CHAPTER V
GETTING READY FOR THE FRAY
"Come along, Jim!" cried Joe, jumping to his feet. "Put down that oldpaper and let's go up to the Polo Grounds. You know we've got to meetMcRae and the rest of the gang there at two o'clock, and it's almost onenow. We'll just have time to get a bite of lunch before we go."
"I'm with you," responded Jim.
They hurried through their lunch and took the train at the nearestelevated station.
"Some difference to-day from the way we felt when we were goingup yesterday, eh, Joe," grinned Jim, as he stretched out his legsluxuriously and settled back in his seat.
"About a million miles," assented Joe. "Then my heart was beating like atriphammer. Then the work was all to do. Now it's done."
"And well done, too, thanks to you," returned Jim. "Say, Joe, supposefor a minute--just _suppose_ that the Chicagos had copped that gameyesterday."
"Don't," protested Joe. "It gives me the cold shivers just to think ofit."
When they entered the clubhouse, a roar of welcome greeted them from themembers of the team who were already there. They crowded round BaseballJoe in jubilation, and the air was filled with a hubbub of exclamations.
"Here's the man to whom the team owes fifty thousand dollars!" shoutedthe irrepressible Larry Barrett, the second baseman, who had led theleague that year in batting.
"All right," laughed Joe. "If you owe it to me, hand it over and I'llput it in the bank."
In the laugh that ensued, McRae and Robson, the inseparable manager andtrainer of the Giants, came hurrying up to Joe. Their faces were beamingand they looked years younger, now that the tremendous strain of thelast few weeks of the league race had been taken from their shoulders.
They shook hands warmly.
"You're the real thing, Joe," cried Robson.
"You won the flag for us," declared McRae. "That home run of yours was alife saver. It brought home the bacon."
Joe flushed with pleasure. Praise from these veterans meant something.
"It took the whole nine to win for us," he said modestly.
"Sure it did," agreed McRae. "The boys put up a corking good game. Butyour pitching held Brennan's men down, and it was that scorching hitthat put on the finishing touch."
"It was the trump that took the trick," supplemented Robson.
Denton, the third baseman and wag of the team, stepped up and gravelyput his hands around Joe's head as though measuring it.
"Not swelled a bit, boys," he announced to his grinning mates. "He canwear the same size hat that he did yesterday."
They were all so full of hilarity that it was hard to get down toserious business, and McRae, who was as happy as a boy, made no attemptat his usual rigid discipline.
But when they had at last quieted down a little, he gathered them abouthim for a talk about the forthcoming World Series.
"You've done well, boys," he told them, "and I'm proud of you. You'veplayed the game to the limit and made a splendid fight. I don't believethere's another team in the league that wouldn't have gone to piecesif the same thing had happened to their crack pitcher that happenedto Hughson. It was a knockout blow, and I don't mind admitting to younow that for a time my own heart was in my boots. But you stood thegaff, and I want to thank you, both for the owners of the club and formyself."
There was a gratified murmur among the players, and then Larry shouted:
"Three cheers for McRae, the best manager in the league!"
The cheers were given with a will and the veteran's face grew red withpleasure.
"And three more for Robson, the king of trainers!" cried Jim.
They were given with equal heartiness, and Robson waved his hand to themwith a grin.
"I'm glad we all feel that way," resumed McRae, when the tumult hadsubsided. "If at times I've been a bit hasty with you lads and given youthe rough side of my tongue, it's been simply because I was wild withexcitement and crazy to win. And now for the big fight that lies beforeus. It's a great thing to be champions of the National League. But it'sa greater thing to be champions of the world."
A rousing shout rose from the eager group.
"Sure, we've got it copped already," cried Larry.
McRae smiled.
"That's the right spirit to tackle the job with," he replied, "but don'tlet the idea run away with you that it's going to be an easy thing todo. It isn't. Those American Leaguers are tough birds, and any one whobeats them will know he's been in a fight.
"There used to be a time," he went on, "when the bulk of the talent wasin the National League. But it isn't so any longer. They have just asgood batting, just as good pitching and just as good fielding as we have.
"Of course, we don't know yet just which team we'll have to face, but wemay know before night. If the Bostons win to-day that will settle it.Even if they lose, provided the Athletics lose, too, the Red Sox will bethe champions. Of course, there's nothing sure in baseball, but all thechances are in favor of the Bostons.
"In any case, it will be an Eastern club, and that cuts out the matterof the long jumps. But whichever one it happens to be, it'll prove ahard nut to crack."
"Nut-crackers is our middle name," murmured Denton.
"You proved that yesterday," laughed McRae, "and you're going to have agood chance to prove it again.
"Just as soon as the American race is decided," he continued, "and it'sknown in what city we are to play, the National Commission will havea meeting to fix all the details of the World Series. If they followprecedent, as they probably will, the first game will be appointed fora week from this Friday. They'll toss a coin to see whether it shall behere or in the other city. I'm rooting for it to be here. It'll give usa better chance to win the first game if we play it on the home grounds,and you know what it means to get the jump on the other fellows."
"You bet we do!" went up in a chorus.
"Just as soon as it is decided who our opponents are to be," the managerresumed, "I'm going to send some of you fellows out as scouts to seesome of the practice games of the other fellows and get a line on theirstyle of play. You can pick up a lot of useful information that way, andwe've got so much at stake that we can't afford to overlook a singlepoint of the game."
"How about our own practice?" asked Larry.
"I was coming to that," replied McRae. "I'm going to get togetherjust as husky a bunch of sluggers and fielders as can be found in theNational League."
He took a sheaf of telegrams from his pocket.
"I've got a lot of wires here from every club in the league, offeringthe services of any of their players I want," he said. "We've had ourown fight, and now that it's over they're all eager to help the NationalLeague to down the American. It means a good deal to each of them tohave us come out winner. Even Brennan has offered to let me have someof the Chicagos to practise against. I saw him at the hotel last night,and, although of course he was sore that he didn't win yesterday, hetold me I could call upon him for any men I wanted."
"He's a good sport," ejaculated Jim.
"Sure he is," confirmed McRae, heartily. "He's a hard fighter but he'sas white as they make 'em."
He consulted a list on which he had jotted down a few names in pencil.
"How will this do for an All National team to practise against," heasked.
"Konetchky, First base. Niehoff, Second base. Wagner, Shortstop. Zimmermann, Third base. Wheat, Left field. Carey, Center field. Schulte, Right field. Pfeffer, Alexander, Pitchers. Archer, Gibson, Catchers."
A murmur went up from the players.
"Some sweet hitters!" exclaimed Markwith.
"A bunch of fence breakers," echoed Jim.
"They'll give you mighty good practice," grinned McRae. "If they can'tstraighten out the curves of you twirlers, nobody can. I'll have themall on here in a day or two, and then we'll start in training."
The conference lasted till late in the afternoon, and just as it wasbreaking up, a telegraphic r
eport was handed to McRae. He scanned ithastily.
"That settles it!" he exclaimed. "Boston won to-day, three to two. We'reup against the Red Sox in the World Series!"