“I’m ready, all right, but I think it would be just as well to give Sam a chance if he feels fit when the time comes.”
“I’d rather you started it, George,” said Perkins. “Then if we get a few runs to the good I’ll do my best to hold ’em. Still, I’m perfectly willing to start it if you want me to.”
“There’s plenty of time to decide that,” said Ben. “For that matter, I’m not afraid in either case. If we can hit Morgan we can win. And so it’s up to us to get busy this week at the net and find our batting eye. And we’re going to have some work on the bases, too, fellows. We’ve been pretty punk on the bases so far.”
“Well, look at the coaching we get,” challenged Cupples. “I could have scored twice from third this afternoon if Steve hadn’t held me there each time!”
“You could not!” denied Lovell. “The first time you didn’t have a ghost of a chance to get home. The ball was in second baseman’s hands before you’d made the turn!”
“Indeed it wasn’t! Second didn’t get the ball until I’d rounded the bag and you grabbed me!”
“I’ll leave it to anyone! You saw it, Ben. Wouldn’t he have been out——”
“I don’t know, Steve. Anyway, post-mortems aren’t any good. Besides, there’s no use taking big chances on bases as long as you’re ahead and the other team’s playing steady. Once they’re up in the air, why, then I say steal ’em! The more you risk the more you bother ’em and the more you gain. There’s a time for playing it safe and a time for running wild. Now you fellows beat it; I’m going to bed.”
Kid, who had been a silent listener to the discussion, followed Stanley Pierce across to their room very thoughtfully. Just before he crawled into bed he asked: