The Washington times., 1905-10-08

First of all the stories of Iron men"
in the pitch-oox must come that of
Claude Clessdale. of the old HayviIle
team in the Corndroppers League.
When all the other tales of mighty
achievement by the country's great
twirlers have been told / must tell the
story of Claude and his 500 reward, his
three lady friends and his best girl, and
every one is silenced. 1t is all off, so TO
speak.
1t was the year Russetville, Alfalfa
and HayviIle made their desperate three
cornered fight for the pennant that
Claude Clessdale broke into fast COM
pany. He had pitched good ball for his
college team, and that served to make
him pretty well known when Tim Nc
Ginnis signed him to a Hayville con-
tract.
1t was the old story. The pink-skin-
ned long-haired college boy became the
star pitcher of the team. and the old.
sunburned. freckled and tobacco-chew
ing curvers had to take a back seat.
Claude Clessdale got all the new suits
OF clothes, all the new straw hats, all
the applause and all the credit when the
team won. and he was held UP as a
shining example to old stars that had
pitched ball when Van Haltren and
Beckley were just breaking in
His Head Swelled visibly.
And, of course, all this adulation, this
back-slapping. this clap-till-you-make-
him-take-or-h -his-cap business didn't put
Claude I'm a position where he'd take
any medals for modesty. He was big.
Good-lookins, pretty good pitcher. and
after he had won four or five games he
came to believe that ii was all so, just
as the papers had II, and his chest
swelled out and he had to let out a reef
in the sweatband of his hat.
But he did help the Hayvilles- He
pitched three games a week right
along, which in itself was big achieve
ment, and he would go in and save a
game in the ninth nearly every other
day in the week. The result was that
when the last week began, the Hayvilles
had to win SIX straight games to give
them the championship. We were
ahead at the time, but they had lost one
less game than we had II they finished
their schedule without a defeat they
could win, no matter what we did. If
we lost, then they could afford to lose.
too. But we couldn't be expected to
lose anything just then. so McGinnis
And this is how he went about it.
II was Claude's turn to pitch on Mon
day. and he beat the Russetvilles, 4 to
i. On Monday night a sporty looking
chap come to him and said:
Hundred Looks Good.
Claude. I've bet fellow $500 that the
Hayvilles win tomorrow, and | want to
win - bad. II i give you a hundred OF
it for yourself will you go in and pitch?''
Cless wanted to know why the fellow
didn't bet on the Wednesday game, and
he said he had to leave town, and. be-
sides. the money was up There didn't
come many chances for Cless TO be
slipped a hundred for winning a single
game SO he said he'd ask the manager
Tim seemed very anxious about Claude's
arm. but IN the end he consented.
So Claude dug his spikes in the slab
again on Tuesday afternoon, and won
his game. 10 3.
On Tuesday night he was pretty tired.
but he went ia a show that was at the
op'ry house. He met a nectarine OF an
actress named Emelie Smythe. waited
for her at the stage door, and blew her
TO a supper at Hayville's best hotel
While they were at supper, and Claude
was getting more and more in love
every minute. Miss Emelie Smythe CUR
gled:
$50 you are a baseball pitcher. are
you? You ought to see my friend. Mr.
j. Bentley Seymour, who pitches for the
New Yorks (this was some time ago).
perform. / hate to be slangy. but he
has got them all beat a mile"
Pitched Amy Day.
HAS he?" queried Claude. his eyes
bulging out. He was thinking that IL
J. Bentley travelled far with Miss
Smythe he must be wonder.
Yes" said the girl. slipping the stuff
that was nattening out Claude's hun
dred. He don't think anything of pitch
ing day in and day out If it wasn't for
him the New Yorks would never be 20