Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-08-21
MAN WITH GLASSES
WATCHES BALL GAME
OF YOUNGSTERS
Then He Drifted Back to the
Time When He Used to
Play One Old Cat.

They were a noisy lot Of youngsters as
they passed along swinging bats, anu
gloves. One boy carried a mask and a
dilapidated chest protector. The qulet
little man with the big glasses turned ana
watched them and as they passed ne
cleaned that Beany's team was 'goin TO
lick the stufhn' out OF the East Side fel-
lers."
Curiosity got the better of him and ne
followed the youngsters at a respectful
distance. They were CARRIED in a monde
script regalia. Some wore full baseball
suits. Others had parts OF suits; others
wore tennis shoes, one or two were bare
footed and clad in o~veralls.
Arriving at the grounds the two teams
lined up around their captains while q
bat was chosen and thrown In the air. one
tossed it to the other and then hand over
hand their chubby fists counted toward
the ton. "Claw holts,' shouted the one
who had thrown the bat. The other boy
wanted to argue the matter but the
friends of Beany all shouted Jaw
climmon, he said it first" Whereupon
Beany grasped the top of the bat with the
tips of his fingers, and threw 1t back
ward over his head. 1t sailed the re-
quired ten feet through the air n
Beany's side got first outs.
Into the field they went, pell NELL. ana
when they had lined up, there We're not
enough for every position. Beany stepped
into the box and DOTTED his cap, while the
catcher 'signalled'' for a curve ball.
shorty 10 bat, n Billy on deck and Fatty
in the hole" sang out the score keeper.
A big boy from the side lines mad been
agreed upon as umpire and as Beany
went through more contortions than a
snake dancer and the ball sailed toward
the plate he shouted:
''Steeee rike."
@Aw-w-ww began a chorus of fierce par
tisans of the batter.
''Shut up, you kids" said the chief OF
the Beanies. THE umpire's doing this"
And the fierce partisans subsidized.
(, The batter famed.
When the East Side came to the bat In
the fifth the first man up got his base on
balls and the second singled" Everyone
was on tiptoe. The captain called the
next batter aside and whispered: Bet
ter sacrifice, Jack
The other nodded and picked his bat.
The captain ran down to third and
coached the man on second base.
Play off, there!' he called. us there
~fiypaper on that bag? Look alive, old
mani"
The batter, meanwhile balanced himself
on his toes, set his teeth tightly and swung
the bat as if he were going to drive that
ball to Sergeant Bluff, and-rolled a per-
feet bunt down the first base line. The
pitcher nabbed the ball and shut out the
runner at first. The first baseman slam
med the ball across to third.
"Slide!" yelled the coach on the side
line. and the runner slid. He arrived at
the base in a cloud Of dust just as the
ball got there.
Safe on third SAID the umpire, firm
~.
There was a howl of protest from the
fans.
Safer repeated the umpire more firm
Iy and he made a downward motion with
his hand. That's AN there was to il.
And the little man with the big glasses
smiled to himself as he thought how he
used to get out and play corner lot base
bali. Mentally he went back to the time
when they played "one old cat" and work
up" and all the good old fashioned games
of baseball which nowadays are failing
into disrepute.