Rob laughed constrainedly1. "Yes, Sudbury and Tom Riley and I are all going to play centre field."
"I thought you were down for second base."
Rob shook his head. "They tried me there yesterday, but I didn't make good, so I've gone further out."
"Well, I hope you'll make good there. Durand says you're a slugger."
"I'm not!" answered Rob, sharply. He had his own opinions as to men who are always trying[Pg 166] for home runs. "I'm no great fielder either," he added more moderately, "as you'll see if you come up. Who are these Seaton Clippers anyway?"
"Oh, just a team made up of townies. We always play the opening game with the Clippers to try out the men."
They parted, Rob going into his room, where Simmons sat in the corner of the window-seat, doubled up over a book.
"Poole's been here to see you," said Simmons, looking up. "He says the Clippers have gone back on him—they couldn't get their pitcher2—so he's going to have a five-inning game between two nines. He wants you and Patterson as battery for the second. Game starts at three. You're to be up there as soon after two as possible for preliminary practice. I told him I'd tell you."
Simmons recited his message as he would a well-studied theorem in geometry, and, having recited it, buried himself again in his book. He was a most accurate little person,—tiresomely accurate, Rob sometimes thought. On this occasion, however, Rob's face lighted up at his room[Pg 167]mate's words; and though he opened his mouth to ask a question, he closed it immediately with the question unasked. The message was complete. It was also welcome; if he had planned an arrangement that would give Pat the best chance to show his powers it couldn't have been better. And now the opportunity had come unsought! If they did well, the credit was wholly theirs; if they failed, no hopes would be disappointed but their own.
"I'm going over to see Pat," he said, clapping on his hat again. There were some uncertainties4 about signals which must be cleared up before the afternoon. Then a new thought came to him, and he dropped into a chair by his desk to jot5 down several memoranda6 on a blank sheet. When he looked up, he found Simmons's eyes fixed7 upon him with the discouraged expression which sometimes haunted them, particularly after a visit home. Simmons was a most conscientious8 student, an excellent scholar in languages, and personally quite unassuming and inoffensive. But he was not strong physically9, and in occasional times of weakness or weariness was likely to dwell[Pg 168] morbidly10 on the contrast between his own situation and that of his more robust11, lively, and popular associates. Rob understood at a glance that this was one of Simmons's homesick days, so he tucked his notes away in his pocket and turned to his apathetic12 little chum.
"Going to the game?" he asked in a hearty13 tone.
"No," replied Simmons, dropping his eyes again to the page before him. "I don't care anything about baseball."
"Why don't you go up the river, then? You ought to be outdoors somewhere on a day like this."
"I'd rather stay here. Payner asked me to go up with him, but I don't think I should enjoy his society."
"Payner!" exclaimed Owen, staring at his companion with an interest no longer forced. Then he threw back his head and laughed aloud.
Simmons put down his book. "I don't see anything so funny in that. Why shouldn't he invite me if he wants to?"
[Pg 169]
"He should, and if I were invited I'd go, if I had to cut ball practice to do it."
Simmons looked his astonishment14, but said nothing.
"You might find out where he gets the things that he bestows15 on the Pecks," continued Owen.
"Have they had another?" cried Simmons, eagerly, jumping to his feet and planting himself in front of Owen. "Tell me, have they had another? What was it?"
Owen grinned and nodded. "Some queer little olive-green lizards17, about three inches long, with small red spots all over them. I didn't know the things."
"How did it come? They've kept their door locked for a long time, and they hardly dare open a window."
"In the laundry bag," chuckled18 Owen. "It was left outside their door, and the lizards just went to sleep in it. There was the usual ticket tied to one of their tails, 'The Fifth Plague.'"
"I don't think that's so awfully19 bad," said[Pg 170] Simmons, after some reflection. "A lizard16 wouldn't scare me much."
"That's what Don said," replied Rob, smiling as he recalled the scene. "He thought it showed Payner was about at the end of his resources. But Duncan said the season was just opening, and half the plagues were yet to come, always supposing that Payner would be content with the biblical number. When I left them they were still arguing—well, I've got to get over to see Patterson."
Owen took up his hat again. Simmons was standing20 by the window. The boy turned around as Owen approached the door, and said apologetically: "I think I'll go in and tell Payner I've changed my mind. I may as well go with him after all."
"That's right!" called Owen, from the door. "And be sure you tell me all about it."
And he ran downstairs with a light heart, eager to see Patterson and plan the signal service for the afternoon.
Half an hour afterward21 he was still sitting at one side of Patterson's table, with the pitcher[Pg 171] on the other and the notes between them. The conversation, however, was no longer concerned with signals.
"I tell you it's so," Owen was declaring. "One of the first two balls pitched has got to be put over. If not, you're in a hole."
"I don't see that," said Patterson.
"Well, I can prove it to you," said Owen, confidently. "Look here, now. When you start in with a batter3, the chances are four to three in favor of the pitcher, aren't they? He has four balls to give away, and the batter has three chances to strike. Really the odds22 in favor of the pitcher are much greater, because even if you give the batter a ball that he can hit, there are eight men lying in wait for it, and one of 'em is likely to get it."
Patterson nodded.
"Now, as long as you can keep the batter uncertain whether the ball that's coming is good or bad, you have him at a disadvantage, haven't you? But when you're so fixed that you must put 'em over, he's got you at a disadvantage."
"I can see that," said Patterson.
[Pg 172]
"Well, if you give two balls right off, you've changed the chances from four to three in your favor, to three to two in his; and he feels pretty certain that the next one will be over, because you've got to begin to get strikes. After that, if you get a single ball, you must put every one over, and the batter knows it. So to get two balls at the start is to put yourself in a hole."
"Then the first ball to pitch to a man is either one that he'll strike at, thinking it's a good one, or a really good one that he can't hit, or doesn't think of offering at."
"That's the theory," said Owen. "As a matter of fact, most of these fellows couldn't hit a straight ball more than half the time, if you told them where it was coming. McLennan says you can fool most amateurs with speed alone. He's coached college teams and ought to know."
"And if you can get two strikes on him early, you have him worrying," mused23 Patterson.
"Yes, but it won't do to let 'em think that's your only method. The idea is, never get into a position where you've got to give a strike. Always keep them guessing."
[Pg 173]
Rob batted to the infield of the Second nine before the game, and came to the conclusion that Patterson would receive little help from the men behind him. At second base was a short, round, red-headed lad rejoicing in the name of McGuffy, who fumbled24 every other grounder, as if alternation were a rule of the game. At short played another fatty, most inaptly named Smart, who always threw either over the first baseman's head or at one side of his feet, and seemed quite ignorant of the very elementary rule that shortstop covers second on hits to the pitcher's left. Peacock at third combined the faults of his two neighbors. The one redeeming25 feature in the near landscape was Ames, the tall, raw-boned, awkward junior who crouched26 on his long legs like a grasshopper27 at first base, and flung out his big hands to incredible distances for the poor throws served up to him by the trio of incompetents28 around the diamond. Rob grinned with amusement as he watched the fellow gathering29 in the balls, hopelessly clumsy and inelegant from finger ends to tips of toes. The spectators on the benches laughed and jeered30, until Poole shut[Pg 174] them up by a peremptory31 message. Long Ames paid no attention to them; he was too busy scooping32 Peacock's short bounds out of the dust, and pulling down high sailers that Smart had started on their way to the bleachers.
Allis at left field was made captain of the Second. It was he who arranged the batting order, at the head of which Owen was placed, evidently on account of his success at the net during the two days of outdoor practice. Allis himself came next, then Rorbach, then Reddy McGuffy and his antipode Ames. Poole took his team into the field, and Rob faced O'Connell for the first test of strength. Were he and Patterson to prove in a class with McGuffy and Peacock? A few innings would show.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
constrainedly
|
|
| 不自然地，勉强地，强制地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
pitcher
|
|
| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
batter
|
|
| v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
uncertainties
|
|
| 无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
jot
|
|
| n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
memoranda
|
|
| n. 备忘录, 便条 名词memorandum的复数形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
conscientious
|
|
| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
physically
|
|
| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
morbidly
|
|
| adv.病态地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
robust
|
|
| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
apathetic
|
|
| adj.冷漠的，无动于衷的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
hearty
|
|
| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
bestows
|
|
| 赠给，授予( bestow的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
lizard
|
|
| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
lizards
|
|
| n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
chuckled
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
awfully
|
|
| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
afterward
|
|
| adv.后来；以后 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
odds
|
|
| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
mused
|
|
| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
fumbled
|
|
| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
redeeming
|
|
| 补偿的，弥补的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
grasshopper
|
|
| n.蚱蜢，蝗虫，蚂蚱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
incompetents
|
|
| n.无能力的，不称职的，不胜任的( incompetent的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
jeered
|
|
| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
peremptory
|
|
| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
scooping
|
|
| n.捞球v.抢先报道( scoop的现在分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |