Baseball Joe, Captain of the Team; or, Bitter Struggles on the Diamond

t for a starter," exulted Robbie. "

pft and McCarney both in fielding and batting. Burkett is digging them out of the dirt at first all right, and L

the box," chuckled Robbie. "They'll have to move back the fences in the ball park

one of the men will have to be benched

rry nor Wheeler nor Bowen will want to sit on the bench, and they'll work their heads off to keep on the batting ord

remarked Robbie. "Have you ever noti

egged to be let off because they said they were sick. Over eating, perhaps. That's a common f

be nervous and jumpy. Looking around as though they expect

o Jim about it. Probably it will wear off when they get a little better us

ers bearing on the welfare of the cl

t poor little me," she said, with a

serving them, and straightened out the pout

ire you, as you ca

imself beside her. "In fact, instead of

abel, with a ques

, "that he made me capt

l, as though she could

t," was t

with pride and delight. "I'm so proud! That

I'll clean up over twenty thousand this year altogether. And, if we get into the World Series

d Mabel, anxiously. "Remember that your h

be afraid of myself," replied Joe, grinning. "Don't worr

atted his hand. "You'd make good in anything. Y

ncy," laughed Joe. "In fact, I'm afraid they'd have you pi

ed out in any great numbers, as they did when the Giants returned from a triumphant trip. It was an unusual experience for the Giants, who had the reputation of a great road team and commonly arrived w

made their headquarters. Reggie, to his regret, had not bee

s when they were coming a cropper. But I'll get to the big city soon and s

and foot, and he was overjoyed to find that he was now as fit as ever. The perfect

is condition were unbounded, for with Joe out of the g

are time employed through the day, and at night she and Joe

or practice on the Polo Grounds, Joe sought

t of that individual. He had been moody and grouchy ever since his displacement, and had nursed his supposed grievance until his heart was fairly feste

the grounds. "But first I wanted to see you personally. I just want to say that we've always got along together all

d to take the olive branc

t you tell me to," he muttered

t will be simply because that's my job, and not because I have a swelled head. McRae's the boss of all of us. You say you'll have to do what I tell you to. But I'm h

redell. "I'll do my work as shortstop. You've got t

mighty effort to restrain his naturally quick temper. But he knew that he could not rule others un

adn't even thought of it. I was struck all in a heap when McRae asked me to

poke volumes. Joe saw that while he was in this moo

stay your friend. I know how well you can play, and I'm sure you're going to

later had gathered the rest

all of us are brothers. We've been comrades in many a hard fight, and there are lots of such fights ahead of us. But all our fighting will be done against the other fellow

on the field, what I say will have to go. You may think it's right or you may think it's rotten, but all the same it will have to go. But you'll understand that there's nothing personal and that wh

e!" shouted Larry, enthusiastically.

k the clubhouse and

lay before them, and none of them underrated it. But the grim determination that had been i

ed all the energies of brain and body on his new task. Like the war horse, he "sniffed the bat

Iredell's grouchiness. He knew the player felt sore, but n

to himself when on his way to the hotel that night. "I'll