Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1909-08-20
Did You See the Base Ball Game
Between the Married Men
and the Single Men?

It was one of these warm days IN
!, August when the sky is alight porcelain
blue. Away over on the northwestern
horizon is single wee cloud, and there
is just enough of breeze to keep the
day from becoming too hot.
Towards the Ball Park at Soperton
stroll the crowds eager to see what the
single men can do with the old leaguers
that haven't played ball in probably 10
or Is years.
Around the Ball Park the mass OF
men seem to fairly tumble over each
other toget good seat and the swarm
ing lot of beings look from distance
like the out pouring of the inhabitants
of an ant hill, but the crowd is in
pleasant mood and the jostling and
humping, and trampling on corns is
all taken in good part
The bunch of people that is proceed
ing the more deliberate is heading for
the grand stand while the others are
hustling for the bleachers. 1t is in the
bleachersthat you see, or rather hear,
the real fairs, and it is often as interest
ing to watch them as to keep track OF
the game.
It is a noisy crowd. The game is an
;mnortant one, and everyone isspeculat-
ing as to which pitcher will be IN the
: box for Soperton the home team Then
bioh above all the other sounds come
the cries of the boys with the score
cards: Get the official score card gents!
: .sYou can't tell the plays without the
I score cardsr' But we had no score
cards.)
+ And then comes the wall of the boys
with the baskets peanuts or chewing
gum. peanuts or chewing gum.
Out on the diamond the married men
or visiting nine are warming up. The
5 infelders are throwing from base to
base, the pitcher is giving his arm light
exercise. while a hard hitter Is knock
ing flies into the depths of the outfield.
At the side of the diamond IN the
shade of the bleachers one OF. the SIN
i gle men team is batting grounders TO
, shor1 stop, and the star pitcher OF the
home team is throwing some easy bails.
Away over on the other side or the
grounds from the carriage entrance a
stream of buggies come in, raising a
cloud of dust on the road beyond Isl
base and right field, and line up at the
t end Of the bleachers.
It is nearing the hour for the game
< and the crowd gets impatient. The
captain with his men stroll in from the
r diamond to the benches. The fans be-
t come expectant. A minute or two and
the married mems team goes out on
+ the diamond. The pitcher throws
e couple of balls across the plate. Ihen
the umpire walks out, and calls "Play
r ba,lp, batsman steps to the plate
r and the game begins.
The pitcher throws a couple OF balls.
y Then comes a strike. The next ball
q looks good and the batter hits it hard.
E It strikes the ground in the infield; The
third baseman has it and 1T reaches the
e first bag two feet ahead of the runner.
Y The End man up drives one through
t short stop, left fields fumbles and Da1-
ter is safe on first base.
t The third man puts one through End
: base and reaches LIST.
3 Next batter makes 8 Dagger bring
mo in three runs and the crowd is all
: on edge, it's home run bellows the
: man with the red face. The runner tries
: hard for home but is put out, score SO
: far to 0 in favour of Soperton home
team.
2 A lankv homely left handed piece OF
f humanity lounges out to the pitcher
S box. The crowd tries to guy him, ana
! he grins sheepishly. h batsman
steps to the plate and the first ball is
0 delivered. 1t shoots to within about
: a ward of the plate, and then drops al
: most to the ground cone strike! Tor
. the batter swung at it.
Gee! but maybe he hasn't got
speed, small cigarette smoking urchln
pipes out. The crowd gets quiet. The
batsman hits and reaches LIST. The
, next batter fans but the runner has
, stolen two bases. 1t is now one gone
: with a man on 3rd. | wonder II the rat
, man in Khakie pants can make 1t, yeiis
an overgrown kid, next batter makes
q clear hit and run is scored. Jovlal
a Gerry comes to bat and fans. 1t is
, now two gone. Next batter flies TO
!, short and the inning is over score 8 to
l l in favour of the single men.
The second inning goes much the same
way so does the third. Neither side
: score 1t seems to b e pitchers
contest.
1t is the last half of the fourth. Two
of the married men have struck out.
{ The heaviest hitter is up. The ball
/ comes so swiftly that it hardly can be
q seen. There is crack, and the batter
fairly seems to fly towards first.