The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-04-06
CuYves-amd What Not

Then I would hurl the bali with
my left arm.
Before the summer was owe I
was getting control Of sone curves
that made my chumS marvel.
Nor did winter stop me altogether.
I still practiced. pitching whenever I
could. I followed the news Of base
ball like a veteran tan. More than
that, I talked of lin shoots" ''out
shopts," and other curves until my
mother told me I was just q little
Ounce gone baseball crazy.
Meanwhile things at home pros
pered. The little bake shop grew
into q big store with giant ovens
and q score Of employees. delivery
teams and some branch shops in
the suburbs. We ceased living over
the shop and had a home. This
gave me a big yard for my practice.
When Harry was home for q visit
at the time I was IA I heard mother
complain to him that all I thought
of was baseball.
Il pitched some of my curves for
Harry.
"Just a little drop, no speed: you
doslt want to be a ball player, Bert.
Yc& want to go to college and be q
big business man." he told me
gravely.
My sisters told me to forget base
ball. Mother talked of the grand
opportunities I had.
IT Harry could have had such
opportunities he'd neve- be playing
baseball" she assured me.
All this time I argued little and
thought much. My thoughts were
stubborn thingS-alwayS about get
ting good enough to be paid for
playing baseball!
When mother died I had to work
harder than ever. Sister May Was
married. Harry came up and helped
us settle things. He turned his share
OF the estate over to my sisters and
myself.
We had twenty branches Of the
bakery and a whole fleet OF delivery
cars by this time. It was all settled,
between brother Harry and sister
May, that I was to go through coll
lege and then come back and help
manage our big business.
That was tough. Harry talked .
lot about "duty" and about how I'd
never be q ball player In q million
years.
In the spring of my first year In
college I went out for ball practice.
/ thought the coach would fall on
my neck when he saw my work. He
didn't exactly do that.
wen use you for . sub he
whats the matter, can't I play
fast enoagh?" I gasped, getting m
"G0od high school ball-this n
different" he said briefly.
Brother Harry had been In .
major league for three years at this
time. +! didn't say anything, but ]
had q hunch Harry had said some
thing. to queer me because he and
my sisters all insisted that I must
forget oaSebau and settle down to
the task OF becoming an educated
Harry hadn't done anything OF
head. 1 had been the "s sta : s nitcher
In high school. Our team had even
defeated the fast Worcester Acad-
envy boys In 8 close game. felt
that ! ought to be welcomed With
open arms at any college.
! needed speed. for one thing, ana
my stick work was rs atrocious -
Harry,S was good. Harry had been
right, ! decided; q few trick curves
wouldn't get me anywhere.
But ] swallowed my pride ana
went out for practice With the fresh-
man outfit. After 4 while Simn1S,
our coach, who had made me
secretly furious because he didn't
seem to know that / existed, bawled
out one Of the men because I had
been tossing him q few and he
famed q number Of them.
HES got some curves" the chap
answered.
'6o has . p~retzel," growled Simnns.
a little later 6imlas got peeved
and grabbed up q bat.
rswing like this. with your bodyl"
he snapped.
he signaled me to 60 ahead ana
toss one.
did, without winding un. Simml
made q mighty swing and spun
around Aithout connecting. Some
of.tbe boys laughed. Simrqs rot red