Well Al I will make them think I am Walter Johnson before I get through
with them. But Callahan come out to me and says What are you trying to
do kill somebody? He says Save your smoke because you're going to need
it later on. He says Go easy with the boys at first or I won't have
no batters. But he was laughing and I guess he was pleased to see the
stuff I had.
There is a dance in the hotel to-night and I am up in my room writing
this in my underwear while I get my suit pressed. I got it all mussed
up coming out here. I don't know what shoes to wear. I asked Gleason
and he says Wear your baseball shoes and if any of the girls gets fresh
with you spike them. I guess he was kidding me.
Write and tell me all the news about home.
Yours truly, JACK.
_Paso Robles, California, March 7._
FRIEND AL: I showed them something out there to-day Al. We had a game
between two teams. One team was made up of most of the regulars and
the other was made up of recruts. I pitched three innings for the
recruts and shut the old birds out. I held them to one hit and that was
a ground ball that the recrut shortstop Johnson ought to of ate up.
I struck Collins out and he is one of the best batters in the bunch.
I used my fast ball most of the while but showed them a few spitters
and they missed them a foot. I guess I must of got Walsh's goat with
my spitter because him and I walked back to the hotel together and he
talked like he was kind of jealous. He says You will have to learn to
cover up your spitter. He says I could stand a mile away and tell when
you was going to throw it. He says Some of these days I will learn you
how to cover it up. I guess Al I know how to cover it up all right
without Walsh learning me.
I always sit at the same table in the dining room along with Gleason
and Collins and Bodie and Fournier and Allen the young lefthander I
told you about. I feel sorry for him because he never says a word.
To-night at supper Bodie says How did I look to-day Kid? Gleason
says Just like you always do in the spring. You looked like a cow.
Gleason seems to have the whole bunch scared of him and they let him
say anything he wants to. I let him kid me to but I ain't scared of
him. Collins then says to me You got some fast ball there boy. I says
I was not as fast to-day as I am when I am right. He says Well then I
don't want to hit against you when you are right. Then Gleason says to
Collins Cut that stuff out. Then he says to me Don't believe what he
tells you boy. If the pitchers in this league weren't no faster than
you I would still be playing ball and I would be the best hitter in the
country.
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