Evening star., 1934-09-12
INSTALLMENT 1.

Ine UnlteQ League Teams Ior the
season were:
Philadelphia, known as the Run
ners.
New York. known as the Blues.
Washington, known as the Feds.
Boston. known as the Indians.
Chicago, known as the Butchers.
St. Louis. known as the Rubes.
Detroit, known as the Bears.
Cleveland, known as the Reds.
It was o glorious Spring day, balny
with the warm promise of Summer to
come. The fans had been hearing
good reports of the new Blues and
were coming out to see what would
happen. The bleachers filled early
and boys selling pop, beer, hot dogs
and eskimo pies were doing a rushing
business. The stands were beginning
to I'LL up and it looked like a record
breaking crowd for the opening game
Each time subway train rolled into
the station across the field hundreds
hurried toward the gates. Men and
boys were assembled in groups on the
bluffs, and the surrounding housetops
were already black with people who
couldn't or wouldn't pay the price of
admission, but still wanted to see the
game.
In the club house Pop Clark was
talking to his men.
There's a great crowd out there,
boys, and it's up to us to come
through for them and for ourselves.
We've worked hard and I know we
have a good team and I'm sure we will
come through this year If not at the
top, at least so close to 1t that we
will pull good gates, make a lot of
money and be all set for the pennant
next year. OF course" there was
twinkle In his eye as he said it. II
won't be too sore at you II you should
hit the pennant this year. You never
] have confidence in every one OF you
and I want you to work together. If
there are any personal quarrels among
you which don't know about, want
you 10 forget them while you are out
there. You are playing ball for me
and the Blues, and just remember
there are thousands of loyal fans
waiting to see us climb up the ladder
to the place the Blues deserve in the
league Give them their moneys
worth"
Pop knew what the loyalty Of the
fans meant. He was one of the last OF
the old-timers who knew base ball
and base ball audiences. He was a
canny manager and keen judge Of
human nature. Ten years before, his
Ffre-eaters we're the talk of the Ma
ton and were winning everything Ia
sight. Pop realized that the fans
were growing q little tired of the in
vincible team which wore his colors.
It was at that time that he made his
greatest mistake In all his years OF
base bah management. He disbanded
the famous Blue Fire eaters, scattered
them to the wind and the greed of
other managers. Pop thought he could
build up another team just as good, If
not better, than the Fire-eaters. He
tried, tried hard, but he had lost his
magic touch and miracle refused to
happen. He bought and traded good
men, gave them all he had; but each
year, after q short whirl Of winning
few games, his teams lost and lost
until they finally sank into the cellar
and stayed there.
The fans were loyal and came back
year after year at the beginning of
the season expecting Pop to produce
a winning team or at least team
which would give them the thrill and
excitement they expected. Sports
writer's suggested that there was q
jinx on Pop and the fans believed it.
Pop knew all the tricks of the game
and invented some new ones, but he
tanA nk AAl l. a.
Pop had never been known to say
enough" and even when he was
licked he didn't know it.
This opening was gala day, for
Pop and the Blues. He really be-
lieved that at last he had assembled
a good team, but the sports writer's
were not inclined to believe him or
the team. The general opinion was
that Pop had a better team than
usual, but that it would be nothing
more than flash in the pan-a few
games won and then another dismal
failure. The fans were willing to be
shown, but the odds were 200 to /
against the Blues and there was no
fan money being bet on them before
the opening game.
Frances Clark, Pops daughter, was
sitting In the box waiting anxiously
for the team to come out on the field.
Frances was young and extraordi-
narily pretty. Pop called her his one
indiscretion after 40 and he said it
with warm light in his eyes. Pop
had married at 38 and for few
short years had been happy with his
wife. Then Frances came, after four
years, and his wife died. Pop never
married again because his only inter-
ests were the team and the baby girl
She had been travelling with him since
she finished college and he found her
q keen judge of men and an excellent
adviser He had tried to keep her
away from the team as much as pos
sible while she was a growing girl.
For some reason, which he never ex-
planned, he did not want her to marry
base ball man.
From the moment she had met
Larry Doyle she had had different
ideas. Pop sensed the growing ro-
nance and tried to nip it in the bud.
He talked to Frances about Doyle and
she tried to understand his feeling,
but would not promise him anything
spirit to quit without a struggle. She
liked Larry Doyle and knew that
Larry Doyle liked her, just as a
woman always knows when a man
is really interested. Frances did
nothing to make Pop feel badly be-
cause Of young Doyle She refused
to go to the movies or the theater
with him, but she did speak to him
every chance she had.
Larry Doyle was with the rest OF
the team, trying to act as casually as
the old-timers. He was nervous and
he didn't want any one to know 1t
1t was his first big league game and
he was afraid as he had never been
afraid before. Pops talk about team
work meant more to him than the
rawlings Of any coach at college. This
was business, not sport. 1t was his
work. the career he had selected for
himself in spite of anything his fam
lily could do or say. He would make