12 Sports Aces, May 1943 — page 36: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

34 12 SPORTS ACES BO Oe err Ore hee B+ Oreo o Ges Ga Grr Gor Gre Gor Gso Gs + Ger Gre Gre Bor Gee Ger Gro Gs Oo Gs hopper right at Eddie Duncan. He did- n’t have to move for it. The ball went in his glove and then fell out. He stooped to pick it up and dropped it. He got hold of it again and, turning, fired a throw to second. Jig Clayton was standing there; he leaped high in the air. The ball went over his outstretched fingers and rolled elear to the bullpen before it was re- trieved. The runner on first went all the way home and the batter ended up on third with a three-base error. “Nice going, busher,” Jig said. “Let’s see you pop off now.” Eddie Duncan’s face was white, He glared at Jig, then ran in toward the mound yelling, “My fault, Beacon, old boy. Don’t let it get you down.” Beacon whiffed the next hitter and the clean-up slugger took his position at the plate. He picked out a fast ball and a streak of white started out toward left center field. Eddie Duncan wes playing back deep on the edge of the grass. He threw him- self into the air, one arm shot skyward, and the ball bulleted into his glove. Be- fore he hit the ground again, Eddie had tossed to Sabo at third to double up the runner and the half inning was over. The bears ran in to the dugout and Eddie was yelling all the way. “I'll get that run back for you, Beacon, old boy.” He went up to the plate. A fast ball. shot in and the kid let the bat go slack in his hands. A bunt trickled down the third base line and the kid streaked for first. The bunt was too hard and the third baseman fired the ball to first. But Eddie Duncan had hit the dirt and one spike hooked the bag. The umpire’s hands were palms down. Sabo went up and bunted on the first pitch. He was out by a city block but Dun- can was on second base. Jig Clayton stepped out of the waiting hitters’ circle and ambled toward the plate. He stood there lazily and didn’t offer. The count ran to two and two. The ball came in, hugging the outside corner, breaking away. Jig reached out and punched at the ball. There was an open- img between first and second and he drilled the ball through there. He loafed BAGO 1 HONG EO or eet HEAP 19 Gree 1G Crete Dae Bere et down to first and watched Eddie Duncan race around third and roar in to home plate. He slid from ten feet away and he could have scored standing up. The crowd gave him a yell and the rookie doffed his cap. On first, Jig Clayton sneered. The old grandstand play. The kid took the credit, but it had been Jig’s hit that drove him in. Jig shrugged his shoulders. He’d never paid any atten- tion to the fans, he wasn’t starting now. As long as he drew his salary, he didn’t care whether the fans ever saw him out there. It was the old average that counted when the owners made out the contracts, The game went on and Beacon was warm now, showing top form. The Bears picked up single runs in the fourth, sey- enth and eighth and breezed to a win, In the locker room after it was over, Pete Bland grinned from ear to ear, “We got fire and dash,” he said. “This year we roll.” “Three cheers,” Jig drawled. They didn’t pay much attention to him. But as the days went by, Jig knew he was having a good year. The Bears were - making those twin killings. Eddie Dun- can was fast and Jig had to step to keep up with him. Two weeks went by and only the Hagles were ahead of the Bears, a game away. DDIE DUNCAN kept riding Jig. One afternoon they lost a ball game in the ninth when Jig couldn’t get to a ball. He was a step &2way and when the grounder went on past his glove, the winning run came in from seeond. — It wasn’t an error, Jig hadri’t touched it. Eddie Duncan said, “You ever try getting that uniform dirty, Clayton? Hit the ground once in a while. It won’t hurt you.” Jig said nothing. Some day he was go- ing to have it out with this tramp bush- er. Under the stands some fine day, he would take this loud mouth apart piece by piece. The Bears travelled west and opened up a three-day series in the Eagle ball park. This was the first meeting of the top teams in the league. They had a big comichbook > .COr