Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1910-08-11
JIMMY K. JOHN
Does Some Fast Work As
A Base BallIst.

Well, as it is raining, will try tC
give the News readers a few of my
troubles The other day 1 wasn't do.
ing anything and decided / would
visit the school, So / went to the
school at noon, and when the boys saw
me coming they all commenced, Jim
my is on our side. | told them
didn't ever play any ball. but they
would have me to play with them, but
both sides wanted me, and so l says
Now, boys, you are all my friends
and don't want any hard feelings,
so | will pitch and umpire for both
sides How will that dor and both
sides agreed with me. So l went into
the box and took the ball and says,
Let me throw you one, catcher. So
threw him one of my fancy double
shots, and he muffed it. Then l tried
him with an up-shot and he missed it,
but it didn' miss him, for it hit him
between the eyes and knocked him al
most twenty feet, and he says, Jim,
you are throwing them too hard. /
can t stop them So / says, swell,
pal, won't throw any more so hard.
Then l called chatter up. and he got
up and knocked him down, and then
he got up again, and / says, Take
your base. Then called, 'Play
BALI. Up got another batter and
threw three balls so fast he couldn't
see them, let alone hit them, and |
called batter out Play ball." Then
up got another one 1 threw strike
and in came score, and threw sew
eral more in success and said, "Man
out. +" Then up got another one and
| sent him three balls and then three
strikes, and l said, "Side up Then
the manager came to me and said,
"Jim, you have done fine work so far,
but will give you fifty cents to weak
en- while my side is in, and l says,
"No sir, will not de my friends that
way at all. " So they laid onto the
bat and l knocked one of them down
and gave him his base l famed three
others and the inning ended in the
way on one and one. But on the next
inning I weakened and the second ball
threw the batter hit and it hit the
pitcher and knocked him crazy for
few minutes, and the batter made a
home run on it. But the pitcher soon
came to and hollered, ''Play ball" SO
here came the ball and made grab
at it and it slightly injured my fing-
ers. care you hurt, JIM" 1 heard
some of them say. said, "No, not
much. So here went another one
over the base and the batter knocked
another homerun. Then they ruled
me out from pitching and told me just
to act as umpire. l umpired about
three innings and they said I wasn't
giving both sides justice and they rul-
ed me out of that also, and took me in
to play with them. They want me to
catch and l put that Sunday face on
and got up there and said, "Throw me
one, pitcher and let me get in prac-
tice. So he threw me three or four
and the manager came around and
said, Jim, You are a corker, and |
said, Eyes, I know am because Sal
said was. So the umpire called,
"Play ball." In came three or four
balls and the umpire hollered, "Man
out 1t was three up and three down
and they didn't score. Then my side
went to bat and they hollered, Jim
my K. John to the bat. (" So the pitch
er threw me three balls and two
strikes, and law how they guyed me.
1t was sight to hear them. So 1 said,
sit just takes me and one lick to hit
it, and when | do it will go some
where" but | missed it. Batter
out, called the umpire. Well, ever
ything else went nicely and my side
made four scores that inning, and |
when they said ''Side up" l took my
place behind the bat, and the first ball |
th pitcher threw knocked my Sun
day face off and forgot to put it ON
again, and the next one hit me right |
between the eyes and here l went l |
don't know how long was senseless,
but when came to, there was another
man in my place, so | rose and took
running shoot at him and knocked him
Town. Then here he came and knock
ID me down and was beating me up
lcandalous to the grass hoppers, when
Sal came and grabbed him by the hair
md said. ''What do you mean, you
lalf raised brute? l will pull every
pit of your hair out if you hit him
again" So took my place and there
vas already two out, and we famed
InoUher. So we took the bats and
here was one on each base. and they
aid, Jimmy K. John to the bat
Then l said, Friends, now is the
lime for me to knock that hammer and
ure enough the first one came by and
knocked it plumb out of sight and in
anne four scores right at the same
ime. Then you never heard the like
f hollering hurrah for