Carle and Borland were put at the head of the battery combinations, apparently3 with as little hesitancy as if they had been veterans carried over from a triumphant4 season. The first choice[Pg 56] of hours was theirs, their opinions were listened to with respect; their position as fixtures5 seemed almost as well recognized as that of Poole himself. In spite of all self-preparation, Rob was almost startled to find what a gap existed between himself and his old battery mate; and as he remembered how often in past games when bases were full and things were going wrong with the pitching, he had guided the bewildered Carle out of his difficulties, he could not help a feeling of pique6, nor avoid wondering whether Borland would succeed as well. After Carle, O'Connell, one of the class pitchers8 of the year before, held the next position of favor, and Poole quietly put down the combination, Owen and O'Connell, for cage hours together. There were also Patterson, a new man about whom nothing was known, and Peters, right fielder on the nine the year before, who was learning to pitch. For these, also, practice catchers were arranged.
From the outset, Owen found his practice with O'Connell unpleasant. It could not have been from any prejudice against the pitcher7, for Rob, who was eager for any opportunity[Pg 57] which seemed to offer him a "show," was at first greatly pleased at the prospect9 of being mated with the man who, before the advent10 of Carle, had been regarded as the most promising11 of the school pitchers. Whatever secret hopes he may have cherished of building up a rival battery were in a fortnight wholly dispelled12. O'Connell couldn't pitch, and wouldn't learn. He couldn't pitch because his whole idea seemed to be to throw a ball with as big a curve as possible, without much care as to where it was going, or how near the plate it was destined13 to come; the only ball which he could surely put over was a straight waist ball which any child could hit. He wouldn't learn, because he thought it a pitcher's business to pitch, and a catcher's not to give instruction but to catch. To Rob's suggestions that any kind of a waist-high ball was dangerous, that the best pitcher he ever saw did not cover a width of more than three feet in a whole game, keeping the ball constantly at the plate—O'Connell paid not the slightest attention. He was quite unwilling14 to suppose that a man who had enjoyed the privilege of Seaton[Pg 58] coaching for a year could learn anything from a country boy from western Pennsylvania. The result was that Rob soon ceased to try to help the pitcher, and contented15 himself with taking the balls within reach in silence and letting the rest strike the net. The loungers about the cage could not have been impressed with the skill of the catching16.
One day toward the end of the discouraging fortnight, when Rob was feeling particularly blue over the situation and wondering whether it would not be better after all to let the catching go altogether and take his chances on his hitting for a fielding position, he fell in with Patterson on the way down street, and asked him casually17 how he was getting on with pitching.
"Not very well," answered Patterson, ruefully. "I can't seem to learn anything."
"Who catches you?" asked Rob.
"Foxcroft," replied Patterson, gloomily. "He's a good backstop, I suppose, but he never tells me anything, and you can't learn by yourself. Poole ought to fix it so that we can get some instruction, I think."
[Pg 59]
Rob did not answer. He was marvelling18 at the contrariness of circumstances. Here was O'Connell who might have instruction but wouldn't take it, and Patterson who wanted it but couldn't get it!
"A man who ought to know told me once that I had the makings of a pitcher in me,—the arm swing, snappy wrist, and all that, you know,—but I've had mighty19 little chance for coaching and no such experience as these fellows here get, so I don't know whether he was fooling me or not. I don't seem to be getting ahead at all now."
"Oh, you mustn't be discouraged," said Rob, unfairly assuming in his own discouragement the right to blame the other's faint-heartedness. "It takes time to learn to pitch."
"It takes something more than time," Patterson declared with emphasis. "A year of the kind of thing I'm getting won't be much better than a month. You don't have to eat a bushel of apples to find out whether they're rotten or not. One is enough."
Rob hesitated. An idea had suddenly occurred[Pg 60] to him, an idea that might be good. Why shouldn't he catch Patterson, and let O'Connell take Foxcroft? He knew nothing of Patterson, it was true, but he did know about O'Connell, and under the circumstances the unknown seemed attractive.
"How would you like to take me for a change, and let O'Connell have Foxcroft?"
Patterson's face spoke20 instantly a joyful21 acceptance of the proposal. His words, which came later, evidently represented second thoughts.
"Wouldn't I! But O'Connell would kick, though. He isn't going to swap22 you for Foxcroft."
"I don't believe he'd mind," returned Owen, with a smile of amusement tinged23 with sadness. "He can't learn anything from me, so Foxcroft would do just as well. I'd like to catch some one I could work with, and feel an interest in and try to push along. A net would be about as good for O'Connell as I am; all the advantage I have over the net is that I throw the balls back."
"Let's change, then," said Patterson, eagerly.[Pg 61] "If O'Connell doesn't want your help, I do. You'll find me ready to learn all right. You see Poole,—no, I'll see him and tell him we'd like to bunk24 in together. I don't believe it'll make any difference to him."
Poole was seen, and gave his consent without suggesting any obstacle except a possible difficulty in arranging new hours. O'Connell growled25 a little, not at losing Owen, whom he considered too officious, but at the notion that he should be given a third-string catcher instead of a second. But the change was made, and the new pair settled quietly down into obscurity, an obscurity which was the deeper in contrast with the glare of publicity26 in which the first battery displayed itself.
Carle and Borland were the unquestioned athletic27 heroes of that winter term. Borland showed himself an excellent backstop. His manner was that of one whom no ball thrown by human arm could disconcert. He could take in-curves with his mitt28 unsupported, tip them jauntily29 into his right hand, and toss them back with the best air of a professional in a great[Pg 62] city team showing his tricks to a big audience before a game. The lads who in a perennial30 group peered admiring through the netting would nudge each other and exclaim and wonder; the knowing ones would talk with wise patronage31; the ignorant ask foolish questions in awe-struck tones. Then the company would exchange places with a similar squad32 at the pitcher's end, and, big-eyed with amazement33, watch the unintelligible34 signals, and try to detect the jump or the break, the out or the in, the lift or the drop, which the conductor of the party assured them was to be seen. Those were great days for battery one at Seaton school. No disillusionizing games to shatter the sweet ideal with brutal35 facts, no heartbreaking succession of base hits, no feverish36 gift of bases on balls, no missed pop fouls37, no overthrown38 bases, but just fancy pitching, with opportunity for flourishes unlimited39, and spectators unanimous in admiration40. Poole himself, with all his steady-mindedness and fear of fostering vain hopes, yielded to the general exultation41 and looked forward with full complacency to the contest of batteries in the spring.
[Pg 63]
Meantime the humble42 third string was pursuing its unnoticed way. To his surprise, Owen found Patterson possessed43 of a very good mastery of one or two curves, and pitching with apparent ease and considerable speed. He was very eager to learn, and so modest as to be entirely44 distrustful of himself. This fault of timidity Rob sought to overcome by encouragement and by plain lessons from the successes of pitchers whom he had known. When once Patterson understood that by good pitching was meant, not "doing things" with a ball, but merely success in fooling batsmen; and that to accomplish this object, control and speed and cleverness in alternating balls, rather than ability to juggle45 curves, were of prime importance, the pupil took courage and began to learn.
It was now that Rob regretted that he had not paid more attention to McLennan's words of counsel to Carle when the latter had had his lessons. Much that the professional had said he recalled under the stimulus46 of the need. Some things about which he felt uncertain he found out from Carle, who, as a rule, however, remem[Pg 64]bered less of the technical teaching than Owen. But in the main it was the fundamental principles which Patterson needed, and as to these his catcher was well informed. They were left much to themselves. The general public had no interest in the third battery. Poole occasionally looked in on them for a few minutes, but on these occasions Rob, with a perversity47 perhaps excusable, deliberately48 kept his charge from showing his best work. With O'Connell and Carle, and others who might be expected to look with critical eyes, he followed the same course, as if he courted obscurity. The result was that the two worked on alone during the long winter practice unmolested by critics, and free from distracting suggestions of would-be helpers.
With Patterson, Rob soon felt himself on terms of hearty49 intimacy50, though at times their relation suggested that of patron and client. So frankly51 modest was the pitcher, so naturally distrustful of himself and ready to follow another's lead, that outside the cage he fell naturally into the position of follower52. He studied with Owen, skated with him, loafed in his room, sided with[Pg 65] him in the discussions, profitable and unprofitable, to which boys' conversation usually runs, and confided53 to him the facts as to his home life which one usually reserves for his most intimate companion. Yet with all his friendliness54 and willingness to follow the steps of another better fitted to lead, Patterson was by no means weak. There was a substantial basis of character and principle underlying55 his naturally trustful disposition56. He followed only a presumably wiser guide; he yielded only up to a certain point and in certain directions. While possessing the unusual faculty57 of recognizing his faults before his virtues58, when once assured of his power he would push on undaunted by obstacles. It was this peculiar59 combination of traits that so endeared him as a friend and rendered him so apt as a pupil. Most young athletes need the experience of the contest to dissipate their conceit60, and open the way for development. With Patterson experience was necessary before a reasonable self-confidence was possible.
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1
vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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2
harangue
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| n.慷慨冗长的训话，言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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3
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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4
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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5
fixtures
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| （房屋等的）固定装置( fixture的名词复数 )； 如（浴盆、抽水马桶）； 固定在某位置的人或物； （定期定点举行的）体育活动 | |
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6
pique
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| v.伤害…的自尊心，使生气 n.不满，生气 | |
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7
pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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pitchers
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| 大水罐( pitcher的名词复数 ) | |
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9
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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10
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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11
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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12
dispelled
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| v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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14
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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15
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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16
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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17
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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18
marvelling
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的现在分词 ) | |
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19
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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20
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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21
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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22
swap
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| n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易 | |
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23
tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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25
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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26
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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27
athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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28
mitt
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| n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手 | |
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29
jauntily
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| adv.心满意足地；洋洋得意地；高兴地；活泼地 | |
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30
perennial
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| adj.终年的；长久的 | |
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31
patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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32
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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33
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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34
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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35
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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36
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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37
fouls
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| n.煤层尖灭；恶劣的( foul的名词复数 )；邪恶的；难闻的；下流的v.使污秽( foul的第三人称单数 )；弄脏；击球出界；（通常用废物）弄脏 | |
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38
overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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39
unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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40
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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41
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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42
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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43
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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44
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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45
juggle
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| v.变戏法，纂改，欺骗，同时做；n.玩杂耍，纂改，花招 | |
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46
stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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47
perversity
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| n.任性；刚愎自用 | |
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48
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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49
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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50
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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51
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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52
follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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53
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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54
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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55
underlying
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| adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的 | |
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56
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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57
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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58
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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59
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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60
conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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