Finkler's Field: A Story of School and Baseball

by Ralph Henry Barbour

Mr. Shay refused to reverse his decision at the plate and the game went on. Joe Cassart tapped his bat on the ground and faced Prince. The latter was still peevish over the umpire’s decision, and before he knew it had sent in two balls. He steadied down then and worked a strike. But the next attempt was also a ball, and unholy glee seized the Boarders. Toot-toot went the cornet; thumpity-thump went the drum! Every one realized that here was a psychological moment; that if the Towners could be rattled for five minutes the score would wear a totally different aspect. So all voices along the first base line were raised at Prince.

“Careful now, Mort, careful!” “That’s it, swing your arms up!” “Look out for your foot! Don’t let it slip!” “A-a-ah! Right over the plate!” “Wow! What a roast!” “Strike nothing! It was way up!” “Now, then, Mort! Once more! Heave——!”

“Four balls,” said Mr. Shay, and Joe trotted to first. Watkins took his place. Dolph raised his voice above the turmoil.

“On your toes, on your toes! Take a lead!”

Watkins threw a swift glance at him and gripped his bat. The signal for a double steal on the first ball thrown had been given. At first Cassart danced a good twelve feet from base. At third Smythe ran up the base line, shouting and waving his arms. Prince scorned them both and pitched. It was a wide ball and Watkins swung at it.

“There he goes!” yelled Grady, coaching at first.

But the catcher knew better than to throw to second with a man twenty feet from third. Instead he recovered quickly and hurled the ball to the baseman in an endeavor to catch Smythe. As the ball left his hand Smythe streaked for the plate. Third baseman caught it at arm’s length and sped it back to the catcher. But Smythe’s lead had been a good one and he threw himself between the catcher’s legs and reached home in safety. Meanwhile Joe Cassart was almost at third. Back went the ball there at a wild throw. Third baseman leaped into the air in a heroic attempt to get it, but it passed a foot above his hands and Cassart rounded the base and tallied the third run.

There was still but one man out, and Watkins, profiting by the general stage-fright, hit an easy one to shortstop, who got it, dropped it, found it again and then threw wide of first. Watkins went on to second. A base hit would score him, but Morris was not equal to the emergency and plumped a short fly into the second baseman’s mitt. The Towners began to recover their equilibrium then, and, with two strikes and only one ball, scored against him, Truesdale looked like an easy out. But Prince, possibly with a desire to end the wretched inning, put one across “in the groove” and Truesdale met it fairly. It went to right field, and, although right fielder tried his best to reach it, it fell to earth, a clean base-hit. Watkins scored easily. Dolph went to bat next and his supporters howled joyfully, for Dolph was a good man with the stick. A hot grounder between shortstop and second put Truesdale on second and Dolph on first. Grady laid one down in front of the plate and the catcher hurled it to third in an attempt to cut off Truesdale. But third baseman dropped it and the runner was safe and the bases filled again.

Ted was up for the second time in the inning. With three on bases it was necessary to hit the ball outside the infield. That, however, wasn’t so easy, for Mort Prince had steadied down and was once more pitching good ball. “Strike!” said Mr. Shay.... “Ball!... Foul! Strike two!... Ball! Two and two!... Ball three!”