In Memoriam, Howard Edwin Shawcross, 1918-1996
Howard Shawcross wrote the following story:
HOW I WON THE BALL GAME
It was the middle of September 1941 and we were home for the last game of the season playing a bunch from Bellview, a community south and east who had given Eckley over by Wray a run for the State champions a few times and they were good.
I had been playing for 4 years and was just beginning to learn how, really, by that I mean the fine points, such as watching the opponent’s eyes, a flick of the hand or the head, how they planted their feet, anything that was a tip off. Someone had the idea I should make a good third baseman. Took a half season to convince them they were wrong -- no problem fielding the ball (most times) but took too long to get set, the ball out of my glove and make a good, on the money, throw to first. So eventually I convinced the manager that center field was the spot. Just loved all that space to roam in or out, right or left, depending on the hitters, especially if I could sneak a few peeks at their batting practice. That day our left fielder couldn’t make it so the manager said I’d play left. Really didn’t mind too much but it wasn’t like home. I got a good look at the Bellview boys at batting practice and here was this hulk of a guy about 6-6 230 pounds and when he hit a ball -- never high in the sky but just a bullet that went and went and went. Found out he was an ex pro who had played on some 3A teams some years before and that he was over 50 and was mostly a coach but played an inning now and then. I had had 2 good seasons with a bat 406 combined with speed so was the lead off man. Power hitter I surely wasn’t -- just tried to hit the ball on the ground and beat it out with inches to spare.
The game went along as games go and at the end of the eighth inning it was 5 to 5. Their first man up in the ninth struck out. The second man poked one over the first baseman’s head and wound up on second, and who decided to bat? The big hulk. I dropped about twenty steps deeper and the first two pitches were balls but the next pitch he hit the ball, which never got over 20 feet high, out my way. I knew it was going to be over my head so I started running deeper watching the ball over my shoulder and when I thought it was about there, leaped like never before and lo and behold when I came down there in the webbing of my glove was the ball. Who was the most surprised -- ME -- the hulk, the guy on second, or the rest of our team? The guy on second was past third and while our shortstop came out to take the relay, he was able to get back to second and tag up and then make third again.
The next guy up hadn’t impressed me much during batting practice so I came way in and he hit a routine pop fly right at me. I waited till it came down, plop right in the old glove only to pop right back out about 10 feet high and 10 feet in front of me. Two quick steps and a lunge and I had the ball for the third out. Boy, did I take a ribbing when we went in the dugout. “Here you catch an uncatchable ball and almost blow a pop fly.”
Our turn to bat -- #9 hitter struck out now its my turn. I had successfully laid down a bunt single earlier in the game, and I noticed the third baseman creeping in so I took a strike -- he came in more -- strike two -- the next pitch was “down the pike” and I swung like a peewee leaguer which popped the ball just over third’s head and by the time the shortstop recovered the ball, it was easy to get on first. Our power hitter was up. I kept watching that pitcher, increasing my lead a little more on each pitch. On the count of 3 and 2 I took off. Gerald hit that ball over first but by that time I was almost to second -- no intention of stopping. When I got to third, the coach was hollering “hold UP,” but I kept going. I’m sure they could have gotten me at home had the throw been to the third base side of the plate instead of the right at the plate. I slid to the back of the plate, raking my left toe barely on the plate. SAFE.
It was the big day for me but the last -- Dec 7 changed it all. O the guys around the Navy base would play a little catch, hit a few flys but no one was interested in getting up a team, even the LT commander in charge of recreation. Wanting everyone to go out for boxing -- me a boxer -- no thanks. Took up bowling instead. Had a lot of fun doing that with a team from Ward Island (radio base). We’d bowl downtown, losers bought hamburgers and a coke afterwards. Swell guys and we came out about even.
HOW I WON THE BALL GAME
It was the middle of September 1941 and we were home for the last game of the season playing a bunch from Bellview, a community south and east who had given Eckley over by Wray a run for the State champions a few times and they were good.
I had been playing for 4 years and was just beginning to learn how, really, by that I mean the fine points, such as watching the opponent’s eyes, a flick of the hand or the head, how they planted their feet, anything that was a tip off. Someone had the idea I should make a good third baseman. Took a half season to convince them they were wrong -- no problem fielding the ball (most times) but took too long to get set, the ball out of my glove and make a good, on the money, throw to first. So eventually I convinced the manager that center field was the spot. Just loved all that space to roam in or out, right or left, depending on the hitters, especially if I could sneak a few peeks at their batting practice. That day our left fielder couldn’t make it so the manager said I’d play left. Really didn’t mind too much but it wasn’t like home. I got a good look at the Bellview boys at batting practice and here was this hulk of a guy about 6-6 230 pounds and when he hit a ball -- never high in the sky but just a bullet that went and went and went. Found out he was an ex pro who had played on some 3A teams some years before and that he was over 50 and was mostly a coach but played an inning now and then. I had had 2 good seasons with a bat 406 combined with speed so was the lead off man. Power hitter I surely wasn’t -- just tried to hit the ball on the ground and beat it out with inches to spare.
The game went along as games go and at the end of the eighth inning it was 5 to 5. Their first man up in the ninth struck out. The second man poked one over the first baseman’s head and wound up on second, and who decided to bat? The big hulk. I dropped about twenty steps deeper and the first two pitches were balls but the next pitch he hit the ball, which never got over 20 feet high, out my way. I knew it was going to be over my head so I started running deeper watching the ball over my shoulder and when I thought it was about there, leaped like never before and lo and behold when I came down there in the webbing of my glove was the ball. Who was the most surprised -- ME -- the hulk, the guy on second, or the rest of our team? The guy on second was past third and while our shortstop came out to take the relay, he was able to get back to second and tag up and then make third again.
The next guy up hadn’t impressed me much during batting practice so I came way in and he hit a routine pop fly right at me. I waited till it came down, plop right in the old glove only to pop right back out about 10 feet high and 10 feet in front of me. Two quick steps and a lunge and I had the ball for the third out. Boy, did I take a ribbing when we went in the dugout. “Here you catch an uncatchable ball and almost blow a pop fly.”
Our turn to bat -- #9 hitter struck out now its my turn. I had successfully laid down a bunt single earlier in the game, and I noticed the third baseman creeping in so I took a strike -- he came in more -- strike two -- the next pitch was “down the pike” and I swung like a peewee leaguer which popped the ball just over third’s head and by the time the shortstop recovered the ball, it was easy to get on first. Our power hitter was up. I kept watching that pitcher, increasing my lead a little more on each pitch. On the count of 3 and 2 I took off. Gerald hit that ball over first but by that time I was almost to second -- no intention of stopping. When I got to third, the coach was hollering “hold UP,” but I kept going. I’m sure they could have gotten me at home had the throw been to the third base side of the plate instead of the right at the plate. I slid to the back of the plate, raking my left toe barely on the plate. SAFE.
It was the big day for me but the last -- Dec 7 changed it all. O the guys around the Navy base would play a little catch, hit a few flys but no one was interested in getting up a team, even the LT commander in charge of recreation. Wanting everyone to go out for boxing -- me a boxer -- no thanks. Took up bowling instead. Had a lot of fun doing that with a team from Ward Island (radio base). We’d bowl downtown, losers bought hamburgers and a coke afterwards. Swell guys and we came out about even.
posted by Tom Shawcross | 12:17 PM
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