THE RUBE'S PENNANT

"Fellows, it's this way. You've got to win today's game. It's the

last of the season and means the pennant for Worcester. One more hard

scrap and we're done! Of all the up-hill fights any bunch ever made to

land the flag, our has been the best. You're the best team I ever

managed, the gamest gang of ball players that ever stepped in spikes.

We've played in the hardest kind of luck all season, except that short

trip we called the Rube's Honeymoon. We got a bad start, and sore arms

and busted fingers, all kinds of injuries, every accident calculated to

hurt a team's chances, came our way. But in spite of it all we got the

lead and we've held it, and today we're still a few points ahead of

Buffalo."

I paused to catch my breath, and looked round on the grim, tired faces

of my players. They made a stern group. The close of the season found

them almost played out. What a hard chance it was, after their

extraordinary efforts, to bring the issue of the pennant down to this

last game!

"If we lose today, Buffalo, with three games more to play at home, will

pull the bunting," I went on. "But they're not going to win! I'm

putting it up to you that way. I know Spears is all in; Raddy's arm is

gone; Ash is playing on one leg; you're all crippled. But you've got

one more game in you, I know. These last few weeks the Rube has been

pitching out of turn and he's about all in, too. He's kept us in the

lead. If he wins today it'll be Rube's Pennant. But that might apply

to all of you. Now, shall we talk over the play today? Any tricks to

pull off? Any inside work?"

"Con, you're pretty much upset an' nervous," replied Spears, soberly.

"It ain't no wonder. This has been one corker of a season. I want to

suggest that you let me run the team today. I've talked over the play

with the fellers. We ain't goin' to lose this game, Con. Buffalo has

been comin' with a rush lately, an' they're confident. But we've been

holdin' in, restin' up as much as we dared an' still keep our lead.

Mebbee it'll surprise you to know we've bet every dollar we could get

hold of on this game. Why, Buffalo money is everywhere."

"All right, Spears, I'll turn the team over to you. We've got the

banner crowd of the year out there right now, a great crowd to play

before. I'm more fussed up over this game than any I remember. But I

have a sort of blind faith in my team.... I guess that's all I want

to say."

Spears led the silent players out of the dressing room and I followed;

and while they began to toss balls to and fro, to limber up cold, dead

arms, I sat on the bench.

The Bisons were prancing about the diamond, and their swaggering

assurance was not conducive to hope for the Worcesters. I wondered how

many of that vast, noisy audience, intent on the day's sport, even had

a thought of what pain and toil it meant to my players. The Buffalo

men were in good shape; they had been lucky; they were at the top of

their stride, and that made all the difference.

At any rate, there were a few faithful little women in the grand

stand--Milly and Nan and Rose Stringer and Kate Bogart--who sat with

compressed lips and hoped and prayed for that game to begin and end.

The gong called off the practice, and Spears, taking the field, yelled

gruff encouragement to his men. Umpire Carter brushed off the plate

and tossed a white ball to Rube and called: "Play!" The bleachers set

up an exultant, satisfied shout and sat down to wait.

Schultz toed the plate and watched the Rube pitch a couple. There

seemed to be no diminution of the great pitcher's speed and both balls

cut the plate. Schultz clipped the next one down the third-base Line.

Bogart trapped it close to the bag, and got it away underhand, beating

the speedy runner by a nose. It was a pretty play to start with, and

the spectators were not close-mouthed in appreciation. The short,

stocky Carl ambled up to bat, and I heard him call the Rube something.

It was not a friendly contest, this deciding game between Buffalo and

Worcester.

"Bing one close to his swelled nut!" growled Spears to the Rube.

Carl chopped a bouncing grounder through short and Ash was after it

like a tiger, but it was a hit. The Buffalo contingent opened up.

Then Manning faced the Rube, and he, too, vented sarcasm. It might not

have been heard by the slow, imperturbable pitcher for all the notice

he took. Carl edged off first, slid back twice, got a third start, and

on the Rube's pitch was off for second base with the lead that always

made him dangerous. Manning swung vainly, and Gregg snapped a throw to

Mullaney. Ball and runner got to the bag apparently simultaneously;

the umpire called Carl out, and the crowd uttered a quick roar of

delight.

The next pitch to Manning was a strike. Rube was not wasting any

balls, a point I noted with mingled fear and satisfaction. For he

might have felt that he had no strength to spare that day and so could

not try to work the batters. Again he swung, and Manning rapped a long

line fly over McCall. As the little left fielder turned at the sound

of the hit and sprinted out, his lameness was certainly not in

evidence. He was the swiftest runner in the league and always when he

got going the crowd rose in wild clamor to watch him. Mac took that fly

right off the foul flag in deep left, and the bleachers dinned their

pleasure.

The teams changed positions. "Fellers," said Spears, savagely, "we may

be a bunged-up lot of stiffs, but, say! We can hit! If you love your

old captain--sting the ball!"

Vane, the Bison pitcher, surely had his work cut out for him. For one

sympathetic moment I saw his part through his eyes. My Worcester

veterans, long used to being under fire, were relentlessly bent on

taking that game. It showed in many ways, particularly in their

silence, because they were seldom a silent team. McCall hesitated a

moment over his bats. Then, as he picked up the lightest one, I saw

his jaw set, and I knew he intended to bunt. He was lame, yet he meant

to beat out an infield hit. He went up scowling.

Vane had an old head, and he had a varied assortment of balls. For Mac

he used an under hand curve, rising at the plate and curving in to the

left-hander. Mac stepped back and let it go.

"That's the place, Bo," cried the Buffalo infielders. "Keep 'em close

on the Crab." Eager and fierce as McCall was, he let pitch after pitch

go by till he had three balls and two strikes. Still the heady Vane

sent up another pitch similar to the others. Mac stepped forward in

the box, dropped his bat on the ball, and leaped down the line toward

first base. Vane came rushing in for the bunt, got it and threw. But

as the speeding ball neared the baseman, Mac stretched out into the air

and shot for the bag. By a fraction of a second he beat the ball. It

was one of his demon-slides. He knew that the chances favored his

being crippled; we all knew that some day Mac would slide recklessly

once too often. But that, too, is all in the game and in the spirit of

a great player.

"We're on," said Spears; "now keep with him."

By that the captain meant that Mac would go down, and Ashwell would hit

with the run.

When Vane pitched, little McCall was flitting toward second. The Bison

shortstop started for the bag, and Ash hit square through his tracks. A

rolling cheer burst from the bleachers, and swelled till McCall overran

third base and was thrown back by the coacher. Stringer hurried

forward with his big bat.

"Oh! My!" yelled a fan, and he voiced my sentiments exactly. Here we

would score, and be one run closer to that dearly bought pennant.

How well my men worked together! As the pitcher let the ball go, Ash

was digging for second and Mac was shooting plateward. They played on

the chance of Stringer's hitting. Stringer swung, the bat cracked, we

heard a thud somewhere, and then Manning, half knocked over, was

fumbling for the ball. He had knocked down a terrific drive with his

mitt, and he got the ball in time to put Stringer out. But Mac scored

and Ash drew a throw to third base and beat it. He had a bad ankle,

but no one noticed it in that daring run.

"Watch me paste one!" said Captain Spears, as he spat several yards.

He batted out a fly so long and high and far that, slow as he was, he

had nearly run to second base when Carl made the catch. Ash easily

scored on the throw-in. Then Bogart sent one skipping over second, and

Treadwell, scooping it on the run, completed a play that showed why he

was considered the star of the Bison infield.

"Two runs, fellers!" said Spears. "That's some! Push 'em over, Rube."

The second inning somewhat quickened the pace. Even the Rube worked a

little faster. Ellis lined to Cairns in right; Treadwell fouled two

balls and had a called strike, and was out; McKnight hit a low fly over

short, then Bud Wiler sent one between Spears and Mullaney. Spears

went for it while the Rube with giant strides ran to cover first base.

Between them they got Bud, but it was only because he was heavy and

slow on his feet.

In our half of that inning Mullaney, Gregg and Cairns went out in one,

two, three order.

With Pannell up, I saw that the Rube held in on his speed, or else he

was tiring. Pannell hit the second slow ball for two bases. Vane

sacrificed, and then the redoubtable Schultz came up. He appeared to be

in no hurry to bat. Then I saw that the foxy Buffalo players were

working to tire the Rube. They had the situation figured. But they

were no wiser than old Spears.

"Make 'em hit, Rube. Push 'em straight over. Never mind the corners.

We don't care for a few runs. We'll hit this game out."

Shultz flied to Mac, who made a beautiful throw to the plate too late

to catch Pannell. Carl deliberately bunted to the right of the Rube

and it cost the big pitcher strenuous effort to catch his man.

"We got the Rube waggin'!" yelled a Buffalo player.

Manning tripled down the left foul line--a hit the bleachers called a

screamer. When Ellis came up, it looked like a tie score, and when the

Rube pitched it was plain that he was tired. The Bisons yelled their

assurance of this and the audience settled into quiet. Ellis batted a

scorcher that looked good for a hit. But the fast Ashwell was moving

with the ball, and he plunged lengthwise to get it square in his glove.

The hit had been so sharp that he had time to get up and make the throw

to beat the runner. The bleachers thundered at the play.

"You're up, Rube," called Spears. "Lam one out of the lot!"

The Rube was an uncertain batter. There was never any telling what he

might do, for he had spells of good and bad hitting. But when he did

get his bat on the ball it meant a chase for some fielder. He went up

swinging his huge club, and he hit a fly that would have been an easy

home run for a fast man. But the best Rube could do was to reach third

base. This was certainly good enough, as the bleachers loudly

proclaimed, and another tally for us seemed sure.

McCall bunted toward third, another of his teasers. The Rube would

surely have scored had he started with the ball, but he did not try and

missed a chance. Wiler, of course, held the ball, and Mac got to first

without special effort. He went down on the first pitch. Then Ash

lined to Carl. The Rube waited till the ball was caught and started

for home. The crowd screamed, the Rube ran for all he was worth and

Carl's throw to the plate shot in low and true. Ellis blocked the Rube

and tagged him out.

It looked to the bleachers as if Ellis had been unnecessarily rough,

and they hissed and stormed disapproval. As for me, I knew the Bisons

were losing no chance to wear out my pitcher. Stringer fouled out with

Mac on third, and it made him so angry that he threw his bat toward the

bench, making some of the boys skip lively.

The next three innings, as far as scoring was concerned, were all for

Buffalo. But the Worcester infield played magnificent ball, holding

their opponents to one run each inning.

That made the score 4 to 2 in favor of Buffalo.

In the last half of the sixth, with Ash on first base and two men out,

old Spears hit another of his lofty flies, and this one went over the

fence and tied the score. How the bleachers roared! It was full two

minutes before they quieted down. To make it all the more exciting,

Bogart hit safely, ran like a deer to third on Mullaney's grounder,

which Wiler knocked down, and scored on a passed ball. Gregg ended the

inning by striking out.

"Get at the Rube!" boomed Ellis, the Bison captain. "We'll have him up

in the air soon. Get in the game now, you stickers!"

Before I knew what had happened, the Bisons had again tied the score.

They were indomitable. They grew stronger all the time. A stroke of

good luck now would clinch the game for them. The Rube was beginning to

labor in the box; Ashwell was limping; Spears looked as if he would

drop any moment; McCall could scarcely walk. But if the ball came his

way he could still run. Nevertheless, I never saw any finer fielding

than these cripped players executed that inning.

"Ash--Mac--can you hold out?" I asked, when they limped in. I received

glances of scorn for my question. Spears, however, was not sanguine.

"I'll stick pretty much if somethin' doesn't happen," he said; "but I'm

all in. I'll need a runner if I get to first this time."

Spears lumbered down to first base on an infield hit and the heavy

Manning gave him the hip. Old Spears went down, and I for one knew he

was out in more ways than that signified by Carter's sharp: "Out!"

The old war-horse gathered himself up slowly and painfully, and with

his arms folded and his jaw protruding, he limped toward the umpire.

"Did you call me out?" he asked, in a voice plainly audible to any one

on the field.

"Yes," snapped Carter.

"What for? I beat the ball, an' Mannin' played dirty with me--gave me

the hip."

"I called you out."

"But I wasn't out!"

"Shut up now! Get off the diamond!" ordered Carter, peremptorily.

"What? Me? Say, I'm captain of this team. Can't I question a

decision?"

"Not mine. Spears, you're delaying the game."

"I tell you it was a rotten decision," yelled Spears. The bleachers

agreed with him.

Carter grew red in the face. He and Spears had before then met in

field squabbles, and he showed it.

"Fifty dollars!"

"More! You cheap-skate you piker! More!"

"It's a hundred!"

"Put me out of the game!" roared Spears.

"You bet! Hurry now--skedaddle!"

"Rob-b-ber!" bawled Spears.

Then he labored slowly toward the bench, all red, and yet with

perspiration, his demeanor one of outraged dignity. The great crowd,

as one man, stood up and yelled hoarsely at Carter, and hissed and

railed at him. When Spears got to the bench he sat down beside me as

if in pain, but he was smiling.

"Con, I was all in, an' knowin' I couldn't play any longer, thought I'd

try to scare Carter. Say, he was white in the face. If we play into a

close decision now, he'll give it to us."

Bogart and Mullaney batted out in short order, and once more the

aggressive Bisons hurried in for their turn. Spears sent Cairns to

first base and Jones to right. The Rube lobbed up his slow ball. In

that tight pinch he showed his splendid nerve. Two Buffalo players,

over-anxious, popped up flies. The Rube kept on pitching the slow

curve until it was hit safely. Then heaving his shoulders with all his

might he got all the motion possible into his swing and let drive. He

had almost all of his old speed, but it hurt me to see him work with

such desperate effort. He struck Wiler out.

He came stooping into the bench, apparently deaf to the stunning round

of applause. Every player on the team had a word for the Rube. There

was no quitting in that bunch, and if I ever saw victory on the stern

faces of ball players it was in that moment.

"We haven't opened up yet. Mebbee this is the innin'. If it ain't,

the next is," said Spears.

With the weak end of the batting list up, there seemed little hope of

getting a run on Vane that inning. He had so much confidence that he

put the ball over for Gregg, who hit out of the reach of the infield.

Again Vane sent up his straight ball, no doubt expecting Cairns to hit

into a double play. But Cairns surprised Vane and everybody else by

poking a safety past first base. The fans began to howl and pound and

whistle.

The Rube strode to bat. The infield closed in for a bunt, but the Rube

had no orders for that style of play. Spears had said nothing to him.

Vane lost his nonchalance and settled down. He cut loose with all his

speed. Rube stepped out, suddenly whirled, then tried to dodge, but

the ball hit him fair in the back. Rube sagged in his tracks, then

straightened up, and walked slowly to first base. Score 5 to 5, bases

full, no outs, McCall at bat. I sat dumb on the bench, thrilling and

shivering. McCall! Ashwell! Stringer to bat!

"Play it safe! Hold the bags!" yelled the coacher.

McCall fairly spouted defiance as he faced Vane.

"Pitch! It's all off! An' you know it!"

If Vane knew that, he showed no evidence of it. His face was cold,

unsmiling, rigid. He had to pitch to McCall, the fastest man in the

league; to Ashwell, the best bunter; to Stringer, the champion batter.

It was a supreme test for a great pitcher. There was only one kind of

a ball that McCall was not sure to hit, and that was a high curve, in

close. Vane threw it with all his power. Carter called it a strike.

Again Vane swung and his arm fairly cracked. Mac fouled the ball. The

third was wide. Slowly, with lifting breast, Vane got ready, whirled

savagely and shot up the ball. McCall struck out.

As the Buffalo players crowed and the audience groaned it was worthy of

note that little McCall showed no temper. Yet he had failed to grasp a

great opportunity.

"Ash, I couldn't see 'em," he said, as he passed to the bench. "Speed,

whew! look out for it. He's been savin' up. Hit quick, an' you'll get

him."

Ashwell bent over the plate and glowered at Vane.

"Pitch! It's all off! An' you know it!" he hissed, using Mac's words.

Ashwell, too, was left-handed; he, too, was extremely hard to pitch to;

and if he had a weakness that any of us ever discovered, it was a slow

curve and change of pace. But I doubted if Vane would dare to use slow

balls to Ash at that critical moment. I had yet to learn something of

Vane. He gave Ash a slow, wide-sweeping sidewheeler, that curved round

over the plate. Ash always took a strike, so this did not matter.

Then Vane used his deceptive change of pace, sending up a curve that

just missed Ash's bat as he swung.

"Oh! A-h-h! hit!" wailed the bleachers.

Vane doubled up like a contortionist, and shot up a lightning-swift

drop that fooled Ash completely. Again the crowd groaned. Score tied,

bases full, two out, Stringer at bat!

"It's up to you, String," called Ash, stepping aside.

Stringer did not call out to Vane. That was not his way. He stood

tense and alert, bat on his shoulder, his powerful form braced, and he

waited. The outfielders trotted over toward right field, and the

infielders played deep, calling out warnings and encouragement to the

pitcher. Stringer had no weakness, and Vane knew this. Nevertheless he

did not manifest any uneasiness, and pitched the first ball without any

extra motion. Carter called it a strike. I saw Stringer sink down

slightly and grow tenser all over. I believe that moment was longer

for me than for either the pitcher or the batter. Vane took his time,

watched the base runners, feinted to throw to catch them, and then

delivered the ball toward the plate with the limit of his power.

Stringer hit the ball. As long as I live, I will see that glancing low

liner. Shultz, by a wonderful play in deep center, blocked the ball

and thereby saved it from being a home run. But when Stringer stopped

on second base, all the runners had scored.

A shrill, shrieking, high-pitched yell! The bleachers threatened to

destroy the stands and also their throats in one long revel of baseball

madness.

Jones, batting in place of Spears, had gone up and fouled out before

the uproar had subsided.

"Fellers, I reckon I feel easier," said the Rube. It was the only time

I had ever heard him speak to the players at such a stage.

"Only six batters, Rube," called out Spears. "Boys, it's a grand game,

an' it's our'n!"

The Rube had enough that inning to dispose of the lower half of the

Buffalo list without any alarming bids for a run. And in our half,

Bogart and Mullaney hit vicious ground balls that gave Treadwell and

Wiler opportunities for superb plays. Carl, likewise, made a beautiful

running catch of Gregg's line fly. The Bisons were still in the game,

still capable of pulling it out at the last moment.

When Shultz stalked up to the plate I shut my eyes a moment, and so

still was it that the field and stands might have been empty. Yet,

though I tried, I could not keep my eyes closed. I opened them to

watch the Rube. I knew Spears felt the same as I, for he was blowing

like a porpoise and muttering to himself: "Mebee the Rube won't last

an' I've no one to put in!"

The Rube pitched with heavy, violent effort. He had still enough speed

to be dangerous. But after the manner of ball players Shultz and the

coachers mocked him.

"Take all you can," called Ellis to Shultz.

Every pitch lessened the Rube's strength and these wise opponents knew

it. Likewise the Rube himself knew, and never had he shown better head

work than in this inning. If he were to win, he must be quick. So he

wasted not a ball. The first pitch and the second, delivered breast

high and fairly over the plate, beautiful balls to hit, Shultz watched

speed by. He swung hard on the third and the crippled Ashwell dove for

it in a cloud of dust, got a hand in front of it, but uselessly, for

the hit was safe. The crowd cheered that splendid effort.

Carl marched to bat, and he swung his club over the plate as if he knew

what to expect. "Come on, Rube!" he shouted. Wearily, doggedly, the

Rube whirled, and whipped his arm. The ball had all his old glancing

speed and it was a strike. The Rube was making a tremendous effort.

Again he got his body in convulsive motion--two strikes! Shultz had

made no move to run, nor had Carl made any move to hit. These veterans

were waiting. The Rube had pitched five strikes--could he last?

"Now, Carl!" yelled Ellis, with startling suddenness, as the Rube

pitched again.

Crack! Carl placed that hit as safely through short as if he had

thrown it. McCall's little legs twinkled as he dashed over the grass.

He had to head off that hit and he ran like a streak. Down and forward

he pitched, as if in one of his fierce slides, and he got his body in

front of the ball, blocking it, and then he rolled over and over. But

he jumped up and lined the ball to Bogart, almost catching Shultz at

third-base. Then, as Mac tried to walk, his lame leg buckled under

him, and down he went, and out.

"Call time," I called to Carter. "McCall is done.... Myers, you go

to left an' for Lord's sake play ball!"

Stringer and Bogart hurried to Mac and, lifting him up and supporting

him between them with his arms around their shoulders, they led him off

amid cheers from the stands. Mac was white with pain.

"Naw, I won't go off the field. Leave me on the bench," he said.

"Fight 'em now. It's our game. Never mind a couple of runs."

The boys ran back to their positions and Carter called play. Perhaps a

little delay had been helpful to the Rube. Slowly he stepped into the

box and watched Shultz at third and Carl at second. There was not much

probability of his throwing to catch them off the base, but enough of a

possibility to make them careful, so he held them close.

The Rube pitched a strike to Manning, then another. That made eight

strikes square over the plate that inning. What magnificent control!

It was equaled by the implacable patience of those veteran Bisons.

Manning hit the next ball as hard as Carl had hit his. But Mullaney

plunged down, came up with the ball, feinted to fool Carl, then let

drive to Gregg to catch the fleeting Shultz. The throw went wide, but

Gregg got it, and, leaping lengthwise, tagged Shultz out a yard from

the plate.

One out. Two runners on bases. The bleachers rose and split their

throats. Would the inning never end?

Spears kept telling himself: "They'll score, but we'll win. It's our

game!"

I had a sickening fear that the strange confidence that obsessed the

Worcester players had been blind, unreasoning vanity.

"Carl will steal," muttered Spears. "He can't be stopped."

Spears had called the play. The Rube tried to hold the little

base-stealer close to second, but, after one attempt, wisely turned to

his hard task of making the Bisons hit and hit quickly. Ellis let the

ball pass; Gregg made a perfect throw to third; Bogart caught the ball

and moved like a flash, but Carl slid under his hands to the bag.

Manning ran down to second. The Rube pitched again, and this was his

tenth ball over the plate. Even the Buffalo players evinced eloquent

appreciation of the Rube's defence at this last stand.

Then Ellis sent a clean hit to right, scoring both Carl and Manning. I

breathed easier, for it seemed with those two runners in, the Rube had

a better chance. Treadwell also took those two runners in, the Rube

had a way those Bisons waited. They had their reward, for the Rube's

speed left him. When he pitched again the ball had control, but no

shoot. Treadwell hit it with all his strength. Like a huge cat

Ashwell pounced upon it, ran over second base, forcing Ellis, and his

speedy snap to first almost caught Treadwell.

Score 8 to 7. Two out. Runner on first. One run to tie.

In my hazy, dimmed vision I saw the Rube's pennant waving from the

flag-pole.

"It's our game!" howled Spears in my ear, for the noise from the stands

was deafening. "It's our pennant!"

The formidable batting strength of the Bisons had been met, not without

disaster, but without defeat. McKnight came up for Buffalo and the

Rube took his weary swing. The batter made a terrific lunge and hit

the ball with a solid crack It lined for center.

Suddenly electrified into action, I leaped up. That hit! It froze me

with horror. It was a home-run. I saw Stringer fly toward left

center. He ran like something wild. I saw the heavy Treadwell

lumbering round the bases. I saw Ashwell run out into center field.

"Ah-h!" The whole audience relieved its terror in that expulsion of

suspended breath. Stringer had leaped high to knock down the ball,

saving a sure home-run and the game. He recovered himself, dashed back

for the ball and shot it to Ash.

When Ash turned toward the plate, Treadwell was rounding third base. A

tie score appeared inevitable. I saw Ash's arm whip and the ball shoot

forward, leveled, glancing, beautiful in its flight. The crowd saw it,

and the silence broke to a yell that rose and rose as the ball sped in.

That yell swelled to a splitting shriek, and Treadwell slid in the

dust, and the ball shot into Gregg's hands all at the same instant.

Carter waved both arms upwards. It was the umpire's action when his

decision went against the base-runner. The audience rolled up one

great stentorian cry.

"Out!"

I collapsed and sank back upon the bench. My confused senses received

a dull roar of pounding feet and dinning voices as the herald of

victory. I felt myself thinking how pleased Milly would be. I had a

distinct picture in my mind of a white cottage on a hill, no longer a

dream, but a reality, made possible for me by the Rube's winning of the

pennant.