The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-06-02
An UNPLEASANT Surprisc

S0VNAAS4 4NOyCo 1l0u VOlu AlAC VIAob
I had a good "bean" along with a
good arm. Aside from that I had
no inkling as to how my work APP
pealed to Owner Combs or Manager
And that guy, Sears, the other
pitching rookie, seemed to have
taken as much dislike to me
as I had to him. He seemed to be
forever trying to pick a quarrel,
forever sneering and making cracks.
To have lost my temper and Slugged
him would have ruined my chances,
so I simply waited and did my best.
BY the time the training was a
little more than half finished all
but four Of the rockies had been
dropped. They had returned to
their various homes and I sure felt
sorry for all Of them, although most
Of them had no right to make the
try, they were so far from being
good players.
Two Of the new boys were ex-
cellent fielderS and clever with the
stick. The other two, Sears and
myself, were hopeful hurlerS and,
much as I disliked Sears, I must
give him credit for being able to
pitch good ball.
Despite my friendlinesS with the
veterans of the team and their sim
cere *riendliness for me, I didn't
dare ask them how they thought I
shaped up. Nor did they give me
any hint.
When training was almost over
Sears said to Kirby Yates, one OF
the rockies still left. "All set!"
Sears said it loudly and for my
benefit. No others were within hear
what do you mean. all set'"s
Kirby asked.
"Signed up-everything is o. X"
Sears announced.
Being decidedly human that gave
me a jolt and I was mighty envl-
Gus, perhaps jealous, Of him. Kirby
EongZrfatqhIa aE bi him and later asked
"'s ss u : i I heard esuia' it was intended
for me to hear" I told him.
"The lucky stiff doesn't deserve
It." Kirby grumbled. "He losses a
good ball and that's all, and he's a
trouble maker. What the heck
Buckbee signed him for is more
than / can understand"
I admitted frankly enough that I
sure wished it had been me. And I
felt mighty blue, because I didn't
believe they would sign up another
hurler. That meant the end Of
baseball for me.
And then, on the next to last day
Of training Huckbee got the four
rockies together.
"You boys trail along with us for
q WHILE" he said, II will pay all
expenses. It's one thing to train, but
another to play in a real game. I
want to see how you work out. I
never give contracts until I have
watched the new ones in a few
I looked at Kirby Yates. He
grinned at me and then made q
funny face at Sears. We had caught
him in a silly lie about being signed
up.
But Sears was thick-skinned. He
was also dumb, In many ways, and
q position this put him in.
At least, I felt better, because it
meant that I had q chance, while
I would have had little chance if
Sears had been signed.
On the way north our team
played a few exhibition games. We
rockies didn't play. These games
didn't mean anything, because we
weren't up against any extra fast
teams. We opened the season in
Chicago against the Tigers.
Watch everything" Manager
Buckbee had told us.
So we four sat on the bench,
along with the extras on the team,
and tried to watch everything"
Our star .hurler,. Mcpherson.
seemed to me to be pitching mighty
The Tigers broke with luck and
runs rather than devote ali of his
energies to trying to fan them at
so he's the star hurler. huh?"
He was usually talking, and half
the time we didn't pay any atten-
ton to him.
If that's good hurting, then I'm
an ape" Sears went on.
That's good hurting" one Of the
men said, gravely, and we got a big
laugh out Of it, although Sears was
SO dumb he didn't realize that the
remark meant that he certainly was
an ape.
Buckbee changed his mind, In the
middle Of the game, when we seemed
to be weak with the stick, and sent
Kirby Yates out. I was glad of it,
I liked Kirby and wanted to see him
make the team. But Sears, the bip
sap. started to yelp about It.
HE1nv uhof tho hoclr - hn r,ov,,>s
Buckbee get that stuff"
NO one paid any attention to him.
Kirby stopped a grounder that must
have been like q red hot cannon
ball, and got it over to first in plenty
OF time for q double. It was good
work. ~
HE said we was to watch III,
game. What's he 60 and put that
guy IN for an leave us here?" Sears
bleated agaip