THE FIRST GAME
LOWELL JEFFERSON
Everson, 2b Laird, 3b
Larke, lf Beach, cf
Talkington, cf Church, 1b
Robb, rf Hollins, ss
Hagner, ss La Joy, 2b
Case, 1b Warcford, lf
Delvin, 3b Twitchell, rf
Gibbs, c Brest, c
Black, p Mellen, p
“Ball one,” called the umpire as the first ball released by Mellen sank
into Roger’s big mitt, and the crowd settled itself temporarily to
watch the big battle. Mellen had sent up a wide one just for a feeler
and Johnny let it go by. The second ball cut the plate in the middle,
but Johnny never made a move.
“Strike one,” said the umpire.
Everson struck at the next one only to foul it off over the stand and
it was two strikes and one ball. Mellen quickly sent up a good one
guessing that Johnny would be looking for a ball, but Everson saw it
was going to be good and took a hard swing at it and met it squarely,
knocking a very fast grounder over second base which looked good, but
La Joy of Jefferson hurried over, made a very graceful reach with his
right hand, and turning, threw, without looking, straight to Church,
and Johnny was out by a foot. One out. The crowd sat up, for it was a
hard ball to field, although Larry made it look easy.
Larke was the second man up. He fouled off the first two balls offered
to him, let one pass for a “ball,” and as the next one seemed to be
coming where he liked it, swung hard at it and missed.
“Out,” said the umpire and Talkington trotted up to the plate.
He hit the first ball pitched far out to right field but Mellen had
motioned the fielders to play back and the ball went straight into
Twitchell’s hands for the third out.
The sides now changed places amid the cheers of the crowd, for the game
promised to be particularly interesting.
Laird, the first man up, after missing one, hit a pop foul over by the
Jefferson bench which Delvin caught after a quick run.
Beach drove a hot grounder to Delvin, who made a fine stop and throw to
Case and there were two out.
Captain Church of Jefferson was next up. Miner sent one of his fast
inshoots to cut the inside corner of the plate, but it was a little
wide and as Church couldn’t get out of the way, the ball grazed his
shirt and Church got his base.
Hollins was next at bat, but Gibbie got the idea that Church would try
to steal second right away, so he motioned Miner to send up a fast
wide one. Church tried it but was caught a dozen feet off the bag by
Gibbie’s perfect throw to Everson.
In the second inning Robb was first up. He struck hard at the first
ball pitched, and missed. Then he bunted the next ball, but it rolled
straight to Mellen and he was an easy out, Mellen to Church.
Then Hagner came up for his first turn at bat. The Lowell crowd began
a great noise of cheering, for they had a feeling that something would
happen now. They had long been in the habit of expecting action in the
game when Hans came to bat. But Hans showed no signs of excitement
as he walked to the plate. He stood there in his loose, awkward way,
studying Mellen, and Mellen was studying him. Perhaps Mellen had better
thoughts than Hans, for he served up a ball that looked good to Hans
and he struck at it hard and missed. The second one looked just as good
and he missed that one too. When Mellen delivered the next one, Hans
thought he would look it over carefully and if it looked like the other
two he would let it go by. It did look like the others, coming straight
for the plate, and so he waited for it to curve, but it came straight
over the plate and Hans didn’t move, but the umpire said, “Three
strikes. Batter up,” and Hans had struck out.
Hal now came up. There were two out and he wanted a hit. The second
ball looked good, so he hit it for a grounder to the right of Laird
and raced to first, but Laird made a stab, got the ball, and without
setting himself, made a very quick but low throw to Church. The
Jefferson Captain, however, made a beautiful pickup and Hal was out.
Now it was the second turn for Jefferson at bat.
Hollins without waiting drove a hot grounder right over first base that
looked like a hit, for Hal was playing about twenty feet off. Somehow
or other, however, Hal got over near it, threw himself the last six
feet of the way, stopped the ball while falling and then, as he lay on
the ground, tossed to Miner, who had covered first, for a put out. The
rest of the Lowell team looked pleased, for he had saved a hit and the
crowd was excited. The Jefferson boys couldn’t figure how they could
get hits when such fielding was possible.
[Illustration]
At any rate they all thought this but Larry. He walked up to the plate
and stood there swinging his bat carelessly. Wherever Miner pitched
a ball, Larry would reach up or down with his bat and touch the ball
somehow. He fouled off one after the other until he had lost seven
balls over the stand behind him and then he hit the eighth one fair and
square for a long liner to center which ought to have been good for a
double, only Talkington raced over and by extremely fast fielding held
it to a single.
The seven fouls and the hit by Larry had made hard work for Miner and
so when Warcford came up for his first time at bat he hit a Texas
leaguer to short left which fell safe and he took first while Larry
reached second.
It looked as though Jefferson would score surely, and especially with
Twitchell at the bat and runners like Larry and Warcford on the bases.
It looked even more dangerous when Twitchell hit the first ball Miner
pitched for a very fast grounder right over second, but Everson raced
over, made an almost impossible stop, tossed the ball to Hans on second
who relayed it to Case at first completing a fast double play and
letting Miner out of a dangerous hole.
It was the beginning of the third inning. So far Jefferson had the
better of it, two hits, while Lowell hadn’t had a man on base.
Arthur came to bat and struck out. So did Gibbie and when Black came up
Mellen made it a strike out for the side, for he got Miner, too.
Lowell took the field for the second half of the third and Miner
proceeded to repeat Mellen’s stunt.
Brest was the first up and Black undertook to fool Roger, who, however,
while pretending that he was going to strike by running out to meet the
ball, completely fooled Black, and so Roger got his base. Big Mellen,
the pitcher, tried to bunt, but Hal who was expecting this had started
for the plate on the run the moment Black started to pitch. The bunt
started for the first-base line and Roger started for second, but
before the ball had rolled three feet Hal had it. He tagged Mellen out
and whirling quickly threw to Everson who almost missed because it was
done so swiftly. However, he caught the ball and tagged out Brest as he
started to slide. The play saved a run, for Laird, the next man, drove
a single to left and Brest could easily have scored from second but for
the wonderful double play started by Hal. Of course Laird got to first,
but the players all relaxed a little after the exciting play and Laird
walked a few feet off the base, when Gibbie caught him napping by a
quick throw to Case, and there were three out.
Jefferson had come a little closer to scoring in the third. Lowell was
fielding all right but they had not gotten a hit.
Everson came up first in the fourth, and you could see by his
expression that he meant to change things. He got a near hit. But for
Hollins it would have been a single, but Hollins robbed him by a great
stop on his left side and threw to Church, and Johnny was out. Larke
also got a near hit, a two-bagger had not that big Twitchell turned
it into an out after a long chase. Then Talkington hit a dandy liner
about five feet over La Joy’s head, apparently, but Larry leaped up and
caught it and Lowell again went to the field without a hit.
In their half, Jefferson broke the ice. Little Tommy Beach opened the
inning with his regular two-base hit past third, the kind no fielder
can get. Captain Church didn’t wait for more than one ball to be
pitched. He hit the first one hard--a bounder to Hans, who threw to
Delvin, and Beach was out. With Church on first and Hollins to help him
they worked the hit and run, Church getting to third and Hollins to
first. One out and men on first and third.
A run was almost certain, especially with Larry up. He made good with a
long fly to Talkington, who made a great catch and a fine throw to the
plate, but a perfect slide by Church made it impossible for Gibbie to
tag him, and the score was 1 to 0 and two out, with Hollins on second
and Warcford at bat. Sam drove a long liner to left center, and Larke
starting with the crack of the bat got it after a hard run and the
inning was over.
[Illustration: “A perfect slide by Church made it impossible to tag
him.”]
In the fifth inning Lowell didn’t get a hit, but did get two on base.
Robb first hit a grounder to Church but was out, Church unassisted.
Hans, taking time to study Mellen’s curves, walked. Hal hit a grounder
to Hollins, who fumbled and both runners were safe. Lowell now had men
on bases for the first time and were where Jefferson was in the fourth
inning, but Delvin hit a fly to Beach and Gibbie struck out, so Lowell
did no better than Jefferson in their first effort with men on the
bases.
In the Jefferson half, Twitchell bunted, and Delvin, just to even up
things, fumbled the ball. Brest bunted toward first, but Hal again
fielded perfectly and throwing to Hagner, forced Twitchell. Then Mellen
singled to center and Talkington’s throwing arm came into play, for he
caught Roger trying to get to third by a fine throw to Delvin. Laird
rolled an easy one to Hagner and was out at first.
In the sixth, Hughie told the boys they would have to show something
or their chances would dwindle. He told Black to get on if possible but
the best Black could do was to hit an easy roller to Mellen, who threw
him out at first.
“All right,” said Hughie, “we don’t expect pitchers to tire themselves
out running.” Then he signaled Everson to try to get a base on balls.
Johnny let the first one go by. “Strike one,” announced the umpire.
“Ball one,” he said as the next one came over. The third ball looked
good, but Johnny had been told to wait it out and the umpire announced
“Strike two.” The next one sent up by Mellen was intended to fool
Johnny. It was all but over the plate but Johnny didn’t move. “Ball
two,” said Lafflin. The fifth one was just like the last one, and the
umpire shouted “Ball three” and the Lowell rooters began to hope.
It was now three balls and two strikes. The next ball would be the
important one. On it came, almost waist high. It looked like a strike,
sure, and Johnny was about to hit at it when suddenly it began to drop
downward and before it had hit the ground in front of the plate (which
it did do) Johnny was off to first for he knew it was a ball.
Captain Larke walked up to the plate with a confident air.
“Now’s the time,” shouted Hughie from the coaching line. “You can do
it, Fred,” he continued. “Make it a two-bagger while you’re at it and
we’ll only need one more.”
Fred nodded in reply and then as the ball sped toward him he swung
hard for a two-bagger to left center that brought Johnny home with the
tying run. Talkington had the fever by this time. He came to bat and
let two go by, but the third he hit for a mighty drive to center.
With the crack of the bat Little Tommy Beach started for the fence,
running as fast as he could and never once looking back at the ball.
When he got to the fence he turned quickly, raised his hands about as
high as his head and caught the ball as easily as though he had been
standing there watching it all the time. He himself couldn’t tell how
he knew just where that ball would drop, but everybody knew he had
robbed Talkington of a home run, and Larke had to hustle back to second
for he had been so sure that it wouldn’t be caught that he hadn’t
waited. That catch by Beach was enough to stop any one from trying to
knock the ball over the fielders’ heads.
Robb must have thought so, anyhow, for he hit one on the ground to La
Joy, who made easy work of getting it to first ahead of Ty. The score
was tied, and it had looked a moment ago as though one run would win
the game.
Now it was Jefferson’s turn to go out in one, two, three order. Beach
fouled out to Gibbie, Church struck out and the best Hollins could do
was to drive a long fly to Ty, out in right field, of which he made an
easy catch.
In the seventh inning Hans drove one to Hollins and was retired on an
easy throw to Church. Hal bunted and was again thrown out by Mellen,
and Delvin flew out to Twitchell, so there was little chance for Hughie
to get excited on the coaching lines. For Jefferson it was almost the
same, La Joy went out, Hagner to Case. Warcford hit a high one which
Johnny got easily. Twitchell’s was an easy grounder to the box and he
was thrown out at first.
When the eighth inning started, however, there was a feeling throughout
the crowded stands as though something were going to break. One felt
it in the air. The Lowell players were mildly excited. The feeling was
shared by Gibbie, who was first to bat. Hughie felt it was then or
never and said: “It’s up to you, Gibbie,” and Gibbie stood up to the
plate as though he meant business. The first ball pitched he hit for a
foul. The next one was called a strike, the third was a ball and the
fourth Gibbie rapped for a clean single to right.
Black came up and immediately sacrificed Gibbie to second. By this
time the players on the beach were jumping up and down, much excited,
picking out bats. They had sensed the break and they each hoped the fun
would last until it came their turn at bat. But it was hardly a real
break, and the enthusiasm died down some when Everson stepped to the
plate and knocked a high foul which Laird held after a wonderful catch
close up to the stands, but Larke again came to the rescue of the base
runner and on a long single to left along the foul line brought Gibbie
home. Talkington then tried again to put one over Tommy Beach’s head
but Tommy made another of those circus catches and the side was out.
Then for Jefferson it began to look like defeat, for Black tightened
up and struck out Roger on three pitched balls only one of which the
latter struck at; Mellen hit one but Delvin stopped it nicely and threw
wide to Case, who made a one hand stop, and Black got Laird on three
strikes.
In the first half of the ninth Lowell tried hard to add another run and
came near doing so. Robb drove a single far out to left center which
Warcford fielded beautifully after a long run and threw to La Joy in
time to catch Ty sliding while trying to stretch it into a two-bagger.
Hans drove a single to right and then Hal came up for his last time at
bat. On the hit and run he drove a grounder between short and third
which Hollins fielded beautifully but threw poorly to Church, and Hans
continued on to third while Hal remained on first and Delvin came to
bat. The hit and run had worked so beautifully that Hughie decided on a
double steal. Hal started for second and drew the throw, and Hans led
off third, but big Mellen intercepted the throw and Hans was caught
after practically the whole Jefferson team had chased him up and down
the line between third and home, while Hal got around to third.
It was now up to Delvin to make a hit if the run was to count and he
made a good try with a long liner to left center, which both Beach and
Warcford went after. Warcford being taller was just able to touch the
ball by leaping as it went over his head. It looked good for a muff,
but Beach, near at hand by this time, made a quick jump to the right as
the ball was partly stopped and deflected in its flight by Warcford and
turned a sure error into an assist for Sam and an out for himself by
his quick catch for the third out.
[Illustration: “Beach turned an error into an out.”]
Lowell was through and the game was theirs if they could hold Jefferson
for another inning.
The Jefferson crowd started their continuous cheers as Beach came
to the bat for the final half. Black studied him carefully. Beach’s
fielding had been wonderful and all of the Lowell boys were calling
“get this first fellow; if you can stop him the game’s ours.” Black
determined to make a supreme effort to strike him out. The first ball
Tommy let go by and the umpire called “strike one.” The next one he
struck at and fouled off. “Strike two.” The next two were balls and the
fifth was wide of the plate, but Tommy struck at it and he was out.
Church came up and hit the second ball. It was a fast grounder to the
left of Everson. He made one of his famous stops and tossed to Case for
the second out.
Hollins came up and hit the second one far out over Talkington’s head
and it would have been a homer but for Tris’ fast recovery and fine
throw. Church, coaching now at third grabbed Eddie as he was going past
third in an effort to get home and pushed him back to the base or he
would have been out. He thought Larry, who was next up, would be likely
to get a hit--at least it was the better chance to take.
It looked as though the score might be tied, and if it hadn’t been for
the fact that Warcford and Twitchell both followed La Joy, it might
have resulted in a deliberate present of a base on balls to Larry.
Black, indeed, did pitch two wide ones to tempt Larry to strike, but he
didn’t bite. The next one Larry was also going to let go past, but as
it came straight over he struck at it and went out in Ty’s territory
far over his head.
It looked like a sure home run also, and Larry was on his way to first
when the ball struck foul by not more than two feet, so he had to come
back and Hollins returned to third. Miner sent up another wide one,
but Larry reached out with his bat and sent it out to left field along
the foul line and was again near first when the ball hit the ground
foul by not more than a foot. So he had to come back again. By this
time Black had decided Larry’s eye was too good and undertook to give
him a base on balls. He did give him another ball, and tried to send up
a fourth one, but Larry reached out again, gave it a quick tap, and it
was a foul fly which came down in Hal’s mitt very close to the bag, and
the game was over.
BOX SCORE
LOWELL AB R H PO A E JEFFERSON AB R H PO A E
Everson, 2b 4 1 0 3 2 0 Laird, 3b 4 0 1 1 3 0
Larke, lf 4 0 2 1 0 0 Beach, cf 4 0 1 4 0 0
Talkington, cf 4 0 0 1 1 0 Church, 1b 3 1 0 10 0 0
Robb, rf 4 0 1 1 0 0 Hollins, ss 4 0 2 0 3 2
Hagner, ss 4 0 1 2 4 0 La Joy, 2b 3 0 1 2 2 0
Case, 1b 4 0 0 10 3 0 Warcford, lf 3 0 1 0 2 0
Delvin, 3b 4 0 0 3 2 1 Twitchell, rf 3 0 0 3 0 0
Gibbs, c 3 1 1 5 1 0 Brest, c 3 0 0 7 0 0
Black, p 2 0 0 1 1 0 Mellen, p 3 0 1 0 4 0
-------------- --------------
33 2 5 27 14 1 30 1 7 27 14 2
LOWELL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0--2
JEFFERSON 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0--1
Two Base Hits--Beach, Larke.
Three Base Hits--Hollins.
Sacrifice Hits--La Joy, Black.
Stolen Bases--Hollins.
Left on Bases--Lowell, 7; Jefferson, 2.
First Base on Errors--Lowell, 2; Jefferson, 1.
Double Play--Everson, Hagner, Case--Case, Everson.
Struck out by Mellen, 6; by Black, 4.
Bases on Balls off Mellen, 2; off Black, 1.
Hit by Pitcher, by Black, 1.
It had been a hard game to win and might easily have been won by either
side.
Almost every man on the Lowell team had saved the game by excellent
work at one stage or the other, and the boys knew that the luck of
the game had as much to do with their victory as anything. They knew
now that they were up against one of the best teams of ball players
that could possibly be brought together, and no one could say which was
the stronger of the two. If the luck of the game should desert them in
the next two, the result might easily be in favor of Jefferson. The
championship was really in danger.
Hughie congratulated all of the boys on their excellent playing, and
while none of them had done very much with the bat for they had been
opposed by a wonderful pitcher, it was satisfaction to know that
Jefferson had just as hard a time trying to hit Miner.
He was particularly pleased with the fine fielding displayed by the
youngsters Hans, Hal, Ty, and Tris, who had stood staunch under the
first big firing, but what pleased him more than anything was that the
old stand-bys like Larke and Everson and Gibbie had been responsible
for the actual runs and he felt pretty confident of the final outcome.
Church, of Jefferson, on the other hand, got his encouragement out of
the fact that his team had played fully as well as Lowell, and with a
little luck would have won. A little less wind when Larry got a foul
instead of a homer in the ninth would have given them the game, and
he told the boys he felt sure the luck would average up, and that the
championship would be won this time.