The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-06-03
"N0t So Good"


In the other half Of the frame
Sears went to bat when we had two
down and bases full. 1t was a tough
place.
Sears let two good ones go and
then swung at q ball that went a
couple Of feet from the platter.
And that" Kirby said. lis that"
Well, Il spoiled a swell chance.
with bases full. Sears came In and
when one of the naen said. "Not 70
good, Kid" he snarled at him.
Jaw, I'm = hurler, what do they
expect?" he yelped.
"They know what to expect now"
was the answer Sears got.
Two more frames to 60. Sears
pitched pretty good the next time
and allowed but two hits and no
runs. But again with the stick he
was a mess in the last frame and
the Tigers took the game.
My first major league game found
me occupying the bench through
out!
Not 50 goodl
The next day, in the sixth frame,
ASAGsAAU6VA AONhOCO VoAA4V VtCl dkl0
said, TRY it. Rushe."
AS I got up to go into the box
I heard Sears say. Nov, we'll see
the snooty guy who invented pitch
don't know what answer was
made to him. I determined to for
get it and to forget everything else
except the game.
Perhaps my luck was coming
pack: Perhaps I hadn't had any
real bad luck at all. but only imag-
med it. i was sure Of one thing:
perhaps I couldn't hurl the ball any
better than Sears, but I wasn't such
an awful dub with the old willow.
And I had . little advantage be-
cause none OF the opposing players
had seen me toss 'em down. If I
had half q chance I'd do some of
the old stunts that had won me
the title of Pitching Fool"
Here I had been nervous, de-
spondent and sore, but now that !
got the chance it all seemed to
pass. I was so pleased that I for
got to be nervous. I concentrated
on the old trick of pitching to q
target. And the same old first fay
0rlte, the very quick and deep drop
That I continued to improve, was
the one I sent down first.
Nine times out Of ten q batSman
sizes 1t up a. a fairly fast straight
ball. This lad did, to INV delieht.
and the ball passed under the swing.
Ing stick a sufficiently wide space.
BY this time I had received signals
and !! gave Noyes the sign that it
Would pc last and straight. When
n pal! came back to me I let 1t
loose without half winding I'D, and
I put all I had into it with a snan
that made the old shoulder witch.
This time the batter reached down
Tor 1t a little, and because I had sent
ready.
That was two.
Number three was my crazy ball.
knucklc ball, but It was in reality .
spitball and darted nm 30 sweetlv
that the mar jabbed q hole in The
air for the third time and was mt.
For the first time i'm INV life I
heard applause from fans as = bir
league player, and it sounded MIGHTY
sweet to me. 1t wasn't much. Init
d cheering showed that they. some
OF them at least, liked to see a rookie
hurler fan his first man.
The second man reached nv out
drop. but It didn't get beyond the
tnfield and he was out before he cot
fairly started for the first sack.
One more to down.
II I could prevent any runs I'd
pc decidedly happy. And here were
TWO down without a single.
An IN curve succeeded. The lad
refused to reach for it and had to
Jump back when 1t cut in across
the corner Of the plate. He made
q slight protest when the umpire
told him it was q strike and, like a
good veteran. grinned and faced me
again.
I wound up slowly, paused to rub
the left, let it 60 down that way.
The batter probably would have
connected II he hadn't been slightly
fooled and failed to get his swing
IN in time.
Shouts from the fans. II I could
drop TINS lad 1t would be a clean
shut-out.
i let the old "jug-handle" drop
slide down this time and my friend
with the willow completed q circle
w!nen his stick failed to connect. II
ne had Socked that one he could
nave walked around backwards.
But It was a nice shut-out and I
was mighty proud.
When we came In Kirby Slapped
me on the knee as he sat down be.
SIDE me. Manager Buckbee made
no sign whatever. but that didn't
worry me. He couldn't help but be
satisfied with that.
Sears looked around 1t me. after
Z moment.
"By. -" he said. you was surs
shot full Of luck"
"All luck. kid" ! answered cheer.
fully.
Kirby made . derisive sound at
him.
I had my chance with the stick.
I knew that I couldn't be as rotten
as Sears was with It. The man
ahead Of me made q pretty single.
I missed the first one and almost
got fatally nervous, but the next time
!! had luck and also remembered all
Harry had preached to mo about
sizing up the pill a. II shot to.
ward the platter.
II was q nice clean hit and q
little to spare. but they held me on
first.
Then along came Lon Hale. with
MS usual luck he should have
cracked out q two-bagger, sent one
man In and put me on third. But
they gave him q pass.
They sure must have been afraid
OF him, to I'LL bases that way But
they changed pitchers and Tanned
our next two men. Then Kirby
Yates was up and he stnacked L
good and plenty. bringing Ia one
run.
The next man was down, leaving
ma on third. Inn an middlo nae ~