O'Connell won his game because he played against an inferior team, whose pitcher1 the Seaton men could hit. Patterson lost an uphill game against a clever pitcher whom his men could do little with, while the Seaton players behind him failed to support him at critical moments. O'Connell's friends maintained that the results of the two games showed the comparative merits of the pitchers2. Lyford and Poole took the opposite[Pg 269] view. Patterson at two several points had saved his game when there were men on third and second with but one out. It was lost in the seventh, after a two-base hit and an error had put men on first and third, and another error permitted one of them to reach the home plate; but the very play through which the game was lost enhanced Owen's reputation. It happened thus:—
With members of the visiting team on first and third, and one man out, Rob, who had analyzed3 a similar situation more than once before, made up his mind that the man on first base would try to steal at the earliest opportunity; first, because against a school team like Seaton there was more than an even chance that a double steal would rattle5 the catcher and bring in a run; secondly6, because a single with men on second and third would yield two runs, while if the man remained at first it would score but one. So Rob signalled to his infield, and called on Patterson for a wide, unreachable out. The ball came true, while the runner on first started hard down, and Rob snapped in a straight line for second, which Hayes ran to cover; but McPherson, who had his eye[Pg 270] on the runner at third, seeing him start for home, ran in behind Patterson, cut off Owen's throw to second, and shot the ball back home. So far the play had been perfectly7 carried out.
Unhappily, however, its very perfection interfered8 with its success. Rob and McPherson had done their work so rapidly that the base-runner was only about halfway9 between third and home when Rob received the ball at the plate. The runner stopped and turned back. Rob ran down toward him and threw to Durand. The man doubled again, and Durand—trusty, capable, but over-eager Durand—returned the ball about a foot above Owen's reach, while Patterson, who should have been backing up the catcher in the line behind, stood halfway over from his box gazing fascinated at the play.
So at the same time the game was lost and the catcher glorified—at least in the eyes of those who knew what it meant to have a man behind the bat who could keep the game in hand, recognize opportunities when they came, and perform his part in the plays. Poole and Lyford belonged to this number, and most of the members of the nine.[Pg 271] Poole was inclined to be obstinate10, and he disliked to be proved wrong; but when once satisfied that he was wrong, he turned promptly11 and finally about. From this time forth12 there was no more uncertainty13 about the catcher in Poole's mind. He was for Owen through and through, without wavering or question. Borland must give way to a better man.
But there were many who could not follow the captain in his change of view; who, in fact, could see no sufficient reason why the old catcher who had proved himself competent should be laid aside for a new man. The "inside work" of a catcher is not apparent to the occupants of the bleachers; they cannot measure accurately14 the comparative merits of two men playing in different games; they do not count assists. When Borland made his three-base hit in a game in which his battery played, his friends made sarcastic15 comment: "That's the man who couldn't hit well enough for the First!" When in the next game Patterson pitched an in instead of the out that was called for, and Owen, after losing time in getting the ball still tried to catch the runner at second, and sent[Pg 272] a short bound at McPherson's toes, the same critics added: "—and that's the star thrower who put poor Jack16 out of play. The old man could do better than that with his eyes shut!" These, let it be understood, were Borland's friends. Borland himself never said a word.
The Hillbury game drew on apace, and the nine settled to its work. The play was improving; the infield was coming, quick and true, the men trusting each other and working well together under the catcher's direction. Patterson had learned to value himself aright. Throughout the school the doubters had grown fewer as the days went by. Poole paid no attention at all to them, but Rob knew of their existence and understood full well how their number would be suddenly multiplied by ten if he should disappoint the hopes of the school in the great game. To lose a Hillbury game is a calamity17; the single man who loses it by a single error is unforgivable.
And yet to win under the circumstances seemed more than the school had a right to expect. There had never been a poor nine in Hillbury since school nines began to be. This year the blue team was[Pg 273] largely veteran, with the identical pitcher who had last year mown down the Seaton hitters as a well-aimed bowling18 ball clears away the pins from their triangle. The scores of the nines which had played with the two school teams compared unfavorably for Poole's team. Patterson, a mere19 green apprentice20, was a wholly uncertain quantity. Such considerations fairly weighed gave little promise to the Seatonians; but in the Seaton breast hope springs eternal, and a game may always be won until it is actually lost.
A week before the game, the whole school journeyed to Hillbury for the track meet. Before the contests both sides had counted probabilities. According to Seaton reckoning, if Rohrer beat Royce in the high hurdles21, and Benton won the half mile, and Laughlin and Lindsay took seven out of eight points in the shot-put, Seaton would have twelve points to spare. By Hillbury count, only accidents could keep the blue from beating the red by at least twenty. Each side regarded the results as ominous22 for the more important contest of the following Saturday.
And that was why Seaton took the defeat so[Pg 274] to heart. Rohrer did beat Royce in the hurdles, and Laughlin and Lindsay won their seven points; but there were unexpected offsets23, and Benton did not even get a place in the half-mile. Six points is not a bad defeat, but any defeat is bad when you expect victory. If omens24 counted, the ball game was as good as lost.
But Owen's hopes never wavered. He had seen hard games before, games which he had won and games which he had lost; and never had he felt such a spirit of keenness and unity4 as animated25 this raw Seaton nine. If Hillbury beat them, Hillbury must play good ball, far better ball than any team which had come that season to Seaton. If only Patterson kept up!
On the Friday before the great day, as the decorations were blossoming out on the houses, and in recitations the game was crowding the lesson matter hard for possession of the minds of the pupils, Poole and Owen were hailed from across the street by Wally.
"Hello, Wally," called Poole, "come over here!"
The boy hastened across.
[Pg 275]
"Could you get us the seats?" asked Wally.
"Only two," said Poole, "and you'll have to let your father and sister have those."
Wally's countenance26 fell.
"But as you helped me out of a scrape once, I'm going to pay you back. I'm going to let you have a seat on the players' bench."
"On the players' bench!" cried the delighted lad. "Great Scott! do you mean it?"
Poole laughed and nodded.
"You've got to bring us luck," said Owen.
"Oh, I will," returned the boy, "but you don't need it. You're going to win anyway. I've got my red fire all ready."
"I wish I felt as he does," said Poole, as the boy scampered27 across the street to inform his friends of his good fortune.
"I do," replied Owen, promptly.
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收听单词发音
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1
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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3
analyzed
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| v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析 | |
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4
unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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5
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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6
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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7
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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8
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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9
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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10
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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12
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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13
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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14
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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15
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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16
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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17
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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18
bowling
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| n.保龄球运动 | |
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19
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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20
apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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21
hurdles
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| n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛 | |
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22
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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23
offsets
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| n.开端( offset的名词复数 )；出发v.抵消( offset的第三人称单数 )；补偿；（为了比较的目的而）把…并列（或并置）；为（管道等）装支管 | |
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24
omens
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| n.前兆，预兆( omen的名词复数 ) | |
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25
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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26
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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27
scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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