The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1913-11-03

and said that Abe loaied on the ball
and was throS ing him down TO gel
even; and Abe said that Mike was
n there with nothing but morning
practice pitching. and never had Z
thing in the world. anyway. Ben
Day gave en- both bawling out
and threatened to suspend EN- both
for month. | wouldn't like to say
that Abe deliberately let that ball
drop safe. but it didn't look to mo
that h tried as hard as he might
have
After"ar that sort of thing got
common enough. Billy Breen was
always roaring, and saying that he
vas II there with the whole middle
of the infie.d shot away-Bo ana
Jerry played second and short and
poor Charlie Kits was on the outs
with everybody from Ben Day down
to the bat boy. 1t was pitiful to
hear him telling Abraham Lincoln
'NN' 't'N AiiSS'A Iuobti' dDout HbH
he was misfortune's favoritc child.
never had a chance anyway. and if
he did we'd kick t to death behind
him out of sheer darn meanness.
He said he was going to ask Ben
TO trade him for a secondhand wind
pad and shawl strap.
The first trip on the road was a
holy fright. On the train the men
would sit around looking out of the
windows. No cards. no tanning
bees, nothing. They wouldn't eat
at the same tables in the hotels. and
all sorts OF fool shness like that. and
all the time We We're getting loAer
in the percentage column. There
wasn't any team spirit left, and III
stead OF talking to the other clubs
on the field we talked among onr-
selves and not very pretty talk.
either
OF course that sort of thing could
not last long. Not with old Ben
Day on the job. The blow-off came
at home toward the end OF MAY. and
Fred Cushman, the left fielder. Was
responsible.
Fred had had a big row with 30
Brooks. ! never did know what it
was something trin.ng, | sup
pose. They was growing at each
other in the dressing room before
the game, Fred saying What he'll
do If 30 so much as batted an eye,
and 30 saying he could lick Fred's
whole family and all his wife's re-
lations. | noticed that old Ben was
sticking around, pretending to be
busy in his locker. but really getting
an earful of conversation.
Cushman followed Brooks in the
batting order. and in the fourth in
ming 30 got a base on balls first
man up, Every one of us saw Cush.
man give Bo the sign for the hit
and run on the first ball pitched.
30 started down, but Cushman never
so much as offered at the ball. and
30 was thrown out at second a mile
shown up in great shape. He was
frothing at the mouth when he came
back to the bench.
Did you see what that big st If
done to me?" he says to Ben Day.
He gives me the sign not once,
but twice, and then gets me nailed
at second! What kind of baseball
is that"
Ben didn't say anything, but when
Fred came back to the bench he
gave him a look that ought to have
been warning. We blew that
game by lopsided score, and went
to the clubhouse jawing at each 9th
er, as usual. Some of the boys had
got to the point where they didn't
care whether they won games or not
so long as they could get somebody
in bad.
Ben Day waited till we was all i'll
side.
Tomorrow is an open date" says
he. Il want every man on the pay
roll to show up at the Central Hotel
at one O'Clock sharp. If you're not
there on the dot, it's a fifty-do ar
fine"
There was a growl when he said
that. Most of us had been planning
what we'd do on that open date, and
we wondered what was in the wind
At one the next day We was all
sitting around the lobby. glowering
at each other, when Ben came in,
smiling and rubbing his hands.
"All aboard, boys!' he says 9TH
is my birthday, and I'm giving a
party. Come along!"
Out in front was one of them rub
berneck wagons and Ben loaded us
into it. Even Doc Miller. the club
physician, was there, and Abraham
Lincoln Lee, with two big suit cases.
Ben climbed up beside the driver,
and away we went, wondering more
than ever what was going to happen.
1t wasn't a cheerful party. We sat
and looked at the scenery, and tried
to figure out what Ben was up to.
Pretty well out in the country we