The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-04
1VE TALES OF THE DIAMOND &5::z s:=z

muffed if I'd had time to change hands,
he said with a grin, and he exposed a
handful of peanuts. He had refused te
drop the PEANUTS to make the catch with
two hands. That explained the mystery
1t was funny, yet nobody laughed. There
was that run chalked upon against. the
Stars, and this game had to be won.
| Red, IL want to take the team
home in the lead" said Delaney, and II
was plain that he suppressed strong feei'
i ing. You didn't play the game, you
know"
Red appeared nightly ashamed.
Dbl, I'll git that run back, he SAID
Then he strobe to the plate, swinging
his wagon tongue bat. For all his awk.
ward position in the box he looked
what he was-a formidable hitter. ne
seemed to tower over the pitcher--Red
Twas six feet one-and he scowled and
shook his bat at Wehying and called
I"Put one over-you wienerwurst
Wehying was anything but redheaded
and he wasted so many balls on Red thai
it looked as if he might pass him. lie
would have passed him, too. if Red had
not stepped over on the fourth ball and
swung on it. White at second base
leaped high for the singing hit, and
failed to reach it. The ball struck and
bounded for the fence When Babeock
folded it in, Red was standing on third
base, and the bleachers groaned;
Whereupon Chesty Reddy Clammel
proceeded to draw attention to himself
and incidentally delay the game, by as.
sorting the bats as if the audience and
the game might gladly wait years to SEE
him make choice.
cit in the game!' yelled Delaney.
law, take my bat, Duke OF the !Abrub'
skyw sarcastically said Dump Kane
When the grouchy Kane offered to lend
his bat matters were critical III the
Star camp.
| Other retorts followed, which Redd,
Clammer deigned not to notice At las
he gat bat that suited hin-and then
importantly. dramatically with his cal
jauntily riding his red locks, he march
ed to the plate
Some wag in the bleachers yelled int
the silence, "Oh, Maggie, your lover ha'
camel
Not improbably Clammer was think
ing first of his presence before the null
titude. secondly OF his batting average
and thirdly of the run to be scored. Ir
this instance he waited and tented a
balls and fouled strikes at length tc
work his base When he got TO frs
base suddenly he bolted for second, anc
in the surprise OF the unlooked-for pla,
he made it by spread-eagle slide. II
was circus steal.
Delaney snorted Then the look oil
profound disgust vanished in a fash
of light. His huge face beamed.
| Reddie Ray was striding TO the plate.
There was something about Reddi,
Ray that pleased all the senses. Hi,
1.-the form seemed instinct with life: an,
sudden movement was suggestive Of
stored lightning. His position at tn,
plate was on the left side, and he stood
perfectly motionless. with just a him
of tense waiting alcrtness, Dorr, Blake
and Babcock, the outhelders for til,
GrayS, trotted round to the right OF thei,
usual positions. Delaney smiled deris,
lively, as if he knew how futile it was t
tell what field Reddie Ray might hit into
| Wchying, the old fox, warily eyed tn,
youngstcr, and threw him a high
curve, close in. 1t grazed Reddie's
shirt. but he never moved a hair
Then Wehying, after the manner Of
many veteran pitchers when trying
out new and menacing batter, drove
straight fast ball at Reddie's head
Reddie ducked, neither too slow mol
too quick, just right to show what ar
eye he had, how hard it was to pitch
| to. The next was a strike. And or
the next he appeared to step and
| .
ringing rap and the ball shot toward
right, curving down, a vicious, loaded
hit. Mallory, at first base, snatche6
at it and found only the air. Babcocb
had only time to take few SHARP
steps, and then he plunged down
blocked the hit and fought the twist
ing ball. Reddic turned first base
fitted on toward second, went head
long in the dust, and shot to the base
before White got the throw-in from
Babcock. Then. as White wheeled
and lined the ball home to catch the
scoring Clammer. Reddie Ray leaped
up, got his sprinter's start and. like q
rocket, was off for third. This time
he dove behind the base, sliding in d
half circle, and as Hanley caught
Strickland's perfect throw and whirl.
cd with the ball, Rcddie's hand slid
to the bag.
Reddie got to his feet amid a
rather breathless silence Even the
coachers were quiet. There was a
moment of relaxation. then Wehying
received the ball from Hanley and
faced the batter.
This was Dump Kane. There was
sign Of some kind, almost imper-
ceptIole between Kane and Reddie.
As Wehying half turned in his swing
to pitch Reddie Ray bounded home
ward. 1t was not SO much the bold
ness of his action as the amazing
swiftness of it that held the audience
spellbound Like a thunderbolt Red
die came down the line, almost beat
ing Wehying's pitch to the plate.
But Kanc's bat intercepted the ball.
la ing it down, and Reddie scored
without sliding. Dorr.. by sharp
work, just managed to throw Kane
out.
Three runs so quick it was hard to
tell how they had come. Not in the
major league could there have been
faster work. And the ball had been
folded perfectly and thrown per-
fcctly.
There you are" said Delaney,
hoarscly. Can you beat it? If
you've been wonderin' how the Grip
pied Stars won so many games just
mt what vou'yc seen in YOUR pipe