第1章 THE REDHEADED OUTFIELD(1)

AND OTHER BASEBALL STORIES

There was Delaney's red-haired trio--Red Gilbat, left fielder; Reddy Clammer, right fielder, and Reddie Ray, center fielder, composing the most remarkable outfield ever developed in minor league baseball.It was Delaney's pride, as it was also his trouble.

Red Gilbat was nutty--and his batting average was.371.Any student of baseball could weigh these two facts against each other and understand something of Delaney's trouble.It was not possible to camp on Red Gilbat's trail.The man was a jack-o'-lantern, a will-o'-the-wisp, a weird, long-legged, long-armed, red-haired illusive phantom.

When the gong rang at the ball grounds there were ten chances to one that Red would not be present.He had been discovered with small boys peeping through knotholes at the vacant left field he was supposed to inhabit during play.

Of course what Red did off the ball grounds was not so important as what he did on.And there was absolutely no telling what under the sun he might do then except once out of every three times at bat he could be counted on to knock the cover off the ball.

Reddy Clammer was a grand-stand player--the kind all managers hated--and he was hitting.305.

He made circus catches, circus stops, circus throws, circus steals--but particularly circus catches.That is to say, he made easy plays appear difficult.He was always strutting, posing, talking, arguing, quarreling--when he was not engaged in making a grand-stand play.Reddy Clammer used every possible incident and artifice to bring himself into the limelight.

Reddie Ray had been the intercollegiate champion in the sprints and a famous college ball player.After a few months of professional ball he was hitting over.400 and leading the league both at bat and on the bases.It was a beautiful and a thrilling sight to see him run.He was so quick to start, so marvelously swift, so keen of judgment, that neither Delaney nor any player could ever tell the hit that he was not going to get.That was why Reddie Ray was a whole game in himself.

Delaney's Rochester Stars and the Providence Grays were tied for first place.Of the present series each team had won a game.Rivalry had always been keen, and as the teams were about to enter the long homestretch for the pennant there was battle in the New England air.

The September day was perfect.The stands were half full and the bleachers packed with a white-sleeved mass.And the field was beautifully level and green.The Grays were practicing and the Stars were on their bench.

``We're up against it,'' Delaney was saying.

``This new umpire, Fuller, hasn't got it in for us.

Oh, no, not at all! Believe me, he's a robber.

But Scott is pitchin' well.Won his last three games.He'll bother 'em.And the three Reds have broken loose.They're on the rampage.

They'll burn up this place today.''

Somebody noted the absence of Gilbat.

Delaney gave a sudden start.``Why, Gil was here,'' he said slowly.``Lord!--he's about due for a nutty stunt.''

Whereupon Delaney sent boys and players scurrying about to find Gilbat, and Delaney went himself to ask the Providence manager to hold back the gong for a few minutes.

Presently somebody brought Delaney a telephone message that Red Gilbat was playing ball with some boys in a lot four blocks down the street.When at length a couple of players marched up to the bench with Red in tow Delaney uttered an immense sigh of relief and then, after a close scrutiny of Red's face, he whispered, ``Lock the gates!''

Then the gong rang.The Grays trooped in.

The Stars ran out, except Gilbat, who ambled like a giraffe.The hum of conversation in the grand stand quickened for a moment with the scraping of chairs, and then grew quiet.The bleachers sent up the rollicking cry of expectancy.The umpire threw out a white ball with his stentorian ``Play!'' and Blake of the Grays strode to the plate.

Hitting safely, he started the game with a rush.

With Dorr up, the Star infield played for a bunt.

Like clockwork Dorr dumped the first ball as Blake got his flying start for second base.Morrissey tore in for the ball, got it on the run and snapped it underhand to Healy, beating the runner by an inch.The fast Blake, with a long slide, made third base.The stands stamped.The bleachers howled.White, next man up, batted a high fly to left field.This was a sun field and the hardest to play in the league.Red Gilbat was the only man who ever played it well.He judged the fly, waited under it, took a step hack, then forward, and deliberately caught the ball in his gloved hand.A throw-in to catch the runner scoring from third base would have been futile, but it was not like Red Gilbat to fail to try.He tossed the ball to O'Brien.And Blake scored amid applause.

``What do you know about that?'' ejaculated Delaney, wiping his moist face.``I never before saw our nutty Redhead pull off a play like that.''

Some of the players yelled at Red, ``This is a two-handed league, you bat!''

The first five players on the list for the Grays were left-handed batters, and against a right-handed pitcher whose most effective ball for them was a high fast one over the outer corner they would naturally hit toward left field.It was no surprise to see Hanley bat a skyscraper out to left.

Red had to run to get under it.He braced himself rather unusually for a fielder.He tried to catch the ball in his bare right hand and muffed it, Hanley got to second on the play while the audience roared.When they got through there was some roaring among the Rochester players.Scott and Captain Healy roared at Red, and Red roared back at them.

``It's all off.Red never did that before,'' cried Delaney in despair.``He's gone clean bughouse now.''

Babcock was the next man up and he likewise hit to left.It was a low, twisting ball--half fly, half liner--and a difficult one to field.Gilbat ran with great bounds, and though he might have got two hands on the ball he did not try, but this time caught it in his right, retiring the side.