Evening Star Newspaper, August 1, 1937, Page 83

Avgust 1, 1937 landed. Buddy Morgan was whistling the Miserere as they carried Bill off the field. ““Stiff,” murmured Con Graham in awe. “Stiff as a dried herring.” Mike Davis was pleading with Steve, but Mr. Webb was addressing his teammates and paying less than no heed to his manager. “Listen, you,”” Steve was saying, ‘I came up here to play baseball; not to be kidded by a lot of wise guys. Anybody else who gets funny with me is in for a dose of that same medicine.” A ballplayer said aloud, “The Alabama Wildcat!” and Steve stepped forward. ‘“Who said that?” “Look,”” pleaded Mike, ‘‘you can’t always be hunting for trouble.” “No? Well, then tell them to let me alone. I don’t like bein” made fun of.” Linda Roberts was holding tight to Buddy organ’s arm. ‘‘He’s a lamb,” she sighed. “A rreat big woolly lamb.” “In tiger's clothing.” Buddy turned to the epresentatives of the press. **Wait here, mugs. 1’1l be right back.” He conferred with Manager Mike Davis and eturned to the reporters. “Mike’s trying to igure out what he’s got besides a pitcher. Any- bvay, he says the sky's the limit. Write anything Pou like — but write it. Be funny if you want.” Con Graham said, “‘No thanks. That turkey fan hit too hard.” lLinda was starry-eyed. She said, “I think his is going to be lots of fun.” She was right. Things happened and kept ight on happening. Net results were tabulated s follows: Steve Webb became formally and officially ames against first-division clubs and satisfied ike Davis that the Cougars now had an ex- lellent chance for the pennant. He had one ist fight with his own center fielder which left he umpire rather uncertain about what sort of benalty to inflict, and he almost murdered two usky players on opposing clubs who, from the idelines, kaunched shafts of vitriolic humor. "hese battles were staged in the clubhouse fter the game and were distinctive mainly for heir brevity and conclusiveness. Newspapermen loved Steve because he was a old mine of vivid copy. The fans adored him ecause he was pugnacious and efficient. He eld aloof from his teammates and was never rithout a chip on his shoulder. Such friendly vertures as were made, he either didn’t under- tand or ignored. The team developed an in- nse dislike for the overgrown boy, and their '@pinion of him was no more cordial than his of em. Manager Davis remained awake nights won- fJering. He had acquired the greatest young Sitcher in baseball history, and the man was isrupting his club. It was also increasingly Jvident that Steve Webb was unhappy and ore than a trifle homesick. Mike conferred #1th Buddy Morgan. “You're so little,” he told Buddy, “‘that this d:¢ never thinks of knocking you over. He o ight even like you.” “So what?"” “So do you want to earn a thousand dollars?”’ +‘Good Lawd! Jokes you ask.” 4 “I'm serious. Look: one of these days Steve 4 going to turn up missing. He’s got homesick- {'ss in his heart and battle in his eye. And if 4. don’t walk out on us, we're just as bad off. qven with a guy like that, we can’t win if he 1on’t be friendly with the boys. So that’s where $u come in.” 1 ““Clear as mud, Chief. Tell me some more.” “You're a smart lad, Buddy. Handle this {ustroted by C. C. Beall 1 Che Alabama Wildcat. He pitched two scoreless - THIS WEEK guy. Make him quit slapping our lads around every time they blink. Tone him down. Soften him up. Then we've got something.” A thousand dollars is a heap of money. For that much dough I can swing miracles.” “It’s our only hope, Buddy —— and cheap at twice the price.” Buddy didn’t achieve any outstanding suc- cess in the first few days of his campaign. Al- most a week had passed before he got his big idea. He carried it to Linda Roberts. He said, “Gimme ear, gorgeous. What would a thousand bucks cold cash mean to me?"” “Nothing. But your creditors would be terribly enthusiastic.” “Aflluence,” sighed Buddy, “with a big ‘Af.’ Perhaps even a honeymoon for you and me. Together, of course.” “And after the thousand was gone?”’ “We'd come back and you'd go to work again.” Buddy’s lips twisted into a quizzical grin in which there was a hint of seriousness. “Why not give me a break, honey?”’ She said, *‘Let’s not get too serious. Now tell me what'’s on your mind.” “‘Okay. Grab this. Mike has offered me one thousand beautiful new dollars to swing that turnip into line. It shapes up this way: if things keep on like they're going, Steve’ll be off to the tall timber without warning. If he stays he’ll send half the team to the hospital with more or less fatal injuries. The Chief thinks I can negotiate a peace conference between him and the boys.”” Linda was thoughtful. “It would certainly be the answer to a manager’s prayer. You know, Buddy, you’ve got Steve sized up wrong. He’d be friends if he once believed that the boys really liked him; if he ever understood that their kidding was friendly.” “Safety first. Anyway, I'm stumped and you've got to help.” “Me?” “lI, Linda, I. Can’t you even talk grammat- ic? Yes, you. You can drill a hole in that thick skull of his and make him understand he’s as welcome around here as blossoms in May — if he'll only quit pulverizing his teammates. Give him the old feminine touch. It can be done.” Linda nodded thoughtfully. “Delilah had luck,” she agreed, “‘for a while.” “Go to it, sugarfoots. And keep Buddy out of the Debtor’s Prison.” *“You seem to have confidence in me.” “Why not? Aren’'t you the Queen of the Universe?”” Buddy grew thoughtful. ‘“‘Look, honey: don’t go too strong.”” “Meaning what?”’ “*Well, don’t hurt the kid.” “Do I look brutal?” “Sometimes. But Steve is fresh from the sticks. Just be careful he don’t take you too seriously.” She laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t do him any harm.” Linda’s initial overtures were received with an almost impregnable skepticism. Steve Webb simply couldn’t understand that anybody in New York actually liked him, least of all this trim, attractive young lady who dressed like a picture in a magazine. In desperation she launched a frontal attack. ““Yes,” she stated, “I want you to take me out. Movies. Dinner. Even feeding the other squirrels in the park. STEVE WAS STILL HOLDING HER HAND. HE LOOKED DOWN AT HER AND SAID, “GEE! IT WAS SWELL, MISS LINDA"’ Now is it clear that I'm asking you for a date?” Steve turned brick red and said “Uh-huh,” and Linda closed her eyes and tried to remem- ber that she was doing this for Buddy and the home team. Also, her pride had been touched. Men weren’t usually so utterly indifferent to her feminine charms. That was the beginning. Their first two Magoazine Section 9 evenings together were pretty terrible, though there were moments when Steve forgot that he was a self-appointed pariah. That was when Linda talked baseball. Linda knew the difference between center field and the hit-and-run. So did Steve. She egged him on, deliberately sounded him out. (Continved on poge 15)