The Redheaded Outfield, and Other Baseball Stories — John Shaqi
The Redheaded Outfield, and Other Baseball StoriesGrey, Zane
General
The Redheaded Outfield, and Other Baseball Stories
Grey, Zane
Baseball stories, American; Fiction; Short stories
Perhaps even Delaney could not have found any fault with that play.
But the aftermath spoiled the thing. Clammer now rode the air; he
soared; he was in the clouds; it was his inning and he had utterly
forgotten his team mates, except inasmuch as they were performing mere
little automatic movements to direct the great machinery in his
direction for his sole achievement and glory.
There is fate in baseball as well as in other walks of life. O'Brien
was a strapping fellow and he lifted another ball into Clammer's wide
territory. The hit was of the high and far-away variety. Clammer
started to run with it, not like a grim outfielder, but like one
thinking of himself, his style, his opportunity, his inevitable
success. Certain it was that in thinking of himself the outfielder
forgot his surroundings. He ran across the foul line, head up, hair
flying, unheeding the warning cry from Healy. And, reaching up to make
his crowning circus play, he smashed face forward into the bleachers
fence. Then, limp as a rag, he dropped. The audience sent forth a
long groan of sympathy.
"That wasn't one of his stage falls," said Delaney. "I'll bet he's
dead.... Poor Reddy! And I want him to bust his face!"
Clammer was carried off the field into the dressing room and a
physician was summoned out of the audience.
"Cap., what'd it--do to him?" asked Delaney.
"Aw, spoiled his pretty mug, that's all," replied Healy, scornfully.
"Mebee he'll listen to me now."
Delaney's change was characteristic of the man. "Well, if it didn't
kill him I'm blamed glad he got it.... Cap, we can trim 'em yet.
Reddie Ray'll play the whole outfield. Give Reddie a chance to run!
Tell the boy to cut loose. And all of you git in the game. Win or
lose, I won't forget it. I've a hunch. Once in a while I can tell
what's comin' off. Some queer game this! And we're goin' to win.
Gilbat lost the game; Clammer throwed it away again, and now Reddie
Ray's due to win it.... I'm all in, but I wouldn't miss the finish
to save my life."
Delaney's deep presaging sense of baseball events was never put to a
greater test. And the seven Stars, with the score tied, exhibited the
temper and timber of a championship team in the last ditch. It was so
splendid that almost instantly it caught the antagonistic bleachers.
Wherever the tired Scott found renewed strength and speed was a
mystery. But he struck out the hard-hitting Providence catcher and
that made the third out. The Stars could not score in their half of
the inning. Likewise the seventh inning passed without a run for
either side; only the infield work of the Stars was something superb.
When the eighth inning ended, without a tally for either team, the
excitement grew tense. There was Reddy Ray playing outfield alone, and
the Grays with all their desperate endeavors had not lifted the ball
out of the infield.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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