The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-10-13

I
Chief began to get reports from
his friend Lilley.
what did l ever do to you,'
wrote the Minneapolis manager
that you should lend me a wild
cat like Potts?" But there was an
expected postscript at the end OF
the letter:
The boy is surely a great base
ball player. He's a grand-standeT
for fair, but he's so fast he makes
the rest of these fellows look like
they're standing still. You ought
to see him pick one off his ear and
slam it a mile
Young Mr.. Potts was the sensa-
tion of the Minneapolis season and
the thorn in the side of st. Paul.
The fans adored him, for he was
always worth watching. but no
amount of argument or entreaty
could make him play 'em safe. "
He loafed on his easy chances In
order to make sensational plays,
and the best thing he did was to
fall ten feet short of a pop fly so
that he might make a lightning
plunge through the air, catch the
ball just before 1t struck the
ground, turn three somersaults,
and come up posed like the Statue
of Liberty with the ball held aloft
In his glove.
He was the idol of the bleacher-
ties, who loved him almost as
much as his fellow players hated
him, and whenever he came to the
bat he was hailed with tremendous
salvos of applause. The Big Chief
read the Minneapolis papers and
Isighed.
1t was a hard, year for the
lPanthers. One by one their star
players limped into the hospital
lsquad. Only the pitching staff
remained intact. The infield was
shattered; the outfield was like an
Iold soldiers home, but the Chief
Iraving and cheering by turns, kept
his limping veterans on the move
fighting nose and nose with the
Grays for the leadership of the
League. One by one the Big Chief
called in his men. Finally he sent
for Potts.
well, good-by. you bush.
man after he bad read the tele-
gram. "The Chief needs me to win
that pennant, | guess"
Then he packed his small trunk
THE fans mourned him sincerely
but the men on the Minneapolis
team offered prayers of thanks
giving. He had been about as pop.
ular as a bald hornet in beehive
The Panthers received him sui
Ilenly. Catten, whose right knee
was very bad, gritted his teeth and
refused to quit the lineup, playing
on his bare nerve. Powers and
Hallen, the other regular outfield
ers, redoubled their efforts.
WELL" said Potts to the Chief
throw some of these old men into
the hospital and make room for 6
real ballplayer. / suppose you
know I've been hittin' three-forty
out in the bushes"
Keep your shirt on!" growlet
the Chief. you won't go in unit
1 have to put you in"
i So Potts sat on the bench ant
poured vitriol into the oper
wounds. The Panthers, fighting
desperately to hold a few points
advantage over the Grays, were in
no mood for Potts pleasantries
Out of the great wealth of a few
months experience in organized
baseball, the young man Offered
caustic advice, and singing criti
cism flowed from his lips like
water from an artesian we'll
When he began to compare the
Painters star players unfavorably
with the men of western team!
there was almost riot.
The last week of the season
found Potts still on tho bench
lsullen and sarcastic by turns. The
world of baseball was waiting
breathlessly for the three game
series between the Panthers ant
the Grays which would decide the
pennant winner for the season
The team which won that series
would win the flag and the chancs
to play for the worlds champion
) Iship.
Smiling Kelly pitched the open
ing game of the series, and wor
it. Then the Grays took the sec
ond game, and on the third da!
ten thousand wildly excited FAM
: were waiting at the ball park a
10 O'Clock in the morning.
Looks like they're going tt
Ipitch Mulvey," said the Chief, be
fore the game opened. "Can yol
, do it, do you think, Peter"
"I'll do it or break a leg" sale
Smiling Kelly. I'm the only MAI
that can beat him."
The game opened with boil
teams keyed up to the tension
where another ounce means ;
, smash.
For six innings 1t was a CRANE
battle between the pitchers. Smil
ing Kelly, cool, deliberate, re
soureeful, worked the corners o
1.-THE plato with his slow curves
mixing in an occasional fast ball
and "Thunderbolt" Mulvey Tough
him with speed, speed. nothing
but speed.
h Then the catastrophe came