The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-09
H-oNK-HoNKED THE RUNS.
The AutomObIle Applied to Baseball by the
BlankyfIie Peaches.

" INV b@A1 N&O 0hOA
bunch OF ~incredulous listeners. SIm used
to roughing it. and I've always welcomed
advancing trouble without changing my
speed clutch. But / had 1t played on me
last week In 0 fashion that made my thinkery
! heave around like an active spot in the
earthquake belt.
Il took my boys to a hustllng little up-
State town, TO play a local team, strength
ened with semi-professionals. After a few
moments practice i sized them up as an
aggregation with plenty of speed and
bowels. A big crowd was On the spot.
crazy for tho locals to win. They had
named their team the Blankville Peaches.
After the game started it didn't take
two minutes TO disclose that the Peaches
we're there TO deliver the goods. They
! piowed and sizzled over with the winning
spirit. Their example stirred the blood
Of my boys. and everything promised a
fierce struggle.
Things went along pretty evenly for
| the first two innings. In the first half OF
the third two OF the Peaches had fallen
of the fence, but there we're men on second
and third,
aThe batter poked an easy one along the
ground toward the hortstop. Tha fielder
picked it up clearly and passed it straight
and true TO first.
sBingle, our first baseman, was on the
point of squeezing the ball in his mitt when
he gave a yell and jumped as IL he'd seen a
Russian. The ball kept on TO the bleachers.
and three runs resulted.
Il caught Bingle before he got to the
bench.
ANY time you want TO quit playing
ball. 1 told him, I can probably get you
AN admission ticket for some benevolent
institution for nervous old men,
'Bingle looked guilty.
Don't say anything, cap, he whispered,
but 1 thought 1 heard an automobile
sWhen l could articulate l told him that
an there wasn't an auto In sight he could
start the next day, as far as my team was
concerned, for the institution. / told him
several other things and my temper didn't
improve when our first three men cashed
In return tickets before they got started.
sWhen the Peaches did their specialties
with the willow we pushed a couple over
the ed &c. but two stuck on first and second.
The man on second was tipped TO steal
third and made an enthusiastic try.
But our catcher was awake and madea
o,Iiok. accurate throw TO third. When a
putout seemed certain our third baseman
lodged as IL a hornet had hit him and be-
fore the subsequent doings ended the
Peaches had two more men across the home
again slab.
Il met the third basem an with a stare
that would nave made an OK blink He
looked as guilty as II he had been caught in
a dress suit.
81 must be getting batty in my second
balcony, cap he said, "but III eat my
batbaR II l didn't hear an auto
s'You mullet headed quahaug!' I shouted.
Am l up against a lemon combine, or has
that animated brainstorm, Bingle, been
feeding you his dope2 Don't get the i'm
preston that you can trife. III have you
both before a dippy commission II we ever
get through his game
esI was charged with enough mad TO run
a 40 horsepower, Our boys gathered
In a couple in our half, though, and. / had
cooled down some by the time my infants
1.-THE first man up for the Peaches got
his bat In front of the ball and was camping
on third before our fielders put the brakes
on it. The next mar Topped up an an@mic
"'The third baseman was holding his
DAVIS like a morning glory m~egaphone,
when he jerked and stumbled and didn't
come near enough the ball TO ask it what
through and the third baseman ambled in
as cheerfully as a mar goes to an afternoon
palm reading social.
II looked clean through his eyes into the
unfurnished rooms behind.
Did you hear an automooile' "nlS-
81 did, cap, | did, he. said. looking sur
prlsed; 4 don't see how you guessed It,
Never mind what you Think 1 yelled.
7 turned TO the rest OF the bunch. For a
Woody, crooked, unwholesome bunch OF
not ball players, you win all the money In
sight. Don't think you can hear automo-
biles where / am and get away with III
are handing me the complex cross. l don't
care which IL is. After to-day you and
travel on different trains.
aThey didn't say much. There was a
gloomy silence on the field when the reaches
next came to bat.
bali went a yard wide. The second came
like a rife shot at the batsman.
H tried to dodge; but didnt turn on
ships. simultaneously the air was filled
with a dismal honkl
with a yell 1 jumped for the batsman'
but the catcher was the man on the job. He
tore of the batter's shirt. and revealed a
cunningly concealed automobile honk
"Bingle whooped like an Indian, and
grabbed the shirt Of another Peach. h
found a honk and pushed II a yard into hif
mans solar plexus. Then the other Peaches
took active parts. and our boys were charg-
ing in from the field like French made flyers
A photograph OF the doings Of the next
minute would look like a handful Of Zanty
currants.
sWhen it was all over. the Peaches didn't
look the part, and we got ourselves together
and made for our train, well satisfied thai
the crowdl hadn't enough heart interest
in their team to take a hand in what hap,
pened. ] did the right thing in the way oil
apologies TO Bingle and the others. and vi
congratulated ourselves that we had almost
get even in those last two minutes.
But, all the same. I'm looking for a hand
book on modern baseball. Say. how do
YOU make q noise like an airship?'
MN InCT IA UnSpITAI