HUGH TRIES HIS "FADE-AWAY" BALL
"Are you game, Frazer, for a desperate fight?" asked Hugh, smiling in
a way he hoped would inspire the other with confidence.
Frazer was a bit white, but he had his jaws set, and there was a
promising flash in his eyes that Hugh liked to see. His Scotch
blood was aroused, and he would do his level best to hold the Allandale
last-year champions down to few hits. That humiliation which Frazer
had suffered in asking to be taken out of the box on the preceding
Saturday had burned in his soul ever since; and he was in a fit frame
of mind to "pitch his head off" in order to redeem himself.
Hugh talked with him a short time. He told him all he knew about the
various players on the opposing team, and in this way Frazer might
be able to deceive some of the heavy batters when they came up.
Unfortunately Frazer could not vary his speed and drops and curves
with an occasional deceptive Matthewson "balloon ball," so called
because it seems to look as large as a toy hot-air balloon to the
batter, but is advanced so slowly that he strikes before it gets
within reach.
Hugh on his part had always practiced that sort of a ball, and indeed
he had nothing else beside fair speed and this "floater." But in
practice, when Hugh went into the box, he had been able to fool
many of his mates, and have them almost breaking their backs trying
to hit a ball that was still coming. As a last resort Hugh meant to
relieve Frazer, but only after the game was irrevocably lost; for
he wanted to give the other every chance possible to redeem his
former "fluke."
There was not any great amount of genuine enthusiasm shown by the
crowd of local rooters when Frazer walked out to take his place,
though many did give him a cheer, hoping to thus hearten the poor
fellow, and put some confidence in his soul.
If he had not been able to hold those boys from Mechanicsburg, who
were reckoned only "half-baked" players, as some of the Scranton fans
called it, what sort of a chance would Frazer have against the
Champs, who had toyed with Belleville just a week back, and looked
tremendously dangerous as they practiced now upon the local field,
so as to become a little accustomed to its peculiarities?
Ground rules were again in vogue, owing to the great crowd. This
gave Scranton a little advantage, since they were used to playing on
the home grounds, and would know just where to send the ball---providing
they were able to come in contact with it, a matter in which one Big
Ed Patterson meant to have considerable to say, judging from his
confident manner, and the good-natured smile on his sun-burned face.
Scranton fought gamely, every one was agreed to that. They started
off well, for Frazer actually got through the first without a hit
being made, though twice the visitors met one of his offerings with
a vicious smack that sent the ball far out in center, where the
watchful and fleet-footed "K.K." managed to capture each fly after
a great run.
And in their half Scranton did a little hitting, though it was mostly
through good luck that they got one run---a Texas leaguer that fell
among three players who got their signals crossed; then a poor throw
down to second allowing "Just" Smith to land there in safety; a bunt
that turned into a sacrifice on the part of Joe Danvers, followed
by a high fly that let the runner on third come trooping home, did
the business.
Owen struck out, and Hugh sent up a mighty foul over in right that
was caught in a dazzling fashion by the guardian of that patch.
As the two clubs faced each other they ranged after this fashion,
and it may be noticed that there was no change in Scranton's line-up
except in the pitcher's box. The batting order was not the same,
so it must be given as it came on either side:
Scranton High
Player Position
--------------------------------------
"Just" Smith Left Field
Joe Danvers First Base
Horatio Juggins Right Field
Owen Dugdale Short Stop
Hugh Morgan (capt.) Third Base
"K.K." (Ken Kinkaid) Center Field
Julius Hobson Second Base
Frazer Pitcher
Thad Stevens Catcher
Allandale High Player
Position
--------------------------------------
Farmer Left Field
Gould First Base
Wright Right Field
Waterman Short Stop
Norris Third Base
Whipple Center Field
Brown Second Base
Patterson Pitcher
Keeler Catcher
As the game progressed it became evident that Frazer was "pitching
his arm off" in the endeavor to stem the tide of defeat that inning
after inning seemed bound to overtake the Scranton nine, despite
their most gallant uphill fight. Allandale proved to be all their
reputation had boasted, and they seemed able to work a man around
the circuit nearly every inning. Splendid fielding on the part of
Hugh and his mates kept the score down, but nevertheless it continued
to mount, in spite of all their efforts.
Frazer was beginning to show signs of exhaustion. He had tried
every trick he had in his list on the batters who faced him. They
had begun to solve his delivery more and more the oftener they came
up. And there was a very demoralizing way about their confident
attitude that no doubt added much to poor Frazer's distress. He
began to believe they were just playing with him, and at a given
time would fall upon his delivery, to knock the ball at will to
every part of the field.
Hugh knew it was coming, and he hardly felt able to go into the
box himself to stem the rising tide; but anything was better than
to have Frazer submerged under an avalanche of hits. "Big Ed" seemed
to be getting better the longer he pitched, and just the reverse
could be said of Frazer, who was on the verge of a total collapse.
"Better take me out before I go to the wall, Hugh," begged the other,
after the sixth frame showed the score to be six to two, with more
runs looming up in the "lucky seventh" in prospect. "I'm ashamed
to say I've lost my nerve. Those fellows mean to get at me in the
seventh and it will be a Waterloo. I just feel it in my bones they've
been waiting to lambast my offerings then, for I've seen them talking
together, and laughing, as though they had a game laid out. You go
in and feed them those teasers of yours. The boys will take a brace
in batting, if you can hold Allandale; and in the end it may not be
such a terrible calamity after all."
Hugh knew it must be. Frazer had gone to the wall, and would pitch
poorly if allowed to go in the box in the next inning.
"I hate to do it, Frazer," he told the other, feeling sorry for him;
"but any port in a storm; and it may be possible these sluggers will
trip up on that balloon ball of mine, though I haven't much else to
offer them."
That inning the locals did a little batting on their own account, with
the result that the score looked a shade better, for it was three
to six when once more Scranton went into the field.
When it was seen that Hugh walked to the box some of the local rooters
cheered lustily, for Hugh was a great favorite. Cat-calls also
greeted his appearance, coming principally from Nick Lang and his
followers; though they were frowned upon by a crowd of Scranton boys,
who threatened to hustle them off the grounds unless they mended
their ways.
As Hugh left third one of the substitutes, named Hastings, was placed
on that sack. Thad gave Hugh a queer look on discovering this, and
followed it with a peculiarly suggestive grin; so that Hugh understood
how his chum was thinking of another Hastings with whose name they
had taken undue liberties.
Allandale seemed pleased to know that there was to be a change of slab
artists.
"All pitchers look alike to us when we've got our batting clothes on!"
one of them sang out blithely, as he swung a couple of bats around,
being the next man up, and desirous of making himself feel that he
held a willow wand in his hands when throwing one aside and wielding
the other.
He was mistaken.
Hugh started in without delay feeding them some of what the boys were
pleased to denominate his "teasers." He soon had them hitting at
thin air with might and main, and looking surprised because they
failed to connect.
One man, then two, went out on strikes, and neither had touched the
elusive "fade-away" ball made famous by Christy Matthewson in his prime.
The crowd sat up and began to take notice. What did it mean? If Hugh
could only keep up his good work by varying his offerings, so as to
keep those slugging Allandale fellows guessing, and Scranton began
to knock the ball around a little on their own account, why, there
might be something like a good game yet.
The third man got a hit which should really have been an out, for
"K.K.," reliable "K.K.," out in deep center, misjudged the blow,
and started to run back, when he should have shot forward instantly.
He could have scooped it up three feet from the ground had he done
so; and while he did manage to keep the ball from getting past,
the batter gained first.
However, he died there, for Hugh deceived the next fellow as he
had done two previous batters, and the side was out. When the eighth
inning ended the score was four to six, not so very bad. The local
rooters got busy, and gave Hugh a round of hearty cheers when he toed
the mark in the box again.
Allandale did get a run in this frame, but still Hugh struck two men
out. And in their half of the eighth Scranton also tallied, making
the score read four to seven. Then came the last inning. Hugh
exerted himself to the utmost. One batter failed to connect, but
the next got in a blow that netted him two bases.
Hugh kept cool and managed to deceive the next one. Then came a
mighty heave and when Juggins in far right was seen running like mad
it looked as if Allandale had clinched another brace of runs then
and there. But Horatio proved himself to be a hero, for he gobbled
that drive, and the side was extinguished with no damage done.
Scranton tried with might and main to do something wonderful in their
last half of the final inning. Indeed, with two out and three on
bases it looked as if there might be a fair chance, since a wallop
would mean three runs to tie the score, and if Joe Danvers could
only get in one of his occasional "homers" it would break up the
game in favor of the local team.
Joe did connect and drove out a great hit, but alas! for the
eccentricities of baseball, Whipple over in right had seen fit to
play far back, and after quite a gallop he managed to clutch the
ball and hold it.
Of course that gave Allandale the game. The Scranton boys seemed
pretty "sore" over their first defeat, but considering the hard luck
that had been their portion, they felt that they had not done so
badly after all.
"Just wait!" they told the laughing Allandale fellows, "there's
another day coming when you'll have to face Alan Tyree; and the
chances are two to one you'll not find that boy such easy picking.
You're in great luck today, Allandale; so make the most of it. He
laughs longest who laughs last; and Scranton is wagering dollars to
doughnuts that it'll be our turn next!"