Evening star., 1934-02-25

married ruin, was pest man.
and when Isabel and I took
the plunge Jack and Ruth were
the only people asked to stand by, outside
Of Isabel's folks.
Isabel and Ruth didn't get along so well
at first, but after a while they clicked and
the four of us used to have some swell times.
There was one player on the club nobody
could stand That was Chick Kelsey, the
coach Nobody would room with him; they
wouldn't even eat with him. or talk to him.
Brad Smith, the old master, was the manager
then, and he kept Chick on for years. and
nobody could figure out why, until the Old Man
stepped down, and Jack Moran took his place.
"I can't see it." Jack used to say Here's
club that's noted for its harmony, and Brad
keeps note like Kelsey"
Maybe he's got something on the Old Man."
I suggested Maybe he knows where the body
il buried or who's got the papers"
"It must be something" Jack said seriously.
Take that day in Boston, last month. I
triple off the right field fence with two men
on, and win the old ball game. Luigi singled
me in, and when I came back to the bench,
Kelsey made a crack about nobody but
dope would have tried to hit that pitch to
right field and if I wasn't hung with horse
shoes I'd be back where I belonged-in the
Blue Ridge League"
so you poked him one, and Brad fined
you $50' nodded.
"Well that any way 10 act? AFTER
I win the ball game?"
what ball game?" asked him. "You were
playing Boston, weren't you?"
"Go ahead" he growled, ''but just the same,
I'm telling you. The first thing I do when
Brad quits is fire Kelsey"
games behind New York. the old master
resigned and handed the job over to Jack.
The first thing Jack did was to fire Kelsey.
IN the interests of harmony. And then the
trouble started
The Sparrows went over to the big town
for four-game series, one of those crucial
affairs. New York was just staggering along,
and Jack had five pitchers-an hot-to use as
he pleased. They'd just come back from the
West, and none Of the regulars had WORKED
for three days. couldn't see how they'd lose
. game.
Ruth didn't 90 over with Jack and my wife
was still down at Schooner Beach, with her
folks so Jack and used to spend our evenings
together, and 60 over each game as n was
played. Before the series was over, was
afraid he'd go crazy
The first game was just one OF those things
Seventeen innings, and they bee 81 brown
pitching for New York. had the Indian sign
the Sparrows- At that. they should have
won, because Jack used Lefty Rawlins, and
he was Just little bit better than Brown all
the way.
He didn't pass q man until the seventeenth,
81O CIlaCS WIfe0 VIC 6UuO1c SSoI tcO AAc ucAs
batter tried to sacrifice. and IAnier playing
third, made two-base wild throw. That put
men on second and third with none out
Lefty bore down and struck ont . pinch hitter
but q long fly brought IN the man On third
and the game was over.
"But that's all right" Jack said, at dinner
''I'm not worried It was Just the breaks of
the game. Lanier wouldn't make another error
like that all season. What liked was the way
the boys took 1t. Why, in the dressing room,
afterward Lefty slapped Lanier on the back
o. T., kid he said We all make mistakes
You wouldn't believe that, would you?"
"I not only wouldn't, but DON'T" told
him. You take a pitcher like Lefty Rawlins
working against bonus, and any time he likes
to lose Trimming game on an error TN buy
you q case of Scotch"
Its true" he insisted. They're just like
one big happy family"
I DON'T like to think about the second game
! even now. After a tight contest like that IT.
inning affair both teams let down. New York
deserved a lot Of credit. They did their best
TO give the game to the Sparrows, but they
just didn't have that extra ounce of cheese.
never saw so many gruunders Kicked away,
and flies misjudged, since the days Of the
players strike.
If the fieders were bad, the pitchers were
worse They must have forced in at least six
runs. The final score was something like
1913.
Had little treabls today" Jack said to
me that night.