Frank knew that he had been a pitcher, and so he put him in the box and had him toss up some balls for the rest of the team in batting practice.
And Hicksley did exceedingly well. Whatever his defects in character, he certainly knew how to pitch. He had a good outcurve, a fair incurve and a high fast ball that Bobby himself generously declared to be a “peach.”
Hicksley’s height and strength, too, were greater than Bobby’s, which was not to be wondered at when it was considered that he was three years older. But he was inclined to be a little wild, and his control was not as good as Bobby’s.
But what made his work of special interest to Frank was that he pitched with his left hand. Most of the pitchers in the new league were right-handed, and the boys were used to hitting that kind of pitching.
Frank felt that with a left-handed pitcher he would have the other fellows all at sea when it came to “lining them out,” and for that reason he watched Hicksley with the closest attention.
“He puts them over all right,” conceded Bobby, as he watched Hicksley winging them over the plate.
“Yes,” said Fred, “when he gets them over at all. But lots of them don’t even cut the corners. He’ll give too many bases on balls.”
“And a base on balls is as good for the fellow that gets it as a base hit,” commented Mouser.
“His arm seems to be all right, but we don’t know how he’ll act when he gets in a pinch,” said Skeets dubiously.
“That’s what makes Bobby so strong as a pitcher,” said Shiner. “No matter how tight a hole he finds himself in, he’s cool as an iceberg.”