The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-05-22

1t was several weeks ago when the
Tigers were playing the team from
Cleveland.
Moriarity was on third base.
Around the chalk-lined arena 49,
900 persons strained themselves in
tense expectancy. The score was a
tie. Two men were out. The fate OF
the game conferred in the white-blous-
ed figure that shuttled back and forth
near third Tigers and Maps stood
up on their benches, for the decisive
moment had come.
Moriarity was at third.
He got there by the ordinary events
of the game At the bat he hit the
bail and ran to first. Another player
hunted and sacrificed himself to run
Moriarity TO second. Then "long
fly" advanced him to third. There he
stood, alert and active, with the fate
of the game in his quick eye, his
quicker brain and his running legs. IL
he failed, he failed not alone, for the
team failed with him. If he won, he
won not alone, but gave the men be-
hind him their chance for "home.
In him centered the hopes and fears
of thousands upon thousands of spec
tators who had forgotten to breathe,
and so still was the great park that
even the breeze seemed forgetful TO
blow.
Moriarity was at third.
Much as it meant to have advanced |
that far. nothing had been accom- |
plished by it. Three-quarter runs are
not marked up on the score boards.
Third base runs never raised pen
ant. Third base is not a destination,
but the last little way station on the
road home 1t is better not to run at
all than TO run TO third and "die"
The $4,000 spectators that kept omi-
lously silent at that moment could be I
changed into vortex Of cheering |.
lero-worshippers or into an animated
groan by the kind of work man did
10 time for self graduation on third.
The man on second wants your place
he can get it, but if you get safely {
home" no one can take that achieve l
nent from you. One way to get off t
bird is to wait for some fellow to a
at you off; another way is to get
way on your own initiative and ac-
ording 10 your own secret plan. S
Moriarity was on third. a
1t is ninety feet from third TO home n
that ninety feet is leaden '
lille, sometimes mere patter of v
steps. If it is mile to 5
gu, you are a failure, and the great L
rcle of spectators groan for your e
competency; if it is but lightning s.
freak, you are the great man of the q
lseball day. Moriarity was intent II
n dwindiing that 80 feet instead of b
IT, How many things n
,nverged in the few moments he a
God therel He watched the signals NJ
the Clevelad catcher-he gathered h'
ey meant high ball A high ball b'
cant that the runner might duck M
W to the base while the catcher's RI
Inds were in the air after the ball FIR
oriarity knew, too, that high be
IL required that the pitcher wind We
}" his arm in a certain way. He
lew, also, that pitchers have way
winding up" when they don't in be
nd to throw the ball. More than ga
at, he knew the pitcher in the box ri
rs left handed and could not keep DIR
5 eyes on third when winding up" to
lat was why Moriarity closely fol- tn
we'd all the strange little signals HI
cher and catcher were making. pa
ere was another consideration, too. ru
illin was up to bat. Moriarity knew thi
at Mullin has batting average of DO
like ESQ, which means that SCI
Hin hits safely about once in four thu
hes at bat. Would the ball about a
be thrown be one of the hit, or wi
, of the missed? No human cal EN-
alton could even guess at it. If led
Illin missed it, it would be useless ed
Moriarity to run. II Mullin hit, ste
re were still chances of his being the
out at first, making Moriarity's ov'
! wholly uncounted and ending the wo
ing. There was only one thing its
do--make home between the time doi
pitcher wound up" his arm past eve
recall and the time the ball landed stu
the catcher's glove make home in of
second of time when Mullins hit pir
miss hung in futurity. 1t was to J