The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-10

I'D like to wiring your neck for
getting me into this DEAL" replied
Mcclure. but he gets no contract
until after the first exhibition game.
That goes"
Hey. your yelled Swan to the
field. lie down out there. You won't
have anything to do"
The man on second laughed. re-
layed the order to center, and shortly
after the players were squatting or
lying full length on the grass.
Zine SPORT" said Murphy.
I'm running this show" retorted
Mcguire sourly.
You'll be ashamed Of 1t tomor.
row."
'Tm ashamed Of It now, Murphy.
but can't have . dummy on the
team II there's any way of prevents
fng it..
A very interesting phase Of the
game took place Immediately. Pitch
er and batter both acted in pecu-
1iarly logical manner. Swan was q
top-notcher. He was rough and
bullying in his manner, trouble
maker, but he could pitch ball. He
was the last man in the world you'd
suspect Of being a thinking ball
player. and yet that's just what he
was.
In case like this, what would be
the natural procedure? Here was a
young fellow who had just thrown
SO balls across the plate or at IL.
He would be tired. He would let the
first ball go by merely to get line
on what his opponent had. So swan
sent in a thunderbolt, straight as
fiddle string. He would hang one UP
before this dummy busher knew what
had happened The next two balls
would be like taking candy away
from the children.
On his side, Lynn had already
thought out what Swan was most
likely to do. When he saw the ball
start. he stepped up and laid the
trade mark on it. The ball struck
center field fence before Williams, in
center, was fully alive.
To knock a homer on these grounds
you had to hoist 1t over the fence.
But Lynn ran like a whippet and
made the home plate by the prettiest
slide imaginable, In a three-second
margin.
AS Lynn turned away from tbs
plate, busting himself. Murphy looked
at MCGUIRE, who grinned.
Il don't say I'll give him a con-
tract. Murphy. but that was pretty
work. He outthought Swan; and yet
Swan pitched perfectly logical ball.
But deaf man. handing you pad
and pencil every time you want to
talk to himr'
You'll get over that"
FIJI put him on Tuesdays game.
II he makes good in regular game,
my word goes. Ill put him on the
bench"
Now you're talking pennant stuff.
The boys waiting for further or
ders."
Mcclure waved his hand toward
tie bench. and Lynn trotted over and
sat down. The suit he had on was
his collegiate uniform.
Lynn had accomplished three inn
portant things that morning. He had
gained a friend in Jenkins, an enemy
in Swan and grudging admiration
from Mcclure. From then on they
spoke of him as the Dummy.
1t was by no means contemptuous.
It was handy. Ball players talk in
drops, fade-aways and inshoots;
straight English, somehow seems to
lack punch.
When Lynn took his place on the
bench Tuesday. Mcclure approached
and indicated that he wanted the pad.
Where the devil did you get that
new uniform" MCGUIRE wrote.
II had it made to order before
came south, said Lynn in his pleas
antly modulated voice.
Mcguire laughed If there was one
thing that got to him quicker than
anything else 1t was nerve, the real
article. He wrote on the tab again:
"A1l right Win this game, and
we'll talk business after supper to-
night"
And this is the way Robert Lynn,
scion of distinguished family, son of
a millionaire. broke into big league
baseball.
After the fourth exhibition game,
MCGUIRE, who was a thorough sports
man for all his rough ways. handed
Lynn a contract. He hated to do this
but he had given his WORD The young
man was to receive 81 500 for the sea
son. II he made good against the big
fellows, MCGUIRE informed him that
he would have no cause to worry
about the future. He added frankly
that he was sorry to have a deaf man
on the team. The whole fighting ma
chinery would have to be readjusted;
series of signals. The last athing in
the world Mcclure purposed to do
was to run out to the mound and ask
for Lynn's pad and pencil.
Late in May the whole baseball
world was watching McGuire's re-
markable find. The players, from
Mississippi to Boston Harbor, called
Lynn the Dummy. But the news
papers chose nickname of their own
the Iron Man. They dug up the