Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
CHAPTER TEN
Ron awakened about eleven o'clock the next morning, and the first thing he did was look at Wally's bed. It had not been slept in. He put on a robe against the slight chill of a freak September day. The sky was clouded over.
Then he discovered that Mac. Mac was sitting in the big chair. In her hand, he saw, was a goofus bird.
"Willy was here," he said.
"Yes, but he went away again without waking us."
"I wonder where he went?" Ron poured the hot coffee she had brought him and buttered a roll.
"there's no telling ." She looked older than he had ever seen her, holding the silly little bier, staring out of the window."He usually goes to the all-night movies. Or the Lodge."
"The Lodge?"
"The Antelopes. You know, they have a clubroom. There is always someone to pley cards untill all hours. Sometimes they see the sun come up."
"He does that every night? Because he can't sleep?"
"You don't know how it was with Willy. He and Linda..... always together. For years they were like that. Sometimes she traveled to meet him wherever the club was playing. They were like that. Then she died."
The food was tasteless to Ron. Looking at Mrs. Mac helplessly, he was suddenly reminded of his mother. He felt tears coming to his eyes when a great wave of homesickness struck him as it never had before. Mrs. Mac went on, "The goofus birds were something I did for fun. We pretended that they carried good luck. Linda had one, he had one, I had one. When we were forced to be apart for any time, it was the goofus birds that keep us company. it was a joke, but it was serious, too. I thought maybe it was time he had another go at some luck."
"We could look for him,' Ron offered.
"No, you take it easy and get to the ball park on time. I'll look for him. I'm going to be in a dugout box tonight, in any case, Ron. Willy gave me the ticket, and I've got someone to watch the place. This is the big one. If you win this one, the owners will have to raise everybody's pay, and bring will get a contract and next year-who knows? It could mean a pennant.It really could. This team is just beginning to play together. With Willy pitching relief like he is, with everything else going and the bench you're helping to give them, look out for the Mastodons! Today's game could do it. Beating the Blue Sox is like winning the series."
"I know it. I guess everybody feels that way," he agreed.
"I'll look for Wally. He's like my own son." She got up slowly, without her usual bounce."I miss Linda, too," she whispered as he took her tray and left the apartment.
Ron went back to his food. He manage to finish it, but the flavor wasn't there. He took a shower and dressed, and then he sat down. He thought about Willy and his sleeplessness, then he thought about himself and his family. He found himself picking up the telephone and calling New Jersey.
He felt better after he had taled to them all. He was still worried about Willy, but the heavy load was lifted from him. He could go to the park and be ready if he was neede.
Again Jack Martin gave him a ride. The young catcher was limping pretty badly. He didn't know whether he could start behind the bat, but he knew he could pinch-hit if he was called upon. When the two went the clubhouse, there was no sign of Willy.
Ron change slowly. He took down the goofus bird, stroked its feathers thoughtfully, put it back with care. Brig was in his office with the coaches. The door was closed. Everyone got ready for the game as though all their lives depend upon the outcome. Even Leroy and Jake were silent today.
It suddenly became very clear that the joker boys were not the key to the Mastodon's relaxation, their ease and confidence. Ron realized, now, it was always Willy Gaye,easing his path among the obstacles of the dressing room, stopping here and there, never rising his voice except when arguing with Brig Williams. The others hadn't seemed to notice, but each of them came to Ron to ask about the veteran pitcher.
The office door opened and Holly Mack beconed to Ron. He went inside. Brig was walking the floor. No one spoke for a moment. then the manager whirled on Ron.
"Where is he?"
" I don't know."
"He knows the team needs him. He's got no right to disappear. This will cost him five hundred dollars."
Ron heard himself say in a strange, stony voice, " He stopped' em yesterday. He scored the winning run!"
The silence in the room was thunderous. The coaches stared. they had never heard Ron Gilman utter more than, "Yes, sir," when addressing the manager. Brig seemed about to suffer an apopletic stroke.
"What did you say, Gilman?"
Ron stood squarely on both feet. "You've been on his back all season. He's....he's one of the greatest men who ever played baseball, and all you do is snarl at him and complain about him. Where would this team be without Willy?"
Williams roared, "Get out of here, you busher! Get out!"
"I don't care what you do to me," Ron cried. "I'm sick of hearing you put the knock on Willy Gaye!"
He ran out into the locker room, gravved his glove and his first baseman's mitt and went out through the tunnel onto the field. The others watched him wonderingly, then sat down to wait Brig's last-minute lecture, their faces solemn, their attitudes reflecting doubt.
When they came out for practice, Ron was running it off in the outfield. He was still angry. He still didn't care whether or not he played for Brig Williams. Leroy Pickwick fell into step with him, trotting over the grass, limbering up.
Leroy said, "Willy no show."
"He's got a good reason, whatever it is."
"He's The Man."
"You bet you're life he is!"
Leroy said softly, "You're goin' to play first."
"Big deal!" But Ron knew he was relieved. He knew that, down deep, he wanted to be in the game that decided so many things for so many Mastodons.
Leroy questioned,"Maybe Willy will show, you think?"
"He pitched yesterday, didn't he? What if he doesn't show?"
Leroy sighed. "It's like Willy does it to us, man. Like he pick us up, you dig?"
"Can't you pick youreselves up, for once?"
"We'll try. But Willy, he's The Man. You know he's out there, you know you got a chance to stop 'em. You know you got The Man."
"Tell it to Brig."
Leroy chuckled. "You think he don't know it? Brother, he knows it best of all."
He ran to where the fungoes were beginning to float into the air and caught one with his usual one-hand flourish. Ron started to the bench to retive his fishnet.Maybe Leroy is right, he thought; maybe Williams knows that Willy is The Man and he is jealous.
When the game started, Willy was still absent. Ron looked for Mrs. Mac. She was not in her seat. Tom McNulty was pitching for the Mastodons and jack Martin was trying not to display his limp behind the plate.
It would be Stone and his curve ball for the Blue Sox, and if the Mastodons weren't up in spirit, this could be a bad evening, Ron knew. He took the field without further words with the manager. The capacity crowd set up a yell that split the clear sky. The showdown game was beginnig.
Arranga was chattering like magpie as Mcnulty went to work on the hitters. The infield of the Mastodons picked it up like a chant, and now it was a ball game, everything going for the club, everyone behind the pitcher, everyone out to beat the enemy.
McNulty got Dixon on strikes, Harper on a pop to Ron and Hagney on a grounder, Milletti to Gilman. The Mastodons went in for their first raps. There was still no Willy Gaye.
Then he discovered that Mac. Mac was sitting in the big chair. In her hand, he saw, was a goofus bird.
"Willy was here," he said.
"Yes, but he went away again without waking us."
"I wonder where he went?" Ron poured the hot coffee she had brought him and buttered a roll.
"there's no telling ." She looked older than he had ever seen her, holding the silly little bier, staring out of the window."He usually goes to the all-night movies. Or the Lodge."
"The Lodge?"
"The Antelopes. You know, they have a clubroom. There is always someone to pley cards untill all hours. Sometimes they see the sun come up."
"He does that every night? Because he can't sleep?"
"You don't know how it was with Willy. He and Linda..... always together. For years they were like that. Sometimes she traveled to meet him wherever the club was playing. They were like that. Then she died."
The food was tasteless to Ron. Looking at Mrs. Mac helplessly, he was suddenly reminded of his mother. He felt tears coming to his eyes when a great wave of homesickness struck him as it never had before. Mrs. Mac went on, "The goofus birds were something I did for fun. We pretended that they carried good luck. Linda had one, he had one, I had one. When we were forced to be apart for any time, it was the goofus birds that keep us company. it was a joke, but it was serious, too. I thought maybe it was time he had another go at some luck."
"We could look for him,' Ron offered.
"No, you take it easy and get to the ball park on time. I'll look for him. I'm going to be in a dugout box tonight, in any case, Ron. Willy gave me the ticket, and I've got someone to watch the place. This is the big one. If you win this one, the owners will have to raise everybody's pay, and bring will get a contract and next year-who knows? It could mean a pennant.It really could. This team is just beginning to play together. With Willy pitching relief like he is, with everything else going and the bench you're helping to give them, look out for the Mastodons! Today's game could do it. Beating the Blue Sox is like winning the series."
"I know it. I guess everybody feels that way," he agreed.
"I'll look for Wally. He's like my own son." She got up slowly, without her usual bounce."I miss Linda, too," she whispered as he took her tray and left the apartment.
Ron went back to his food. He manage to finish it, but the flavor wasn't there. He took a shower and dressed, and then he sat down. He thought about Willy and his sleeplessness, then he thought about himself and his family. He found himself picking up the telephone and calling New Jersey.
He felt better after he had taled to them all. He was still worried about Willy, but the heavy load was lifted from him. He could go to the park and be ready if he was neede.
Again Jack Martin gave him a ride. The young catcher was limping pretty badly. He didn't know whether he could start behind the bat, but he knew he could pinch-hit if he was called upon. When the two went the clubhouse, there was no sign of Willy.
Ron change slowly. He took down the goofus bird, stroked its feathers thoughtfully, put it back with care. Brig was in his office with the coaches. The door was closed. Everyone got ready for the game as though all their lives depend upon the outcome. Even Leroy and Jake were silent today.
It suddenly became very clear that the joker boys were not the key to the Mastodon's relaxation, their ease and confidence. Ron realized, now, it was always Willy Gaye,easing his path among the obstacles of the dressing room, stopping here and there, never rising his voice except when arguing with Brig Williams. The others hadn't seemed to notice, but each of them came to Ron to ask about the veteran pitcher.
The office door opened and Holly Mack beconed to Ron. He went inside. Brig was walking the floor. No one spoke for a moment. then the manager whirled on Ron.
"Where is he?"
" I don't know."
"He knows the team needs him. He's got no right to disappear. This will cost him five hundred dollars."
Ron heard himself say in a strange, stony voice, " He stopped' em yesterday. He scored the winning run!"
The silence in the room was thunderous. The coaches stared. they had never heard Ron Gilman utter more than, "Yes, sir," when addressing the manager. Brig seemed about to suffer an apopletic stroke.
"What did you say, Gilman?"
Ron stood squarely on both feet. "You've been on his back all season. He's....he's one of the greatest men who ever played baseball, and all you do is snarl at him and complain about him. Where would this team be without Willy?"
Williams roared, "Get out of here, you busher! Get out!"
"I don't care what you do to me," Ron cried. "I'm sick of hearing you put the knock on Willy Gaye!"
He ran out into the locker room, gravved his glove and his first baseman's mitt and went out through the tunnel onto the field. The others watched him wonderingly, then sat down to wait Brig's last-minute lecture, their faces solemn, their attitudes reflecting doubt.
When they came out for practice, Ron was running it off in the outfield. He was still angry. He still didn't care whether or not he played for Brig Williams. Leroy Pickwick fell into step with him, trotting over the grass, limbering up.
Leroy said, "Willy no show."
"He's got a good reason, whatever it is."
"He's The Man."
"You bet you're life he is!"
Leroy said softly, "You're goin' to play first."
"Big deal!" But Ron knew he was relieved. He knew that, down deep, he wanted to be in the game that decided so many things for so many Mastodons.
Leroy questioned,"Maybe Willy will show, you think?"
"He pitched yesterday, didn't he? What if he doesn't show?"
Leroy sighed. "It's like Willy does it to us, man. Like he pick us up, you dig?"
"Can't you pick youreselves up, for once?"
"We'll try. But Willy, he's The Man. You know he's out there, you know you got a chance to stop 'em. You know you got The Man."
"Tell it to Brig."
Leroy chuckled. "You think he don't know it? Brother, he knows it best of all."
He ran to where the fungoes were beginning to float into the air and caught one with his usual one-hand flourish. Ron started to the bench to retive his fishnet.Maybe Leroy is right, he thought; maybe Williams knows that Willy is The Man and he is jealous.
When the game started, Willy was still absent. Ron looked for Mrs. Mac. She was not in her seat. Tom McNulty was pitching for the Mastodons and jack Martin was trying not to display his limp behind the plate.
It would be Stone and his curve ball for the Blue Sox, and if the Mastodons weren't up in spirit, this could be a bad evening, Ron knew. He took the field without further words with the manager. The capacity crowd set up a yell that split the clear sky. The showdown game was beginnig.
Arranga was chattering like magpie as Mcnulty went to work on the hitters. The infield of the Mastodons picked it up like a chant, and now it was a ball game, everything going for the club, everyone behind the pitcher, everyone out to beat the enemy.
McNulty got Dixon on strikes, Harper on a pop to Ron and Hagney on a grounder, Milletti to Gilman. The Mastodons went in for their first raps. There was still no Willy Gaye.
About the Author
WILLIAM R. COX was born and educated in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey. He worked on news papers in Newark, sports and features, always attempting fiction until he finally broke into magazines with sports stories.
Since then, he has published over a thousand shorts and novelettes in magazines ranging from Blue Book and Argosy through the Post and Cosmopolitan. he has written twenty books, including several sports yarns for Dodd, Mead.
In 1950,Cox pioneered in television. He continued to work in that medium and in motion pictures from time to time. His main interest, however, has always been in the printed word.
His hobbies are writing and reading, oddly enough. He prefers professional sports to the semi-pro athletes in the athletic mills but will walk a mile to see a good high school contest. He dwells in California among the oranges, avocados and Satsuma plums.
Since then, he has published over a thousand shorts and novelettes in magazines ranging from Blue Book and Argosy through the Post and Cosmopolitan. he has written twenty books, including several sports yarns for Dodd, Mead.
In 1950,Cox pioneered in television. He continued to work in that medium and in motion pictures from time to time. His main interest, however, has always been in the printed word.
His hobbies are writing and reading, oddly enough. He prefers professional sports to the semi-pro athletes in the athletic mills but will walk a mile to see a good high school contest. He dwells in California among the oranges, avocados and Satsuma plums.
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