12 Sports Aces, May 1943 — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

6 (12 SPORTS ACES _ | ; He had to prove himself fast. That was the most important angle. Cheeky Graham looked over at him as the game got started. “Okay, busher. Let’s make like a fielder today.” ; Jeff didn’t answer. Graham would be watching him. That was apparent. It would not do to look silly again, The big guy was no dumbbell. Bucky Welltver had the hill for the home team, The compactly built right hander was a strong starter, but usually faded ir the closing innings. He did today. Jeff had his first fielding chance in the third stanza, a low, scream- ing ball that threatened to ride right over him. He turned and ran toward the wall. He glanced back and saw the ball not ten feet from him. He leaped, stabbed his glove at all, and was rewarded by the solid smack of the ball in his mitt. There was a hand from the bleacherites for him. It warmed him inside. Even Gra- ham could find no fault with him. He could bluff this thing through, he de cided. He singied in the third. There were no men on base and it didn’t result in a counter. But it looked good en paper, which was plenty important. He struck out in the fifth. The game te that point was scoreless. Tuffy Tarner was begging for runs. He didn’t get them. In the eftghth the Bisons started to get Bucky. The kid was tired. He was still serving up steam as he had from the stars and the Bisons were finding his fast one. A singte, a walk and a sacrifice bunt put men on sesand and third. One down. TREETER, the Bisons’ heavy hitter, was wp. On the bench, Tuffy was casting anxtous glances from the mound to the bull pen. Jeff glareed sideward and saw Graham moving in. Jeff frowned. He recalled Streeter as a swing away hitter who sel- dom aimed for a pocket but preferred %0 belt them. It didn’t make sense for Gra- ham to be moving in now. Still, Jeff followed. Graham hadn’t been six years in the leagu2 for nothing, he reasoned. | He was moving up when the staccato erack of the bat met his eardrums. He saw the ball rising in a low arc over sec- ond. He swore violently under his breath as he turned and dug in for the wall. He had never run so fast in his life. When the crowd roar warned him, he looked back and jumped. Too late! Tt hit the wall waist high and caromed through his clutching fingers. He had to run a full ten yards to capture the roller. In his mind’s eye he could see what a pic- ture he made, falling all over himself chasing the rebound. He picked it up and heaved to second. To top things eff, his throw fell short and was off the target. The hitter made third and two runs remped in for the Bisons. Bucky Welhiver tightened gamely te retire the side with no further casualties. Fhe fact remained that Jeff’s lack of judgment in fielding that clout nad prae- tically lost them this ball game. : Why had Graham gone in for Streeter, sucking Jeff out of position? Coincl- dence? Hardly, he decided. The thought didn’t help his hitting. He whiffed again in the ninth, One for five, and.he blamed himself for the final score, 2-0, favor the Bisons. Tuffy Turner gave him a bleak stare and said, “Come un to the office, Mellick, soon as you're showered.” “Y es, sir.” He didn’t like the way Tuffy had said it, He dressed quickly, brooding about it, wondering what the manager had to say that called for the privacy of his inner sanctum. It had to be something impor- tant. When he got upstairs, the manager picked tp a piece of paper with typing on it, and handed it to him. “What's all this about, Mellick?” Jeff teok it aud seanned it nervously. It said: Dear Mr. Turner: As a long time Grays fan I feel duty bound to suggest that you ask your new eenter fielder about his insurance. A LovaL Strrortser GEomichbooks (E@)