登陆注册
5165600000046

第46章 THE MANAGER OF MADDEN'S HILL(1)

Willie Howarth loved baseball.He loved it all the more because he was a cripple.The game was more beautiful and wonderful to him because he would never be able to play it.For Willie had been born with one leg shorter than the other;he could not run and at 11 years of age it was all he could do to walk with a crutch.

Nevertheless Willie knew more about baseball than any other boy on Madden's Hill.An uncle of his had once been a ballplayer and he had taught Willie the fine points of the game.And this uncle's ballplayer friends, who occasionally visited him, had imparted to Willie the vernacular of the game.So that Willie's knowledge of players and play, and particularly of the strange talk, the wild and whirling words on the lips of the real baseball men, made him the envy of every boy on Madden's Hill, and a mine of information.Willie never missed attending the games played on the lots, and he could tell why they were won or lost.

Willie suffered considerable pain, mostly at night, and this had given him a habit of lying awake in the dark hours, grieving over that crooked leg that forever shut him out of the heritage of youth.He had kept his secret well; he was accounted shy because he was quiet and had never been able to mingle with the boys in their activity.

No one except his mother dreamed of the fire and hunger and pain within his breast.His school-mates called him ``Daddy.'' It was a name given for his bent shoulders, his labored gait and his thoughtful face, too old for his years.And no one, not even his mother, guessed how that name hurt Willie.

It was a source of growing unhappiness with Willie that the Madden's Hill boys were always beaten by the other teams of the town.He really came to lose his sadness over his own misfortune in pondering on the wretched play of the Madden's Hill baseball club.He had all a boy's pride in the locality where he lived.And when the Bogg's Farm team administered a crushing defeat to Madden's Hill, Willie grew desperate.

Monday he met Lane Griffith, the captain of the Madden's Hill nine.

``Hello, Daddy,'' said Lane.He was a big, aggressive boy, and in a way had a fondness for Willie.

``Lane, you got an orful trimmin' up on the Boggs.What 'd you wanter let them country jakes beat you for?''

``Aw, Daddy, they was lucky.Umpire had hay-seed in his eyes! Robbed us! He couldn't see straight.We'll trim them down here Saturday.''

``No, you won't--not without team work.Lane, you've got to have a manager.''

``Durn it! Where 're we goin' to get one?''

Lane blurted out.

``You can sign me.I can't play, but I know the game.Let me coach the boys.''

The idea seemed to strike Capt.Griffith favorably.He prevailed upon all the boys living on Madden's Hill to come out for practice after school.Then he presented them to the managing coach.The boys were inclined to poke fun at Daddy Howarth and ridicule him; but the idea was a novel one and they were in such a state of subjection from many beatings that they welcomed any change.Willie sat on a bench improvised from a soap box and put them through a drill of batting and fielding.The next day in his coaching he included bunting and sliding.He played his men in different positions and for three more days he drove them unmercifully.

When Saturday came, the day for the game with Bogg's Farm, a wild protest went up from the boys.Willie experienced his first bitterness as a manager.Out of forty aspirants for the Madden's Hill team he could choose but nine to play the game.And as a conscientious manager he could use no favorites.Willie picked the best players and assigned them to positions that, in his judgment, were the best suited to them.Bob Irvine wanted to play first base and he was down for right field.Sam Wickhart thought he was the fastest fielder, and Willie had him slated to catch.

Tom Lindsay's feelings were hurt because he was not to play in the infield.Eddie Curtis suffered a fall in pride when he discovered he was not down to play second base.Jake Thomas, Tay-Tay Mohler and Brick Grace all wanted to pitch.The manager had chosen Frank Price for that important position, and Frank's one ambition was to be a shortstop.

So there was a deadlock.For a while there seemed no possibility of a game.Willie sat on the bench, the center of a crowd of discontented, quarreling boys.Some were jealous, some were outraged, some tried to pacify and persuade the others.All were noisy.Lane Griffith stood by his manager and stoutly declared the players should play the positions to which they had been assigned or not at all.And he was entering into a hot argument with Tom Lindsay when the Bogg's Farm team arrogantly put in an appearance.

The way that team from the country walked out upon the field made a great difference.The spirit of Madden's Hill roused to battle.The game began swiftly and went on wildly.It ended almost before the Hill boys realized it had commenced.

They did not know how they had won but they gave Daddy Howarth credit for it.They had a bonfire that night to celebrate the victory and they talked baseball until their parents became alarmed and hunted them up.

Madden's Hill practiced all that next week and on Saturday beat the Seventh Ward team.In four more weeks they had added half a dozen more victories to their record.Their reputation went abroad.They got uniforms, and baseball shoes with spikes, and bats and balls and gloves.They got a mask, but Sam Wickhart refused to catch with it.

``Sam, one of these days you'll be stoppin' a high inshoot with your eye,'' sagely remarked Daddy Howarth.``An' then where'll I get a catcher for the Natchez game?''

Natchez was the one name on the lips of every Madden's Hill boy.For Natchez had the great team of the town and, roused by the growing repute of the Hill club, had condescended to arrange a game.When that game was scheduled for July Fourth Daddy Howarth set to driving his men.

同类推荐
  • 咸淳毗陵志

    咸淳毗陵志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 汉晋春秋

    汉晋春秋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 润卿鲁望寒夜见访

    润卿鲁望寒夜见访

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 游四明山刘樊二真人

    游四明山刘樊二真人

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 画史会要

    画史会要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 咏慵

    咏慵

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 轻花昫

    轻花昫

    妖和人,终是无法相恋的吧?不管再怎么努力,再怎么付出,终归会形同陌路。从今天开始,我要把自己的心埋在很深很深的地方,直到自己也忘却那段感情。
  • 江湖之乱吹

    江湖之乱吹

    ☆从不谙人事到不羡情海,只因一段不知从何而起的一往情深☆他说他这十七年来一直在强求,无论是对自己还是陌生人。是以,人生中的最后几年,他只想为自己而活。那天他抱着雪白的菊走过青石小路,说大仇已报,他一生好像也没什么牵挂了。谨以此书,献给天下爱而不得,求而不能的情侣。望你们在天涯海角,能找到自己的归宿。————————分割线—————————每晚六点准时更新~再次感谢予阳小姐姐倾情相助(???????)???????
  • 爱情课

    爱情课

    身为私企老总,人到中年的刘建成收入稳定,却坚决要和发妻李菊花离婚。一番挣扎以后,李菊花和老公签了六个月的协议,试图给自己的婚姻一个缓冲期。她认为十八年都过去了,不在乎这六个月,刘建成也答应了。这六个月,他们依然在一个屋檐下,睡同一张床,吃同一锅饭。这六个月,双方依然各尽其责,而且绝对不能出轨。李菊花开始交高价学费、出入找老公培训班,希望能彻底改变自己。最终,她是否如愿?李菊花的弟弟李磊是海员,30多岁才开始初恋,这场恋爱折腾得他体无完肤,他是否沉醉其中不能自拔?谁能拯救他走出苦海?
  • 闪婚厚爱:偏执老公宠上瘾

    闪婚厚爱:偏执老公宠上瘾

    她是上京上层圈子里”恶迹斑斑“的裴家大女儿。为了救弟弟,她只好妥协,替同父异母的妹妹顶罪。为了报复,她睡了墨氏总裁。可没想到,这一睡就睡出了一个孩子。两年后。“要我把孩子给你养,也不是不可以,嫁给我!”“……”“嫁给我,以后我跟你结婚后,就算对你做什么事,也是天经地义的,比如——家庭暴力。”“……”可是没想到,结婚之后,他睡她成瘾,宠她成灾。
  • 簪花扶鬓长安步

    簪花扶鬓长安步

    慕皎皎一副药治好了相府长公子的一条腿,借此机遇嫁入高门,成了相府六少夫人。从此,坊间多了一个传说——相府六公子的一辈子就只值他大哥的一条腿!因此人送雅号——崔一腿。崔六公子惨遭羞辱,决心一定要咸鱼翻身,一雪前耻!于是,一场啼笑皆非的婚姻大戏拉开大幕:某男要死不活脸:“你当初为什么要嫁给我?”某女:“这世上只有两种男人我会嫁。一种在能力上压倒我,让我心甘情愿拜服在他脚下;另一种,则是长得赏心悦目,让我光是看着就能欢欢喜喜的养着他。”“那我属于哪种?”“第二种。”“啊啊啊,老子受不了了,老子要休妻!休妻!”
  • From This World to the Next

    From This World to the Next

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 俏甜心:恋恋爱成殇

    俏甜心:恋恋爱成殇

    这是一个关于青春的故事。爱情,友情。遇上作为社长的阿皓,她突然心跳的很快,一次次的误解,关心,让他们相爱,但闺蜜突然的背叛,阿皓是否依旧爱着她……
  • 吉尔尕朗河两岸

    吉尔尕朗河两岸

    本书以一条静静流淌在天山腹地伊犁大草原的吉尔尕朗河为背景,通过作者十年住居生活的亲身体验,以细腻浪漫的笔调和田园牧歌式的行吟,全景式的描绘了吉尔尕朗河两岸广阔的牧场、田园、林区、山脉等四季变幻的迷人风景,并对生活在此的游牧民族的独特文化、风俗、节庆、民歌等做了深入详实的了解与记录。全书充溢着作者对这片远离都市喧嚣的原生态土地上山川风物的热爱与眷恋,对现代工业文明弊端的清醒与重返健康田园生活的提倡,以及对生态文明的现状和现代人精神生活的关注与反思。
  • 古武大学生

    古武大学生

    他曾是队伍里的最强利刃,一次大战后重伤退役。但谁知道普通大学生,竟身怀古武绝学,还很狂!