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The Floating Press - Lester Chadwick

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125 pages

English

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During his stint as a college player at Yale, Baseball Joe's reputation as an ace player continues to grow -- so much so that he provokes the envy of many of his teammates and falls prey to a stunt designed to besmirch his good name. Will Joe be able to set things right before it's time for the playoffs?

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Children's

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Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 décembre 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781776595792
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0134€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

BASEBALL JOE AT YALE
OR PITCHING FOR THE COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP
* * *
LESTER CHADWICK

*
Baseball Joe at Yale Or Pitching for the College Championship First published in 1913 Epub ISBN 978-1-77659-579-2 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77659-580-8 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
*
Chapter I - Just in Time Chapter II - A Home Conference Chapter III - One Last Game Chapter IV - A Sneering Laugh Chapter V - Off for Yale Chapter VI - On the Campus Chapter VII - A New Chum Chapter VIII - Ambitions Chapter IX - The Shampoo Chapter X - A Wild Night Chapter XI - The Red Paint Chapter XII - Joe's Silence Chapter XIII - Early Practice Chapter XIV - The Surprise Chapter XV - His First Chance Chapter XVI - Joe Makes Good Chapter XVII - Another Step Chapter XVIII - Plotting Chapter XIX - The Anonymous Letter Chapter XX - The Cornell Host Chapter XXI - Eager Hearts Chapter XXII - The Crimson Spot Chapter XXIII - Joe's Triumph Chapter XXIV - Hard Luck Chapter XXV - At West Point Chapter XXVI - A Sore Arm Chapter XXVII - The Accusation Chapter XXVIII - Vindication Chapter XXIX - Bucking the Tiger Chapter XXX - The Championship
Chapter I - Just in Time
*
"Joe Matson, I can't understand why you don't fairly jump at thechance!"
"Because I don't want to go—that's why."
"But, man alive! Half the fellows in Riverside would stand on theirheads to be in your shoes."
"Perhaps, Tom. But, I tell you I don't think I'm cut out for a collegeman, and I don't want to go," and Joe Matson looked frankly into theface of his chum, Tom Davis, as they strolled down the village streettogether that early September day.
"Don't want to go to Yale!" murmured Tom, shaking his head as if unableto fathom the mystery. "Why I'd work my way through, if they'd let me,and here you've got everything comparatively easy, and yet you'rebalking like a horse that hasn't had his oats in a month. Whew! What'sup, Joe, old man?"
"Simply that I don't believe I'm cut out for that sort of life. I don'tcare for this college business, and there's no use pretending that I do.I'm not built that way. My mind is on something else. Of course I know acollege education is a great thing, and something that lots of fellowsneed. But for yours truly—not!"
"I only wish I had your chance," said Tom, enviously.
"You're welcome to it," laughed Joe.
"No," and the other spoke half sadly. "Dad doesn't believe in a collegecareer any more than you do. When I'm through at Excelsior Hall he'sgoing to take me into business with him. He talks of sending me abroad,to get a line on the foreign end of it."
"Cracky!" exclaimed Joe. "That would suit me down to the ground—that isif I could go with a ball team."
"So you haven't gotten over your craze for baseball?" queried Tom.
"No, and I never shall. You know what I've always said—that I'd becomea professional some day; and I will, too, and I'll pitch in the worldseries if I can last long enough," and Joe laughed.
"But look here!" exclaimed his chum, as they swung down a quiet streetthat led out into the country; "you can play baseball at Yale, youknow."
"Maybe—if they'll let me. But you know how it is at those biguniversities. They are very exclusive—societies—elections—eatingclubs—and all that sort of rot. A man has to be in with the bunchbefore he can get a show."
"That's all nonsense, and you know it!" snapped Tom. "At Yale, I warrantyou, just as at every big college, a man has to stand on his own feet.Why, they're always on the lookout for good fellows on the nine, crew oreleven, and, if you can make good, you'll be pitching on the 'varsitybefore the Spring term opens."
"Maybe," assented Joe with rather a moody face. "Anyhow, as long as I'vegot to go to college I'm going to make a try for the nine. I think I canpitch a little—"
"A little!" cried Tom. "Say, I'd like to know what sort of a showingwe'd have made at Excelsior Hall if it hadn't been for your pitching!Didn't you win the Blue Banner for us when it looked as if we hadn't ashow? Pitch! Say if those fellows at Yale—"
"Spare my blushes," begged Joe, with a laugh. "Don't worry, I'm going tocollege for one reason, more than another, because mother wants me to.Dad is rather set on it, too, and so I've said I'll go. Between you andme," whispered Joe, as if he feared someone would overhear him, "I havea faint suspicion that my respected mother wants to make a sky pilot ofme."
"A minister!" cried Tom.
"That's it."
"Why—why—"
"Oh, don't worry!" laughed Joe, and then his face grew a bit sober as hecontinued: "I'm not half good enough—or smart enough. I'm not cut outfor that sort of life. All I want is baseball and all I can get of it.That's my one ambition."
"Yes, it's easy to see that," agreed Tom. "I wonder you don't carry ahorsehide about with you, and I do believe—what's this?" he demanded,pulling a bundle of papers from his chum's pocket. "Some dope on theworld series, or I'm a June bug!"
"Well, I was only sort of comparing batting averages, and making a listof the peculiarities of each player—I mean about the kind of balls itis best to serve up to him."
"You're the limit!" exclaimed Tom, as he tried unsuccessfully to stopJoe from grabbing the papers away from him. "Do you think you mightpitch to some of these fellows?"
"I might," replied Joe calmly. "A professional ball player lasts forsome time, and when I come up for my degree on the mound at some futureworld series I may face some of these same men."
"Go to it, old man!" exclaimed Tom enthusiastically. "I wish I had yourhopes. Well, I suppose I'll soon be grinding away with the old crowd atExcelsior, and you—you'll be at—Yale!"
"Probably," admitted Joe, with something of a sigh. "I almost wish I wasgoing back to the old school. We had good times there!"
"We sure did. But I've got to leave you now. I promised Sis I'd go tothe store for her. See you later," and Tom clasped his chum's hand.
"That reminds me," spoke Joe. "I've got to go back home, hitch up thehorse, and take some patterns over to Birchville for dad."
"Wish I could go along, but I can't," said Tom. "It's a fine day for adrive. Come on over to-night."
"Maybe I will—so long," and the two friends parted to go their ways,one to dream over the good fortune of the other—to envy him—whileJoe himself—Baseball Joe as his friends called him—thought ratherregretfully of the time he must lose at college when, if he had beenallowed his own way, he would have sought admission to some minorbaseball league, to work himself up to a major position.
"But as long as the folks want me to have a college course I'll takeit—and do my best," he mused.
A little later, behind the old family horse, he was jogging over thecountry road in the direction of a distant town, where his father, aninventor, and one of the owners of the Royal Harvester Works, had beenin the habit of sending his patterns from which to have models made.
"Well, in a few weeks I'll be hiking it for New Haven," said Joe, halftalking to himself. "It's going to be awful lonesome at first. I won'tknow a soul there. It isn't like going up from some prep school, with alot of your own chums. Well, I've got to grin and bear it, and if I doget a chance for the 'varsity nine—oh, won't I jump at it!"
He was lost in pleasant reflections for a moment, and then went on,still talking to himself, and calling to the horse now and then, for thesteed, realizing that he had an easy master behind him, was inclined toslow down to a walk every now and then.
"There are bound to be lessons, of course," said Joe. "And lectures onthings I don't care any more about than the man in the moon does. Isuppose, though, I've got to swallow 'em. But if I can get on thediamond once in a while it won't be so bad. The worst of it is, though,that ball playing won't begin until April at the earliest, and there'sall winter to live through. I'm not going in for football. Well, Iguess I can stand it."
Once more Joe was off in a day-dream, in fancy seeing himselfstanding in the box before yelling thousands, winding up to delivera swiftly-curving ball to the batter on whom "three and two" had beencalled, with the bases full, two men out and his team but one run aheadin the final inning.
"Oh! that's what life is!" exclaimed Joe, half aloud, and at his wordsthe horse started to trot. "That's what makes me willing to stand fouryears at Yale—if I have to. And yet—"
Joe did not complete his sentence. As he swung around a bend in the roadhis attention was fully taken by a surprising scene just ahead of him.
A horse, attached to a carriage, was being driven down the road, and,just as Joe came in sight, the animal, for some unaccountable reason,suddenly swerved to the left. One of the wheels caught in a rut, therewas a snapping, cracking sound, the wheel was "dished," and the carriagesettled down on one side.
"Whoa! Whoa!" yelled Joe, fearing the horse would bolt and that perhapsa woman might be in the carriage, the top of which was up. The lad wasabout to spring from his own vehicle and rush to the aid of the occupantof the other, when he saw a man leap out.
With one bound the man was at the head of his steed, holding him fromrunning away, but there was no need, for the horse, after a calm lookaround, seemed to resign himself to his fate.
"Jove!" ejaculated Joe. "That was quick work. That fellow is intraining, whoever he is."
Following his original plan, even though he saw n