The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-17


EW he couldn't hit. That was his
j one weakness. For come rea-
son or other he did not know how
to manufacture base hits" as Cole
Spillman expressed 1t.
Try as he might, he seemingly was
unable to knock the ball out of the
infield, and the few times he was
fortunate enough to make the ac-
quaintance of first base were due to
bases on balls, missed third strikes
by the opposing catcher, an error by
an opponent or his speed in beating
out infield hits. But he never man
aged to make legitimate single by
batting a ball through the infeld.
How do you do it?" he had. often
asked Jerry Hufsmith, the demon
slugger' of the West End nine.
"Why-you see," Jerry would at
tempt to explain, you just keep your
eyes on the ball and-and land on it
with all your might. That's all 1 can
tell you"
That's pretty good advice, I sup
pose, but it doesn't seem to do me
any good. Guess 1 am too weak to
hit the ball hard" And Ralph would
walk away discouraged.
1.-The kids not weak said Jerry
one day to Cole, captain of the team
"He Just hasn't learned how to hit"
Every evening it didn't rain the
boys practiced and every Saturday
they played a regular game with the
East End team, their rivals. The last
time they had played the score was
favoring the East End to 8, when
the West End started rally in the
ninth inning. After two more out, a
hit. a walk and an error put three
West Enders on bases. Unfortunate
ly enough, Ralph came to bat in the
pinch. Had there been a substitute,
Cole undoubtedly would have put in
pinch hitter, but he was forced to
let Ralph save the day or lose it.
"Just little HIT" coached Cole en-
couragingly. KNOCK it a mile"
But Ralph did not knock it mile.
on the contrary he took two strikes
and knocked an easy grounder to the
second baseman, who easily threw him
out and the East End had added an
other victory to its collection.
Nobody felt worse about it than
Ralph himself. Despite his inability
to hit, Cole refused to replace Ralph
with a boy who could hit. for Ralph
was really an excellent shortstop and
was the best fielder on the team.
Just a week after the Saturday
Ralph had failed in the pinch his
mother cleaned house. Being a very
tidy woman she was particular about
cleaning everything thoroughly. She
set Ralph to work taking up rugs and
carrying out chairs. dusting the vari-
Gus articles of furniture and burning
trash.
While Ralph did his work well, he
naturally let his mind wander to the
game scheduled with the East Side
and wondered if it would be his luck
to come to bat with bases loaded
again. Ralph felt sure he couldn't
stand it. If he had already thrown
one game away because of his inabil-
ity to hit he dreaded another such sit
uation.
Ralph, come to dinner"
The voice of his mother called him
from his meditations. After he had
eaten a hearty dinner. Mrs. Carley
said:
Ralph, there are two rugs on the
line l want you to beat"
"Oh, mamma, l have to go to the
diamond and practice for the game
this afternoon"
We'll, you can do your practicing
here. l am sure it will do you just
as much good swinging a stick against
those rugs as against a baseball"
Grumbling a bit. Ralph went out to
the clothes line on which were hang
ing two thick, dusty rugs, picked up
a broom handle and began to beat
one of the rugs with the air of one