The snap and vim that the Japs put into their practice before the game seemed to add point to his prophecy. They shot the ball around the bases with a speed and precision that would have done credit to seasoned veterans and made 172 McRae, who watched them keenly, give his men a word of caution.
“Don’t get too gay, boys,” he warned.
The game that followed was “for blood.” The universities had poured out their crowds to a man to cheer their players on to victory.
And for the first five innings the scales hung in the balance. The Keio pitcher had a world of speed and a tantalizing drop, and only two safe hits were made off him. Behind him his team mates fielded like demons. No ball seemed too hard for them to get, and even when a Giant got to first base he found it difficult to advance against the accurate throwing to second of the Jap catcher.
At the bat the home players were less fortunate. They hit the ball often enough but they couldn’t “lean against it” with the power of their sturdier rivals.
They were skillful bunters, however, and had the Giant players “standing on their heads” in trying to field the balls that the clever Jap players laid deftly in front of the plate.
By these tactics they scored a run in the sixth inning, against which the Giants had only a string of goose eggs.
“It’s like a bear against a wildcat,” muttered Robbie to McRae, as the little Jap scurried over the plate. 173
“And it looks as if the wildcat might win,” grunted the Giant manager, not at all pleased at the possibility.
“Not a bit of it,” denied Robbie sturdily. “A good big man is better than a good little man any time.”