Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-23

At first the Forest Hills led. with the
Sparksvilles second. Then the Ham
mond Centers and Guilfords crept
upon these teams and passed them.
And so the record kept changing till
midsummer. when it became evident
that two teams, both of which had
been at the foot of the list at the start,
the Hiltons and the Ferncliffes. stood
at the head of the list, and one or the
other was bound TO win the bat.
The reason of this was that both
these teams. after the first few games
had been played. got in new captains.
who took them in hand in earnest and
coached them splendidly. Warfield Of
the Hammond Centers was jocularly
spoken of as having been born with a
baseball in his mouth. and Kinsey of
tie Ferncliffes was represented when
baby as having thrown away his
bottle and called for bat. Each man
weeded out the poor material he found
in his team and replaced 1t with the
best. 1t was said that Warfield could
tell good catcher by his walk and that
hluSey COuIu mike Il lWlfIeF III luTee
lessons of any man.
The excitement had been increasing
during the playing of the games up to
the point of deciding which teams
should make the final struggle for the
bat. and when this was determined 1t
reached fever heat
While there was i'll feeling between
the partisnns, there was none what
ever between the two teams. The cap
tains were the best of friends and re-
manned so Notwithstanding the rivalry.
Each told the other that he expected
to be beaten. but would die game.
though no such admission was allowed
to get out.
The excitement ran as high among
the girls of the different towns as
among the young men, many girls hav-
ing sewed or embroidered on their caps
or their sweaters or their jackets the
letter II or F. With the exception
of those girls living in one OF the
towns from which the rival clubs hail
ed, the preference depended on the at
Effectiveness OF one or more players.
This gave Captain Warfield a majority
of the sympathy, for he was fine
looking fellow. while Kinsey's nose
had been broken at football, which
sadly marred his appearance.
A week before the champion game
was to be played the pitcher of the
Ferncllffe team received a blow in the
eye from ball WHICH not only closed
1t, but bid fair to be followed by Sc
rious consequences. At any rate. the
accident eliminated him from the COM
ing game.
Where was Kinsey TO find a pitcher
to take the place of the one he had
lost? The terms adopted by the League
required that all the players should be
residents of the town which the team
represented. Kinsey told warfield that
he must either have authority TO go
outside the county for a pitcher or give
up the struggle. Warield consented to
his doing so provided only an amateur
was introduced.
Immediately after this arrangement
Kinsey was known to be giving IN
structions to his pitcher, but since
these lessons were in private IT was
not known who the pitcher was. He
said that he was obliged TO make a
pitcher since there was none ready
made at hand. The person he was IN
structing did not come TO Kinsey for
instruction. Kinsey went TO his pupil.
For this reason 1t was difficult to find
out who was the man being taught to
twiTl.
This matter seriously disturbed the
betting on the champion game. Kin.
sey was importuned with questions
about his new pitcher and how the
matter would affect the game. He re
| piled that ~ his own opinion his team
| had as good chance for winning witt
| the substitute as with the original, buf
he declined to give an opinion as TO tbs
result A man named Kyle. who wa
betting on the game. so persisted IL
his questions as TO who the new pitch
er was. where he came from and VIVA
Eas his record that Kinsey, fnall.