Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-07-09

~ "H iAoHSN WV liz
amt like he used to be-"
If Peg could have looked through the
keyhole of Keene's door at that precise
moment he might have been enlighten-
ed. The thing which allied the star
pitcher was the same thing which has
driven so many brilliant performers
out of the big leagues and back to the
bushes. In Kicks peculiar case it was
a brown quart bottle with a red and
yellow label on the side.
During the winter the habit gained
strength. Lacking the check of train.
ing and lard exercise, Keene hid him
self in a small southern town and gave
himself up to self indulgence.
Keene hoped that with the beginning
of the spring training the appetite
would desert him and he'd set himself
about the annual task of "unlimbering
the old soup bone" The arm was as
strong as ever, but the steadiness and
the control which made him a great
pitcher were missing. and nobody
knew it better than Keene himself.
Rick believed that when the strain
OF a game was put upon him he would
find his old control. 1t was because of
this that he asked McCluskey to let
him pitch one of the first games
against the colt team. He was driven
from the box in the third inning.
Little wild today, old horse,' said
Peg. Little wild. You'll be all right
in a few days"
Rick did not answer, but gloomily
slipped on his blanket O and trudg-
ed toward the dressing room. That
evening be did not join in the usual
flaming bee" which is an institution
of the training camp. Ball players,
like all other performers, talk shop at
every opportunity.
The Nonpareils opened the season
against their old enemies, the Came
cocks. McCluskey, anxious to win the
opening game, watched his old pitchers
as they warmed up and selected Fargo
The crowd had been yelling for. Keene.
They yelled still louder in the fifth in
ming, when Fargo gave two bases on
balls, and Rick, on the bench found
himself wondering what they would
say to him if he went into the box
without the control which had enabled
him to win from the Gamecocks the
last eve times he had faced them.
Fargo won his game by virtue of a
heavy bombardment in the eighth in
ming, and the Nonpareils trotted to
the clubhouse with an inaugural vic
tory to their credit.
That night, aided by the bottle.
Keene decided to call for a showdown.
IF l can get out there and beat u
club or two" he thought to himself.
"Ill get over this nervousness"
The next day he asked McCluskey
to send him into the box, and in warm
ing up he showed remarkable speed
and his old time control.
The roar which greeted Keene when
he entered the diamond went to
Keene's nerves like a tonic, and when
the first ball shot twisting over the
inside corner of the plate and the UNI
pire's right hand went into the air the
entire Nonpareil infield began to bark:
1.-THE old boys there!"
cit at 'em, Rick"
1t was this sudden yelping behind
keene which informed the big pitcher
that his teammates had not been sure
of him. They were encouraging him
just as they encouraged Delaney and
the other doubtful ones. 1t was a
shock to Keene's professional pride.
He set his jaw at a fighting angle and
began to find the corners Of the plate
with his curve ball. and for six innings
he made the Gamecocks wear a path
from the visitors bench to the plate
and back again. He would show 'em
that there was nothing the matter with
him.
In the seventh inning Rick began by
missing the plate with his first ball.
He followed with two more curves
which went wide; tried a fast ball and
just grazed the batter's shoulder.
The Gamecock coachers whooped de-
risively as their man logged down to
first base.
You know what they said about this
fellow" they shouted. mo control!
OOlu " NC a OuO yCu1, IAlSh, d O-d-u-
year"
MAKE those fellows shut up!
Keene growled to the umpire. where
upon the %coachers, seeing that they
had hit the mark. redoubled their eff
forts.
Keene waited as long as he dared
in the hope Of steadying himself and
then flashed Foster the sign for a
straight, fast ball. Peg nodded and
dropped into position.
Rick put all his speed on the ball
and let it fly like a bullet. He knew
when the ball left his hand that he
was taking a gambling chance on get
ting it over the plate, but Hennessey.
the batter. stood still until it was too
late.
Hennessey was an old timer. He
had batted against Keene for several
seasons. Very few pitchers ever hit a
batter purposely and then usually with