I was all O.K. till I had the first two men out in the first inning.
Then Crawford come up. I wanted to give him a spitter but Schalk signs
me for the fast one and I give it to him. The ball didn't hop much and
Crawford happened to catch it just right. At that Collins ought to of
catched the ball. Crawford made three bases and up come Cobb. It was
the first time I ever seen him. He hollered at me right off the reel.
He says You better walk me you busher. I says I will walk you back to
the bench. Schalk signs for a spitter and I gives it to him and Cobb
misses it.
Then instead of signing for another one Schalk asks for a fast one and
I shook my head no but he signed for it again and yells Put something
on it. So I throwed a fast one and Cobb hits it right over second base.
I don't know what Weaver was doing but he never made a move for the
ball. Crawford scored and Cobb was on first base. First thing I knowed
he had stole second while I held the ball. Callahan yells Wake up out
there and I says Why don't your catcher tell me when they are going to
steal. Schalk says Get in there and pitch and shut your mouth. Then I
got mad and walked Veach and Moriarty but before I walked Moriarty Cobb
and Veach pulled a double steal on Schalk. Gainor lifts a fly and Lord
drops it and two more come in. Then Stanage walks and I whiffs their
pitcher.
I come in to the bench and Callahan says Are your friends from Bedford
up here? I was pretty sore and I says Why don't you get a catcher? He
says We don't need no catcher when you're pitching because you can't
get nothing past their bats. Then he says You better leave your uniform
in here when you go out next inning or Cobb will steal it off your
back. I says My arm is sore. He says Use your other one and you'll do
just as good.
Gleason says Who do you want to warm up? Callahan says Nobody. He says
Cobb is going to lead the league in batting and basestealing anyway so
we might as well give him a good start. I was mad enough to punch his
jaw but the boys winked at me not to do nothing.
Well I got some support in the next inning and nobody got on. Between
innings I says Well I guess I look better now don't I? Callahan says
Yes but you wouldn't look so good if Collins hadn't jumped up on the
fence and catched that one off Crawford. That's all the encouragement I
got Al.
Cobb come up again to start the third and when Schalk signs me for a
fast one I shakes my head. Then Schalk says All right pitch anything
you want to. I pitched a spitter and Cobb bunts it right at me. I would
of threw him out a block but I stubbed my toe in a rough place and fell
down. This is the roughest ground I ever seen Al. Veach bunts and for a
wonder Lord throws him out. Cobb goes to second and honest Al I forgot
all about him being there and first thing I knowed he had stole third.
Then Moriarty hits a fly ball to Bodie and Cobb scores though Bodie
ought to of threw him out twenty feet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account