12 Sports Aces, May 1943 — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

- POP-OFF ROOKIE Seas | crowd out that day and the Eagies were a buecaneering crew of baflpiayers. Right from the start they went to work on Eddie Dunean. They had dug up ev- erything in his past life and they gave it all to the rookie in a raucous chorus, trying to upset him, to get him rattled. But it didn’t last very long. Eddie Dun- can went up to lead off and on the bench the Eagle jockeys poured it to him, The Eagle hurler threw the first bali in and if it wasn’t a duster, it was the next thing to it. The kid shortstep had te go down inte the dirt to get away from it. He got up and Jig heard him jawing at the piteher. He didn’t move away, he crowded the plate even more. Another close pitch sent him diving back into the dirt.. Eddie got up and he looked seared. He backed away from the plate. “Yellow,” Jig Clayton sneered. “Wateh and see,” Pete Bland said. The Bagile pitcher threw a hock on the outside now that Eddie had been backed away. But as soon as the pitch had start- ed, Eddie was up crowding that plate again. His bat lashed out. There was a solid thump and the ball started out to- ward right field. The fly-catcher went back to the fence, then watched the ball soar over his head into the stands. “Yellow, is he, Clayton?’ Pete Bland gaid, laughing. “If you had the heart that kid has, Clayton, you’d be the best second baseman in the business, instead of just another good player.” Eddie Dunean came around third saa grinned at the Eagie bench. “What’s the matter, boys?” he yelled. The Eagles didn’t respond. The jockey- ing was over then and there, Mike Sabo flied deep to center and Jig went up there, smarting under Bland’s words. The count ran full and on the next pitch, a hall that breke inside, Jig swung and hit an easy grounder to the He went back to the dugout. Eddie Dunean said, “Should have let it go, Clay- ton.” A vein began to hammer at Jig’s tem- ple. He clenched his hands and said noth- ing. The Bears won that day and tied for — first place. But Jig Clayton wasn’t happy about it. He had gone four for none, and his average dropped to three hundred even, The Bears were hot. They swept the series. They got hits when they needed them and came up with fielding gems when they had to make them to stop the Eagles. But Jig Clayton went to the plate twelve times in the series without — getting on base. The team moved on to play the other - western clubs and the slump stayed with Jig Clayton. He began to worry about it, Pete Bland dropped him down into the eighth slot in the batting order. His average had tumbled close to two-fifty. And his fielding was beginning to suffer. It was that damn rookie, Jig thought He was responsible. HE Bears returned home and they were on top. The HMagles came to town hugging their heels, and it was go- ing to be a ding-dong series. The first game was tight all the way. It went into the eighth inning with no score. Jig crouched at his position, thinking that he hadn’t been able to get the ball out of the infield all day. The first Eagle hitter ran out a bunt and was on first, The Bear infield moved in for the sacrifice, and the Eagle man- ager crossed them up, He went after the arst pitch, rifling it between first and sec- ond. Jig went over and got in front of it. He was off balance, then he turned and threw to second. Eddie Duncan was there to get it and the runner from first came in hard, his spikes slicing through the air. The kid went down in the dust, but when it had cleared away he was still hanging on to the ball. The runner was out at second base. Bears came charging in from all over the field, Pete Bland was out of the dugout on the run. Jig Clayton stood at his position. “You hurt, kid?” Bland asked. Eddie Duncan shook his head. “Let’s going.” He trotted toward shortstop and the players went back to their po- sitions. Jig Clayton listened to the hand and Gomichbooks (E@) ~~ we CVT OTS! Ce mee Pee Pe ke