But he did not. For, as luck would have it, Rad Chase made the hit of his life, a three-bagger, and with the crowd going wild, two runs came in, giving the Cardinals the game, if they could hold the Giants down.
And it was up to Joe to do this. Could he?
As Joe walked to the mound, for that last momentous inning, he glanced toward the box where his parents, sister and Mabel sat. A little hand was waved to him, and Joe waved back. Then he faced his first man.
"Thud!" went the ball in Doc Mullin's big mitt.
"Ball!" droned the umpire.
"Thud!" went another. The batter stood motionless.
"Strike!"
The batter indignantly tapped the rubber.
"Crack!"
"You can't get it!" yelled the crowd, as the ball shot up in a foul.