“Well, don’t let him fool you on those drops,” said Payson. “See what you can do next time. When an average good batter,” continued Payson, including Durfee and Alf with a glance, “finds that he can’t hit a pitcher, the thing for him to do is to keep his eyes open and study the fellow’s delivery. There’s some perfectly simple reason why he isn’t finding the ball, and it’s just a case of using his head and finding out what the reason is. That’s what Loring did. I’ve seen a good many chaps pitch ball, and it didn’t take me long to see that Holmes there was pitching a ball that started out fast and then slowed up in front of the plate. And it didn’t take long to see that that was about all he did have. If you don’t let him fool you on speed you won’t have much trouble hitting him.”
Wheelock fouled out to third baseman and Smith took his place, Durfee giving him whispered advice as he chose his bat.
“But there’s another thing,” continued Payson, when Durfee had returned, “that no one has discovered yet; something that has a whole lot to do with Holmes’s effectiveness.”
“What’s that, sir?” asked Durfee. Payson shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s for you—or some one else—to find out, Durfee. Use your eyes. The game may depend on your finding it out. I sha’n’t tell you. A coach has no business to run the game; that’s the captain’s work.”
Durfee turned frowningly to observe the Porter pitcher. He had sent in two balls, and now was winding himself up for his third delivery. When it reached the plate it was dropping fast, and Smith struck several inches over it. The Porter sympathizers howled gleefully.
“He isn’t doing what he was told to,” said Payson.
“Slow down, Smith,” called Durfee. “Wait for them, old man. Pick out a nice one and paste it hard.”
But Smith wasn’t an apt pupil, and a moment or two later Holmes had another strike-out to his credit.