“Oh, I don’t believe he’d do anything under-handed,” said Joe, not taking it seriously.
“Well, be on the lookout,” advised the veteran. “I don’t like Collin, and never did.”
There came a series of rainy days, preventing the playing of games, and everyone fretted. The players, even Joe, grew stale, though Gregory tried to keep them in form by sending them off on little trips when the grounds were too wet even for practise.
Then came fine bracing weather, and Pittston began to stride ahead wonderfully. It was now only a question of whether Joe’s team or Clevefield would win pennant honors, and, in any event, there would have to be several games played between the two nines to decide the matter.
This was due to the fact that the league schedule called for a certain number of games to be played by each club with every other club, and a number of rainy days, and inability to run off double headers, had caused a congestion.
Pittston kept on playing in good form, and Joe was doing finely. So much so that on one occasion when a big league scout was known to be in attendance, Gregory said in a way that showed he meant it:
“Joe, they’re going to draft you, sure.”
The larger or major league clubs, those rated as AA, have, as is well known, the right to select any player they choose from a minor league, paying, of course a certain price. Thus the big leagues are controllers in a way of the players themselves, for the latter cannot go to any club they choose, whereas any big league club can pick whom it chooses from the little or “bush” leagues. If two or more of the big clubs pick the same player there is a drawing to decide who gets him.
“Well, I’m not worrying,” returned Joe, with a smile.