Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-18
A Base Bali Story
WON IN THE ninth
Christy Mathewson
Copyright, 1910. By r. J. Bodmer. %

think you can tell anything about any
Of them until you see them work in the
open air for a week or two.
What do you think about right field?
asked Johnny.
IF l am not Mistaken answered
Hughie. we have the real prize package
In that young chap from Georgia, Robb
"a regular cracker name. isn't it,. Did
you notice him at all? Did you ever see
more speed? I am knocking on wood
when j talk about him, because l don't
want to fool myself, but If | was a scout
for a professional team and saw this
fellow Robb playing ball on some back
lot l think I'd buy him without instruc-
tons from headquarters"
Lots OF them look like stars the first
noticed Robb particularly, too. 1 was
thinking that while he is clean-cut-
looking fellow I'd hate to get into fight
with him. because he looks like a chap
who has no fear of anything"
Besides Robb there were half dozen
others who looked like they might be
made into fielders,'' said Hughie. There
We're Talkington, Mckee, Raymur. Oak
ley. Lunley and F'lack. If any of them
know how to swing bat / think we will
be able to teach them what they need
to know about catching f1ies.'
AS usual, most of the candidates
want to pitch. and If Miner is all right
this year We won't need any one to help
HIN. cNCcpI d. iclt-ilduuei Dlu
you notice anything promising along the
line? / was SO busy looking over the
fielders and possible first basemen that l
didn't pay much attention to the pitchers.
rather liked the delivery of Crossley
the short time he was throwing. He
looked promising for a rich mans son.
Besides that will be easier when old man
Young gets here and we get them out
for coaching. You can also pick them out
In batting practice. Just tell them to
ST swift halls this. nj "a
and you can pick out the poor ones, any
how, because a pitcher who can't put a
straight bell over nine times out OF ten
isn't worth developing. Then, by the
time Young gets a chance at them for
week We'll know which are no good at
all. and what ones it will pay him to
COACH
4 had talk said Johnny. with that
and unassuIning. He says he is a south
paw pitcher, too. and he may be what we
are looking for
a few days after this talk in Hughie' $
rooms the snow began to melt, and
within a week Lowell Field, which had
for months been covered with snow and
ice, suddenly took on greenish look. the
ground became dry and firm, and every
one began to feel the spring in the air.
One day not long after there appeared on
the bulletin board the following notice:
University Base Ball. Outdoor Practice
On the Field at l pm. February %
Candidates must bring their own suits
HUGH JENKINS, Manager
There was joy in the hearts Of the
hundred for there were about that num-
Der who hoped to be picked for the var
sity. Out of the hundred at least ninety
were certain to be disappointed as far
as the varsity was concerned, for there
were only about ten places to fill, count
ing the substitutes.
OF course there was a chance that a
fellow would get on the second squad.
which might help to the varsity next
year, and then there was always the
and which generally was an all-pitcher
team, SO to speak, because every man
on it had nursed secret hopes of making
the varsity his first year as pitcher.
Harold Case was out early. He had
, come to the field with Hagner and was
now sitting on the steps of the clubhouse
waiting for Hagner. who had become his
good friend. 1t was a strange friendship
the tall. big-boned and awkward German
lad. almost man in looks. and this
young and exceedingly graceful western
lad-and both were profiting by it.
While he was sitting there. what was
left of last years champions trotted out
on the field. Gibbs. second catcher last
year, and Larke, old cronies; Black and
Delvin. and last Of all. of course, the in
Separates, Everson and Jenkins. The
rest of the candidates struggled out on to
Der of fully hundred, and presently
Hagner came out with his old bat and
glove in hand and Harold got UP and they
walked over to the diamond together.
Better not let yourself out any today
said Hagner, as they approached the
others, who had already paired off and
were tossing balls back and forth to each
other. Before Harold had time to answer,
however. jenkins had said the same thing
practically.
Getting ready for a base ball season
isn't quite like developing a foot ball
team,'' seid Hughie. I'm foot ball you
have to get the team in shape for one
or two big games. each of them requir-
ing a terrific outburst of energy, without
thinking about the morrow, but in the
case of base ball nine you have to de-
velor your bodies to Withstand the strain
of a long series of games mostly in warm
weather, and you must start slowly and
get into condition gradually. SO do not
try to do 1t all today. Another thing in
foot ball. we train the team to withstand
har1 knocks, a sort of bulldog develop
ment, while a base ball team must have
the nice strength of a greyhound, SO as