The Connecticut labor news. (New Haven, Conn.) 1921-1925, 1921-04-08

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of Russian general could he play ball
at all if he couldn't see? 1t may be that
I'm suffering from the heat, but some
how or other [ don't seem to be in
quite right on your conversation
'Why, Blinksey Black, the blind ball
player of the Lightfoot Li1ies-you've
surely heard of him if you follow sport
ing matters at all"
AS Mr.. Leary was not quite sure, there
was nothing left for the Landlord but
to relate the yarn Of the Blind Ball
Player:
'Black had been with the Lilies two
or three seasons when one day some
jealous woman who had mistaken him
for another man suddenly gave him the
carbolic sling and he lost the use of
both eyes Now you'd naturally think
that that would have meant his finish
as a ball player, but it didn't.
"Have you ever noticed how when a
man loses the use of a leg. or something,
the strength that was in that leg always
goes to some other part of his body?
Why, take some of those skinny little
| arnless guys you see; they have under
| pinnings on them that Samson needn't
! hair cut.
"We1l that's the way it was with
Black. When he lost his eyesight it went
| to his nose. He developed sense of
| smell that would have brought tears of
| envy to the finest bloodhound that ever
shifted a scent.
1--WE discovered this at practice one
day. Black was standing close by listen
ing to the batting when a wild pitch
made straight for him.
Look out we yelled.
But Black, to our Amusement. instead
of lodging, threw up his hands and COB
| bled in the ball as easy as you please.
Il thought | smelled 'er COMM he
explained. 'Violets, isn't it, he added
with a sniff.
We couldn't figure out what he meant
until Bull Thompson, the catcher, shame
faced and blushing, admitted that he had
washed his hands with scented soap that
morning. A slight perfume had chung
| to the ball, and Black had smel1ed out
| its course.
"'By the great Dan Brouthers! ex-
claimed Slugger Burrows, the Lilies cap
tain. There's no reason why you should
| give up baseball, Blinkey. Report for
practice in your old place in left field
tomorrow
"Black did report, and, say, would you
believe 1t? he was as good a fielder as
| ever he'd been before his accident A
| single drop of he1iotrope placed on the
ball in the first inning was enough to
make him follow it around like a hound
all the rets of the game
AT the bat he was even better than
he'd been before. His keen sense of
smell enabled him to tell which way the
ball was twisting the moment it left the
pitchers hand, and he always knew ex-
actly what curve to expect.
''The one thing that troubled us about
| Bl1nksey for time was his base run
ming. We first tried spraying hello
trope along the base line That would
work all right for few innings, but
after the ball had been batted around the
diamond bit, he was likely to run afoul
: of grounder trails. When he did he
was just as apt as not to leave his course
suddenly and dart out to center field on
| some false scent.
1T was Bull Thompson who finally
solved the problem. While we still stuck
substituted a powerful essence of white
| rose as a base line spray. This worked
to perfection, and save for a few days
| when he had a slight cold in the head,
there wasn't better base runner on the
| team than Blinksey Black
But, like most great men, Black had
| his downfall. And, as luck would have
| it, it came just when it would be most
! felt
"'Twas in the last inning of the great
| contest with the Ringtail Roarers for
the championship of Jones County The
Lilies were leading II to 10, and al
| though the Roarers had the bases filed
two were out.
On the third ball pitched the batter
| drove long, low fly to left We start
ed to reach for our bats. Blinksey's
, nose had never failed us yet But this
time the unexpected happened. Just as
Black was stretching out his hands to
receive the ball, some we'll meaning but
misguided admirer threw a bouquet at
him.
'An agonized expression of indecision
came over Blinksey's face. He hesitated.
The pungent perfume of the freshly
picked flowers was too much for him.
He dived wildly at the flying bouquet,
the men on bases cantered home, and the
game was lost.
But that wasn't all The ball struck
Black on the nose and broke it. His
stock in trade as ball player was ruined
for ever aftcrward.
III then he'd only had the acute sense
Of hearing that he developed as soon as
his nose was broken, he'd undoubtedly
! have detected the difference in sound be-
tween the ball and the bouquet and might
H.. Il