The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-06-06
Keep Them off the Bases!
Here was q job Of pitching to be

Here was q job OF pitching to be
done.
Buckbee had given me a bit Of
advice that time he signed me up.
It was to watch bases a little better
when they were occupied. and I was
hurting.
Mighty good advice, but right now
didn't. want any bases occupied.
My stunt was to prevent a run. Men
on bases have a habit of bringing
could keep them off the bases, so
much the better.
So once more I concentrated on
the pitching job and considered
that plate as the sort Of a target I
had hurled so many thousands OF
balls at, solo, through the year Of
my lonely practice.
And why not try some Of my old
stunts that even In my kid days
caused Will Darnton to call me a
pitching fool?
So I pretended to wind up, shifted
the pill In the maneuver and
skinned 1t down with my south
paw. The big chances I had to
take at the start and work my surer
things later IN the bigger emer-
gency.
A left-handed knuckle ball. and
It floated up to the plate. It had
the stuff I tried to put on It: 1t was
revolving slowly and would slow up
so that the lad with the willow
would make his swat too soon.
And he did Just that.
nv q froNf}Nn hA YniccaA ao~~ao
ing.
Back came the ban. and again I
sent it down with my left. This
time my lad with the stick didn't
make q swipe at It too soon, but he
didn't know that 1t was going to
drop sharply and deeply, with the
result that he had two strikes on
him, and our fans were shouting.
along with many Of the local fans.
who usually cheered whatever they
liked, regardless Of the side the
player was on.
One more-and If only it could be
made to work.
It didn't quite work, for the lad
nicked it for q dirty little foul that
couldn't be caught. He had reached
down again and I had sent him q
right-hand drop. He almost reached
low enough to catch It fairly. but
An right. I couldn't kick. No harm
done yet.
An incurve sent him to the bench.
One down. No hits.
The second man watched me wind
up and evidently he had been
watching me all the time the first
man was up, for I put steam on this,
hoping that II he did hit It, he
couldn't drive 1t beyond the infield.
But he didn't hit 1t because he
reached down and It wasn't q drop
at al. I knew that would get him
sore, ana perhaps ratified, so I drilled
the old pill right back at him the
This one was what he thought the
drop.
But he caught my in-curve and
drove 1t almost into tho third base
mans glove. The ball was held by
the first baSenan before he more
IMAM haH made the journey.
So far-wonderfull
i + was Just q Job Of pitching. as I
Number three picked up my first
one. the drop. It was Just Q "rain-
bow" and our wide-awake short
The game was ours by q run.
There was nothing to It. Our luck
had turned.
I got some nice notices about that
game, but one sports writer's made q
wise crack. He wrote:-
I'VE have yet to sec how well
young Rushe keeps his head when
he strikes . doWnhill streak and
they start batting him al over the
field"
It made me feel uneasy. knew
y would come. ] had experienced
them In my minor league playing.
games where I seemed to have no
more control over the ball than I
had over the moon.
In some big game when that
streak hit me I wondered what I
would do. Probably I wouldn't have
chance to do much. Buckles
knew all the tricks. and he'd simply
take me out.
I also got Q letter from Dolly this
same day.
'The little dame with the adder.
tongue d still playing In 'Deodor
READY for your verbal slauxhter
vhen yoR Eet he4e. haven't LET On