College stories; Sports stories; Yale University -- Juvenile fiction
On a particular day in May, Freshman baseball practice was in full
swing. Frank was still an humble outfielder with little hope of a
promotion to the pitcher's box, for three men of more experience were
ahead of him. Thomas, however, attracted by the bearing of Frank,
had held him on the squad in spite of the fact that he was not an
exceptional fielder. He was attentive to instructions and because of
his willingness and earnestness to do whatever was told him to do,
held his place as a substitute right fielder.
"In these days," the coach told him, "no pitcher can get along
without a good assortment of curves. Your straight ball is fine, but
they get to it. You can curve the ball but you can't get it over the
plate when you do curve it."
"That's my trouble, but I'll learn if you'll show me," said Frank,
"that is, I'll do my best to learn."
But Thomas was not a pitcher and therefore could not show him just
how to get that puzzling break to the ball which assured a pitcher
of success with even a moderately good control. So Frank languished
in the outfield much to the disgust of Turner and the Codfish who
thought he was being done an injustice.
A practice game was in progress between the First and Second nines,
and the First nine was at bat. Frank was playing right field. Down
along the first base line came a sizzling grounder just inside the
base. An undercut to the ball caused it, when it struck the turf, to
pull off into foul ground. At once the man on second shot for home.
Frank started at the crack of the bat, while the batter set sail for
first base with the evident intention of making second at least on
the hit which seemed good for two easy bases.
Frank, who was playing closer in than he should have been, went for
the grounder with all his speed, but seeing no hope of intercepting
it by ordinary means, leaped in the air to a point in the line of the
rolling ball. His feet, as they struck the ground, formed a barrier
which the ball struck and jumped into the air in easy reach of his
hand. He recovered his balance, seized the ball and drove it like
lightning to the plate, catching the runner. The catcher snapped the
ball to second, completing the double.
It was a pretty play and brought forth hand-clapping from the two
score of bystanders who were watching the game.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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