Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-08-23
Tales of the Red
Lot Team

guard and thus sending the runs
around. And the other is to keel
your opponents from doing it-bJ
beating them to it.!
Only last Saturday afternoon Bot
Ellis, the Red Lot third baseman-
they call him Midget by the way
pulled off one Of the latter sort 8
defensive play that saved a hard
fought game for this crack Juvenile
nine whose battle-royals have enter
tanned you before. ..r..
They we're playing the Mohicans, a
team considerably older than them
selves and from whom they really
had no license to win. But then, you
must remember, there are all sorts
Of upsets in baseball and you can
never figure out beforehand with any
degree of certainty. exactly how a
game is going to finish. That's what
makes it the greatest sport in the
world. ..
When our young ball-tossers went
into the game, they did so grimly
doggedly, not really expecting to win
and hoping In their secret hearts that
they would not be defeated by an
overwhelming score. 1t had been
Capt" Allison's intention to send his
star pitcher to the mound, Smoke
ball" Thompson. But, unfortunately,
two days before the game Smoke
bali" developed severe cold that
seemed to settle right down in his
arm; at all events, when he tried to
warm up he found that he couldn't
raise it above his shoulders. SO,
there was nothing else to do but send
in Curly Graves.
1t Is true that Curly" isn't Smoke
BALI; but at the same time he Is by
no means dub. Indeed, no! When
that wide curve Of his comes floating
up to the plate and breaks like a
fash OF lightning, the batter whaling
away at it would most likely turn
around and try to whale anyone who
laughed at him for letting a dub"
fool him. .....
But it is not always that Curly
is right" In fact. that Is his great
est trouble. Tall, thin and delicate
looking-the other side usually calls
him "Toothpicks" or "String-bean" or
the '.Hat-Pin pitcher'-he has days
on which his curve breaks nicely, his
arm holds out and he Is able to stand
the pace But on others-well, he
is decidedly what Is known as an in
and outer" 2a
In the game with the Mohicans,
however, Curly" was having one of
the best days his teammates had ever
known him to have. As evidence of
the fact, the game had gone into ex-
ira innings, and "Curly" hadn't given
even the first signs of Glowing" And
now, 1t seemed, he was to reap the
reward of his gallant fight.
It was the eleventh inning and the
Red Lot team had showed over a lone
tally that looked to be the winning
one-if the Mohicans could be held
down in their half. The contest was
being pladey on the Mohicans'
grounds so, of course. they had last
raps" in each inning Now, the score
stood Red Lots. 4; Mohicans, 8.
Could "Curly" do It? He felt he
could and you can just bet every
member of the Red Lot team thought
so too! There were eight determined,
game, wide-awake fellows on that
field behind him and that means
lots to a pitcher, as you know your
self If you are one.
The first Mohican to bat, Scrap
Nv" Norris. sent sizzler down the
third-base line which Nudge" Ellis.
to his own bitter rage and d1sap-
pointment, fumbled and juggled SO
long that "Scrappy" beat out the
throw.
One man on-and none out! 1t
looked pretty bad. But Allison.
the Red Lot captain, ran in from his
place at shortstop and slapped Cur
ley on the back by way of encour-
agement.
-"Put 1t over, old fellow" he said,
we've gotten that error out Of our
system now and were right behind
you!" ...
Curly did, too. And even when
"Scrapy" stole second on the second
ball pitched he did not 60 up In the
air. He had two strikes and two
balls on Curtis, the next batter, and
put one straight over the plate, hop
ing that Curtis would figure on "a
wide one" thus striking him out. It
takes nerve In pitcher to do that,
too.
But Curtis was on the job and
caught the straight one for bound
ing grounder down to Ned Williams,
the Red Lot second sacker. Ned got
1t without a sembiance OF an error,
turned to see if he could head off
the flying "Scrappy' at third, saw
that he could not, so shot the ball to
"Fptty" Henry at first. making tho
"out."
It was we'll worth It, though, from
the Mohican standpoint, for there
was "Scrappy" dancing around safe
on 1.-The hot corner whence hit or
even a fly would score him with ease
and tie up the game.
The Mohican rooters we're yelling
like wild men. -.-....
Up stepped Buddy" Ryan, the Mo-
hicans' cleanup man" It couldn't
have been more suspicious for them,
not even had 1t all been arranged
beforehand. Buddy" came up.
swinging his bat viciously and grim
ming all over. If ever fellows &C.
tons indicated that he already saw
himself landing on the ball for
keeps his did.
And right here was where Midget"