully forward, slid a nicely | calculated slide that brought my chest directly above the rubber. But the en- thusiasm this occasioned among the Lilies was short lived.
 "'Touch the plate, you fool: touch the | plater Bull Thompson and Hankins yelled together
 Now, would you believe it, sir, try as | NOuIu COufdn |. My corporation had been overtrained. Lying face down, was so high from the ground that my arms would not reach the plate.
 Rock mel I cried. Rock me-.
 Rock you?' 'Bull Thompson roared. Rock you? Wen rock you, stone you, agg you, and-touch that plate. dye hear?'
 Rock me, I pleaded with tears n my eyes. You don't understand. Rock me like you would 3 rocking horse. Tilt me. I can't touch bottom
 Twas too late. While I had been explaining my predicament to those the Roarers' fielders found he ball, and-er-well we lost After ward I told Captain Slugger Burrows low it happened and begged for just me more chance, No use He said hat any fool with my shape ought to nave sense enough to slide on his back md that-but say, honest injun, now, | To you think I was in any way to !