1
00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,799
Speaker 1: The Ghost of Silent Smith, An Uncanny Tail by C.

2
00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:09,480
Franklin Miller. Silent Smith was dead to begin with, of

3
00:00:09,599 --> 00:00:12,519
that there could be no doubt. The story of his

4
00:00:12,679 --> 00:00:15,759
tragic end was featured in the first column of every

5
00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,239
sporting sheet in the country, and was officially verified in

6
00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:24,640
due course by the physician, the coroner, and the clergyman. Furthermore,

7
00:00:24,839 --> 00:00:28,679
the tragedy itself was visioned by some twenty thousand eyes.

8
00:00:29,399 --> 00:00:32,119
They all saw the blinding speed of the ball as

9
00:00:32,119 --> 00:00:36,159
it left the pitcher's hand. They saw the melancholy indifference

10
00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,880
of Silence as he stood at the plate. They saw

11
00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,960
the ball crush into his right temple, and they saw

12
00:00:42,039 --> 00:00:45,000
him fall. Some said that he wanted to die, but

13
00:00:45,119 --> 00:00:48,079
that is beside the question of one thing. We are

14
00:00:48,119 --> 00:00:53,359
sure Silent Smith was dead. I myself saw his corpse

15
00:00:53,439 --> 00:00:56,399
two days later. It was laid out in somber black.

16
00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,200
His coffin was black, his suit was black, and black

17
00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:03,600
was his bat winging tie. Black was his favorite color.

18
00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,760
It harmonized perfectly with the gloom of his disposition, and

19
00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:12,239
to it he clung consistent in death as an active life.

20
00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,439
The time of his death is likewise certain. It occurred

21
00:01:15,439 --> 00:01:19,239
at precisely twenty two minutes after three Eastern Standard time.

22
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,480
That fact I have verified it is important. Had it

23
00:01:23,519 --> 00:01:26,640
occurred five hours later, there would be nothing unusual to

24
00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,879
tell about Silent Smith would have been duly buried, mourned,

25
00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,599
and finally forgotten, except for the brilliant record, which will

26
00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,239
always stand as a monument to his pitching skill. As

27
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,079
it was, he died at the time stated, and his

28
00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:44,159
corpse was in the hands of the coroner. Exactly one

29
00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,280
hour later. That same hour found him staging the most

30
00:01:48,359 --> 00:01:51,840
remarkable comeback in the history of the national game, and

31
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,879
this at a point three thousand miles away. I make

32
00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,920
that statement with a full knowledge of the actual facts.

33
00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,439
As a member of Johnny Morgan's Bears that year, I

34
00:02:02,519 --> 00:02:05,799
saw the weird occurrence with my own eyes. It happened

35
00:02:05,879 --> 00:02:08,280
out on the coast in the presence of some eight

36
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,759
thousand fans. Those in the assembled throng who knew Silent

37
00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,840
and his mannerisms could only stare and wonder. At the time.

38
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,319
They had no knowledge of his death. I had, so

39
00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:22,680
had the rest of the players on the Bear's bench.

40
00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,280
A telegram from the east had borne the tragic news.

41
00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,039
That message shed a ghostly light on the astounding phenomenon,

42
00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,159
and lent to the affair a vague tinge of plausibility. However,

43
00:02:35,199 --> 00:02:39,599
amazing understand I do not deny the evidence of written

44
00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:44,080
records that would be useless. I know that talkative Andy

45
00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,280
Gregg was on the mound for the Bears that day.

46
00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:49,919
I realized that he was credited with the victory which

47
00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,039
brought to the club the first pennant we ever flaunted

48
00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,360
along the coast, and I agree that he deserved the credit.

49
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,840
For all practical purposes, the voluable lad had labored nine

50
00:03:00,879 --> 00:03:04,319
full innings, giving one of the most sensational exhibitions of

51
00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:10,120
hurling ever witnessed. Nevertheless, I insist that Silent Smith pitched

52
00:03:10,159 --> 00:03:12,919
the Bears into that pennant as surely as his death

53
00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:17,560
occurred two hours before the game was called. Let us see,

54
00:03:17,719 --> 00:03:20,639
Silent Smith had been our twirling ace the greater part

55
00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,159
of the season. Any One who ever saw him in

56
00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,360
action will tell you he was a pitching marvel. He

57
00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,039
could work in turn every fourth day, to relief duty

58
00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,120
in between when called upon, and still win the vast

59
00:03:33,159 --> 00:03:37,800
majority of his games. Notwithstanding his proclivity for hard work,

60
00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,120
he was strangely lacking in enthusiasm, and possessed no more

61
00:03:42,159 --> 00:03:47,240
sociability than an ancient tombstone. Mind, I do not profess

62
00:03:47,319 --> 00:03:50,319
to have any firsthand knowledge as to the sociability of

63
00:03:50,319 --> 00:03:54,000
a tombstone. My head never rested within the shadow of one.

64
00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,680
It may be that their communion is confined solely to

65
00:03:57,759 --> 00:04:00,800
the realm of departed spirits, but as far as the

66
00:04:00,879 --> 00:04:05,360
human eye can see, they are extremely unsociable objects. And

67
00:04:05,439 --> 00:04:09,479
so was Silent. I well remember the veil of gloom

68
00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,479
which accompanied his advent into our spring training camp. He

69
00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,319
came wandering out upon the field like a lost sheep,

70
00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,399
trailing a big black bat. The most dismal looking rookie

71
00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:24,120
I ever laid eyes upon. His face was a masterpiece

72
00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,199
of dark despair, sketched in deep, weary lines, ill fitted

73
00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,000
to carry a smile. Shrouded in sackcloth, he could have

74
00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,519
done justice to the role of chief mourner at anybody's funeral.

75
00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,319
The Chief had been busy all morning looking over a

76
00:04:39,439 --> 00:04:43,279
number of promising young pitchers whose efforts would have ruined

77
00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:47,199
the disposition of any trainer. We'd been hanging their offerings

78
00:04:47,199 --> 00:04:50,199
all over the park. Not one of them had enough

79
00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,480
stuff to last in a triple A league. The Chief's

80
00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,839
iire had been mounting accordingly, and the sight of Silent

81
00:04:57,199 --> 00:05:00,639
gazing dismally on had no soothing effect on his temper.

82
00:05:01,319 --> 00:05:04,680
Say Smith, he growled, You're supposed to be a pitcher,

83
00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,639
not a monument. Snap out of it. Let's see your stuff.

84
00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:12,120
Silence produced a ball from his hip pocket and nursed it. Sadly.

85
00:05:12,199 --> 00:05:14,639
For a moment or two, I thought he was going

86
00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,759
to cry instead, he answered the Chief in a very

87
00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:22,759
meek and tired voice. Yet, yes, sir, mister Morkin, some

88
00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,240
of us may have grinned in secret, but no one

89
00:05:25,319 --> 00:05:28,879
laughed outright. We knew the Chief too well. He was

90
00:05:28,959 --> 00:05:32,360
fairly boiling inwardly, and the lid was due to pop

91
00:05:32,439 --> 00:05:37,360
at any moment. Silence, however, paid absolutely no attention to him.

92
00:05:37,959 --> 00:05:42,920
After uttering those surprising words, he ignored the Chief completely. Slowly,

93
00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,839
he made his way out onto the vacant mound and

94
00:05:45,959 --> 00:05:49,439
started a slow wind up. The Chief swore that this

95
00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,279
latest addition must have served a term on the box

96
00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,959
of a funeral cap. Slow motioned or not, the lad

97
00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,519
was uncommonly graceful for Southpaul that we could use. But

98
00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:02,920
what he did to the ball. No one ever knew.

99
00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,560
The thing he threw with that left arm of his

100
00:06:05,959 --> 00:06:09,240
was the biggest puzzle I ever stood up against. As

101
00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:12,680
if encased in gobs of gloom, the ball came floating

102
00:06:12,759 --> 00:06:16,000
up to the plate and dropped dejectedly into the catcher's mitt.

103
00:06:16,439 --> 00:06:18,920
It was more like a sigh than any soundless thing

104
00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,879
I can think of. It eluded our bats like a

105
00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,959
soaring phantom, and had us doubled in knots and our

106
00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:29,040
efforts to deal it a solid blow. Within fifteen minutes,

107
00:06:29,199 --> 00:06:31,600
the chief knew that he had a marvel in tow.

108
00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:34,519
I could see him melt as he watched the lad's

109
00:06:34,519 --> 00:06:38,759
solemn performance, and his face began to beam. All right, buddy,

110
00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:41,160
he sang out genially. But what do you call it?

111
00:06:41,879 --> 00:06:44,920
This time? Silent made no answer. At least, he did

112
00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,199
not speak. He merely raised his shoulders and sighed, a long,

113
00:06:49,439 --> 00:06:54,839
deep sigh. That settled it. The syeball, someone suggested, And

114
00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:59,519
the syeball it was. Henceforth the boy could likewise hit.

115
00:07:00,399 --> 00:07:02,480
Not that he ever set the league on fire as

116
00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,560
a slugger, but he revealed a deadly punch with his

117
00:07:05,639 --> 00:07:08,759
big black bat, which made him a prince among pinch hitters.

118
00:07:09,959 --> 00:07:13,120
This uncanny ability of his and a pinch was first

119
00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,480
demonstrated in our opening game of the season. Up until

120
00:07:16,519 --> 00:07:20,120
the eighth inning, his batting performance had naturally classed him

121
00:07:20,199 --> 00:07:23,240
as another weak hitting pitcher. He had struck out on

122
00:07:23,279 --> 00:07:26,000
two occasions and had raised a puny fly in a

123
00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:30,040
third attempt. The fourth time he stepped into the box, however,

124
00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,519
the winning run was resting on third, and he brought

125
00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,639
it in with a pretty single. How he did it

126
00:07:36,759 --> 00:07:39,439
was as much of a mystery as his cyeball. His

127
00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,759
woeful stance at the plate certainly would never have labeled

128
00:07:42,839 --> 00:07:46,319
him a batter of any quality. The pitcher he presented

129
00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,120
as he clung to his big black bat was one

130
00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,560
of utter hopelessness and might have been captioned the end.

131
00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:57,079
Yet in a pinch he could deliver. We simply had

132
00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,439
to accept. Silent as he was, there was no change him.

133
00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:05,399
His actions were entirely too unexpected and unnatural to be fathomed.

134
00:08:05,959 --> 00:08:09,160
He could strike a batter out and look painfully unhappy

135
00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,720
over the deed. He could win a game with a

136
00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:16,040
timely drive and go into mourning. His normal atmosphere was gloom,

137
00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:20,560
deep and mysterious, and it never varied with our first

138
00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,920
swing around the circuit. The fame of Silent Smith began

139
00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,560
to spread. That left arm of his slow balled its

140
00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,959
way into the hearts of thousands of fans along the coast.

141
00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:34,399
The wild enthusiasm with which his appearance in the box

142
00:08:34,519 --> 00:08:38,320
was greeted amounted to a mania, and his sigeball became

143
00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:42,639
the topic of household discussions. There could be no doubt

144
00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:45,799
as to his popularity. He was the biggest drawing card

145
00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,000
in baseball anywhere at the time. It may have been

146
00:08:49,039 --> 00:08:52,759
the sad appeal of his miserable existence which intrigued. It

147
00:08:52,799 --> 00:08:55,559
may have been the veil of mystery shrouding his character

148
00:08:55,679 --> 00:09:00,519
which fascinated. But when or lose, he was idolized. Behind

149
00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,919
his spectacular hurling, we climbed to heights we had never

150
00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,440
known before. The completion of three fourths of our schedule

151
00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,720
found us treading closely on the heels of the flying Leafs,

152
00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:13,919
who had been perched proudly at the top all season.

153
00:09:14,879 --> 00:09:17,919
Small wonder that the town went baseball mad for the

154
00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,600
first time in our history. We had pennant visions. Then

155
00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:26,960
came the setback, and our visions went to glimmering. Silent

156
00:09:27,039 --> 00:09:30,639
Smith was drafted. With the spreading of the news, a

157
00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,080
howl of disapproval went up from along the coast. From

158
00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,840
three states came the same cry, crooked baseball, and the

159
00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:42,200
very popularity of the sport itself was threatened. Outside efforts

160
00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,200
were made to have Silent recalled, but the trade had

161
00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:50,360
been consummated. Our ace was lost. With the passing of Silent,

162
00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:54,159
the Bears fell upon evil days. We developed a losing

163
00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,559
streak which threatened to force us out of the running.

164
00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,399
Even the despised Bisons made a clean sweet of a

165
00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,759
four game series, and a pall of glooms spread o'er

166
00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,840
the camp. Both the press and the paying public added

167
00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:11,000
to our misery. Only a flash, the Bears have hit

168
00:10:11,039 --> 00:10:15,840
their stride. That was the consensus. Wherever fans collected the

169
00:10:15,879 --> 00:10:18,639
thing began to peeve the Chief, and in an effort

170
00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,200
to redeem the club, he went out into the sticks

171
00:10:21,279 --> 00:10:24,879
and brought back Andy Gregg. No doubt you've heard of

172
00:10:24,919 --> 00:10:28,120
Andy Gregg. He was known as the gamest man in baseball.

173
00:10:28,639 --> 00:10:30,720
But when the Chief pulled him out of nowhere, he

174
00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,840
was just a big, green, awkward hitless wonder he couldn't bat,

175
00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,480
and his fielding was worse. He had just two outstanding accomplishments.

176
00:10:39,759 --> 00:10:42,279
He could pitch and he could talk. It was hard

177
00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,000
to tell in which he excelled. Regardless of his ability,

178
00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,600
he labored under difficulties from the very first. A man

179
00:10:49,639 --> 00:10:53,200
of lesser courage would have wilted under the strain. Whenever

180
00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:55,399
he hove in sight as the pitcher for the day,

181
00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,279
an unreasonable chorus of booze greeted him, followed by the

182
00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:03,120
sing song for silent Smith. Not that he was unpopular,

183
00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:07,039
His spirit was really admired. It was the public's method

184
00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:10,039
of voicing its outraged feelings over the loss of an idol.

185
00:11:10,639 --> 00:11:13,919
They resented the release of silent and called for him

186
00:11:14,039 --> 00:11:17,799
as only a rabid baseball mob can call. The management

187
00:11:17,879 --> 00:11:21,600
was their target. Andy was only the goat. The lad

188
00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:25,159
simply laughed and went on pitching. But behind his fine

189
00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,600
indifference there lurked the ambition to stifle that cry for

190
00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:32,639
silent Smith. Secretly, he accepted it as a reflection on

191
00:11:32,759 --> 00:11:36,960
his own ability, and fought courageously to change the tune.

192
00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,799
He fairly talked the team out of its woeful slump

193
00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:42,360
and hurled it back to its place in the sun.

194
00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,480
When the Leafs again invaded our territory for a final

195
00:11:46,519 --> 00:11:49,879
series of three, we stood within half game of being

196
00:11:49,919 --> 00:11:52,799
deadlocked for first place. It was the end of our

197
00:11:52,799 --> 00:11:55,600
playing schedule, and things did not look as rosy as

198
00:11:55,679 --> 00:12:00,039
might be supposed. Our pitching staff had cracked Talkative and

199
00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,879
he was the only dependable hurler we had left after

200
00:12:02,919 --> 00:12:05,879
a grueling month of struggle to maintain our position as

201
00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,480
runner up. But Andy was in splendid form. He could

202
00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:11,960
still chatter away like an eight day clock, and that

203
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,679
was the sign to him. Was given the mound in

204
00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,519
the first of that deciding series, and he won. Four

205
00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:23,679
pictures were hammered unmercifully in the second, and we lost again.

206
00:12:23,879 --> 00:12:26,919
We were trailing by a narrow margin. But who was

207
00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,000
there to hold the enemy in check? Husky Harris was

208
00:12:30,039 --> 00:12:34,919
down with tonsillitis. Lefty Lefferts had a broken thumb. Curly

209
00:12:34,919 --> 00:12:38,000
Weinert's arm was sore from too much use. As for

210
00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:42,519
the rest, but what's the use? In that hour of need?

211
00:12:42,639 --> 00:12:45,399
We were all wishing for an iron arm, the arm

212
00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,960
of silent smith. Even the Chief had his former ace

213
00:12:49,039 --> 00:12:52,720
in mind. He as much as said so afterward. At

214
00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,240
the time, however, there was only one thing he could do,

215
00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,600
and he did it. Talkative Andy was given the assignment.

216
00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,480
The lad was ready and advertise the fact with his

217
00:13:01,519 --> 00:13:05,679
ceaseless jabber. We got him going, Johnny, he kept repeating

218
00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:08,159
to the chief winners, come in, the leaves are falling.

219
00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,159
Just keep your eye on the tree. We were all

220
00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:14,000
gathered in the dugout awaiting the call of the gong.

221
00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:18,240
That peculiar hush which seizes a crowd immediately before playing

222
00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,919
time had already descended. Out on this unswept field, a

223
00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,679
number of white wings were putting the finishing touches on

224
00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,919
the sparkling diamond. Behind the plate stood one armed Jimmy Flynn,

225
00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:32,679
wielding a megaphone. His booming voice could be heard above

226
00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:37,480
the buzzing silence crying the batteries. Jimmy got no further

227
00:13:37,519 --> 00:13:40,000
in his announcement than the name of Greg when a

228
00:13:40,039 --> 00:13:44,360
spontaneous roar rolled out of the stand and completely submerged

229
00:13:44,399 --> 00:13:47,159
the rest. It was the howl of the pack for

230
00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:52,440
its idol. Unsportsmanlike yes, but Andy only chuckled, Can you

231
00:13:52,519 --> 00:13:55,679
beat it, Johnny? He chirped, They'd rather have the morgout

232
00:13:55,759 --> 00:13:58,799
there than a live one. We'll bury that bird right now.

233
00:13:59,039 --> 00:14:02,320
Come on, you cub, watch my smoke, and he trotted

234
00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:06,320
out onto the field amid a shower of booze. Andy

235
00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:08,960
had plenty of smoke and displayed it in his own

236
00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,759
awkward style. All through the inning. That call for silent

237
00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:16,519
Smith went on with varying crescendos, but the nerve racking

238
00:14:16,639 --> 00:14:19,240
din had as much effect on the spirit of Andy

239
00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,720
as water does on the back of a duck. He

240
00:14:22,759 --> 00:14:26,559
worked along methodically and effectively, setting the enemy down on

241
00:14:26,679 --> 00:14:30,639
exactly six pitched balls. Small wonder that the lad was

242
00:14:30,679 --> 00:14:33,159
beaming when he climbed down into the pit after the

243
00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,080
last out had been called. He knew he was right,

244
00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,279
and he stayed right for seven innings. He went on

245
00:14:40,399 --> 00:14:44,279
talking and pitching, waxing more loquacious as the game progressed.

246
00:14:44,879 --> 00:14:47,960
There was no reason for acting otherwise. His smoke ball

247
00:14:48,039 --> 00:14:51,000
was working nicely. It went whizzing past their bats with

248
00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:55,440
monotonous regularity. They couldn't even see it. Two hits were

249
00:14:55,480 --> 00:15:00,159
all he allowed along that entire stretch. Apparently the feat

250
00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,320
meant nothing to the mob. They were entirely engrossed in

251
00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:07,320
their favorite pastime. They seemed to take a fiendish delight

252
00:15:07,399 --> 00:15:11,360
in heckling the club individually and collectively for the release

253
00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,440
of a star. If we won, we were simply playing

254
00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,919
in luck. If we lost, well, we deserved to. They

255
00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,919
told us so in as many words, and they howled

256
00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:25,399
for silent Smith. Andy still held his temper. His control

257
00:15:25,519 --> 00:15:29,399
was marvelous. He showed no signs of wavering under the strain.

258
00:15:30,039 --> 00:15:32,440
As he came trailing into the dugout for our turn

259
00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:34,799
at bat in the eighth he was chattering away like

260
00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:39,039
a magpie. I told you we'd bury that melancholy bird.

261
00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,440
He told the Chief. He's got one foot in the

262
00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,120
grave right now, and when I'm done, that bunch of

263
00:15:44,159 --> 00:15:46,279
fat heads up there will be thrown in the dirt.

264
00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:51,559
Twas ever, thus, Johnny the Chief's face was uncommonly somber

265
00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,919
as he listened to Andy's chatter. In his hand there

266
00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:58,360
fluttered the familiar blue of a telegram. Without a word,

267
00:15:58,399 --> 00:16:01,399
he handed it over. Andy read the news, and his

268
00:16:01,519 --> 00:16:06,320
countenance fell. Silent Smith was dead. That was the break

269
00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:10,039
which went against him. From that moment on, Andy's starr

270
00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,120
began to fade. I'm sorry, I said what I did

271
00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:15,879
He murmured, I was only kidding. I didn't know about this.

272
00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:20,399
Johnny course not answered the chief, perking up. Don't let

273
00:16:20,399 --> 00:16:22,879
it trouble you. Now, all you've got to think about

274
00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,080
is the winning of this ball game. Come on, now,

275
00:16:25,159 --> 00:16:30,679
let's go boys. But Andy was troubled. Nevertheless, his helpful

276
00:16:30,759 --> 00:16:34,279
chatter ceased, and that was the sign. When we again

277
00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,960
took the field after a fruitless inning, it was quite

278
00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:40,759
evident that he was not himself. Even the returned call

279
00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:44,559
for Silent Smith seemed to irritate. He dug into the

280
00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,720
dirt with his spiked shoes. He pulled up blades of

281
00:16:47,759 --> 00:16:51,879
grass and started chewing. He moistened his fingers against the sod.

282
00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,120
He did a number of things which were not his

283
00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:58,720
wont but which strangely enough, had characterized the pitching of

284
00:16:58,799 --> 00:17:02,960
Silent Smith from behind the plate. The umpire was calling

285
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:07,000
for action, so was the crowd, and Andy finally got going.

286
00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:11,559
That final inning was a nightmare. Andy walked the first

287
00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:15,000
man up, and a low rumble of dismay swept the field.

288
00:17:15,799 --> 00:17:18,960
The next ball he grooved, and Sammy Dalles dropped it

289
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,359
over second for a pretty single. The rumble spread to

290
00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:26,880
a roar. Andy spat savagely into his glove and glared

291
00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,559
up at the stand. That persistent cry for silent Smith

292
00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:35,960
had finally penetrated. The lad was riled. The crowd saw

293
00:17:36,039 --> 00:17:40,400
his action and uncorked a veritable flood of jeers, as

294
00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:43,279
if the pennant wouldn't have been clinched ere this had

295
00:17:43,319 --> 00:17:47,240
silent been retained. Now, look what's happening? Maybe they were right?

296
00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:51,960
Who knows? In a rage, Andy sped another over the plate,

297
00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:56,039
only to see it turned into a tantalizing bunt. In

298
00:17:56,079 --> 00:17:59,200
his clumsy effort to feeld the ball, he stumbled and fell.

299
00:17:59,599 --> 00:18:02,880
The ball rolled clear. I pounced upon it for my

300
00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:06,160
position at third, and kept the Leafs from scoring. But

301
00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,359
the bases were full and no one out, and Andy

302
00:18:09,519 --> 00:18:13,799
our only hope. By this time, some eight thousand lusty

303
00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,880
throats were raising the very Yes, indeed, they were going

304
00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,160
to that extremity in their frenzied howl to take him out,

305
00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,920
and their reasonless demand for silent Smith bedlam had broken loose.

306
00:18:26,759 --> 00:18:29,079
I handed the ball to Andy and begged him to

307
00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:33,480
take his time. It isn't fair, ken, he exploded, wrathfully.

308
00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,160
What had I to do with the loss of Silent

309
00:18:36,319 --> 00:18:39,920
I ask you. I assured him that every member of

310
00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:43,319
that howling mob belonged in a padded cell, and added

311
00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:46,920
a word or two about our pennant chances. The latter

312
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,599
had a sobering effect. Andy took a time saving hitch

313
00:18:50,599 --> 00:18:53,359
in his belt and seemed to settle down. But the

314
00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,599
Leafs were not to be denied. They pounded out two

315
00:18:56,799 --> 00:19:01,680
successive singles and scored as many runs. The stand was

316
00:19:01,759 --> 00:19:05,480
fairly rocking, with the din of stamping feet and shouting voices.

317
00:19:06,039 --> 00:19:08,519
Above it all could be heard the name of Silent Smith.

318
00:19:08,799 --> 00:19:12,960
But Andy no longer heeded. His rage had apparently subsided.

319
00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:15,920
He stood quietly in the center of the diamond and

320
00:19:16,039 --> 00:19:19,279
watched Big Jess Winners carry his three ninety bat to

321
00:19:19,319 --> 00:19:23,039
the plate. Here was the biggest batting menace in the league,

322
00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,640
and it required a world of courage to face it.

323
00:19:26,839 --> 00:19:29,559
For a moment, Andy never moved, and then he did

324
00:19:29,599 --> 00:19:34,279
a characteristic thing. He started talking. He told Big Jess

325
00:19:34,279 --> 00:19:36,759
to go get a plank. To me, it sounded as

326
00:19:36,799 --> 00:19:40,079
if the bantering tone were forced, but my heart warmed

327
00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:42,599
at the sight of the lad fighting to regain his stride.

328
00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:46,920
At a boy shouted Tommy leech from second, make him

329
00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:51,519
hit it, Andy, We're all out here. Andy made no response,

330
00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:53,839
and we knew that his confidence was not at par.

331
00:19:54,519 --> 00:19:57,200
He took one glance at the runner on third and

332
00:19:57,279 --> 00:20:01,079
suddenly let go with blinding speed. Jess swung with all

333
00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,839
his power, and the ball snapped back at Andy like

334
00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,799
a rocket. Instinctively, Andy raised his arms, but the ball

335
00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,880
sped through his guard and landed with a sickening thud.

336
00:20:11,319 --> 00:20:14,920
The lad crumpled up like a rag. The clamor of

337
00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,319
the crowd was instantly choked as they came to their

338
00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,079
feet in a startled wave and stood staring at the

339
00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:23,759
motionless form in the center of the diamond. I thought

340
00:20:23,799 --> 00:20:26,599
the boy was dead. His face was pasty and his

341
00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,680
lips bloodless. Apparently his heart had ceased to beat. His

342
00:20:30,759 --> 00:20:34,160
eyes were open and staring with that fixed expression commonly

343
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:38,359
associated with sudden death. For ten minutes we worked over

344
00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:42,799
his lifeless form. The only perceptible sign of animation was

345
00:20:42,839 --> 00:20:45,359
a faint fluttering of the pulse in his wrist, which

346
00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,480
occurred at intervals of about a minute. The condition was

347
00:20:48,519 --> 00:20:52,640
strange enough to make even the club physician look puzzled. Then,

348
00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:56,039
with surprising force. Andy's heart began to pound along like

349
00:20:56,079 --> 00:20:58,759
a trip hammer. A patch of color spread in his

350
00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:03,400
pallid cheeks. Another minute and his eyelids fluttered weakly. His

351
00:21:03,559 --> 00:21:08,200
broad chest heaved, and he sighed with glassy eyes. He

352
00:21:08,319 --> 00:21:11,680
stared at the anxious group which circled him. His brow

353
00:21:11,799 --> 00:21:14,640
was furrowed, as if he were unable to comprehend the

354
00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,720
meaning of it all. He attempted to climb to his feet,

355
00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:20,599
but got no further than his knees. Two of the

356
00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:23,119
boys caught him by the arms and started to lead

357
00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:25,839
him to the clubhouse. He would not have it. He

358
00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:29,319
shipped them off and swayed uncertainly into the pitcher's box.

359
00:21:30,519 --> 00:21:33,640
A gasp of astonishment went up from the crowd. No

360
00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,319
one had ever dreamed that he could resume play. It

361
00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:40,119
was unbelievable. They stared at him in silent awe, a

362
00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,559
mute tribute to the sheer grit of the man, and

363
00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,720
then a roar of admiration, proclaimed a new idol. Silent

364
00:21:47,839 --> 00:21:52,440
Smith was dead, Sure, your fit buddy, inquired the anxious chief.

365
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:56,279
For a moment, there was no answer. Andy turned a

366
00:21:56,319 --> 00:22:00,200
haggard face and gazed at the chief with strangely sad eyes.

367
00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,960
He looked as if all the troubles of the world

368
00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,599
were resting on his shoulders. Then Andy's all right. The

369
00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:12,839
words sounded queerly, detached. The voice was toneless. The chief

370
00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,480
shook his head and slowly left the field. He was

371
00:22:15,519 --> 00:22:18,240
going to take a chance, he had to. He sent

372
00:22:18,279 --> 00:22:20,920
two of the boys out to the bullpen to warm up, however,

373
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:24,799
in case Andy couldn't make the grade. The crowd settled

374
00:22:24,799 --> 00:22:27,640
down in the stand and started buzzing like so many bees.

375
00:22:28,279 --> 00:22:31,319
Nothing like it had ever been seen. A blow like

376
00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,119
that would have crippled the spirit of most men. But

377
00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,279
there was Andy willing to go on. Was he able?

378
00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,680
All eyes were glued on the lad as he started

379
00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,039
digging a hole with his spikes in front of the rubber.

380
00:22:43,759 --> 00:22:47,279
He ignored everything else completely. That the team was on

381
00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:50,400
the small end of a threed to nothing score, and

382
00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:53,119
that a runner was waiting on every sack, just itching

383
00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:57,000
to swell the lead was of no importance. He scraped,

384
00:22:57,039 --> 00:22:59,759
and he kicked at the dirt with a slow, measured effort,

385
00:23:00,039 --> 00:23:02,880
as if the digging of holes was an art, all

386
00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:07,279
this with hanging head and downcast eyes. At last, the

387
00:23:07,319 --> 00:23:10,279
hole was perfect and he picked up his glove. To me,

388
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,000
it looked as if he were still in a daze.

389
00:23:13,039 --> 00:23:16,119
He appeared to be uncertain of every movement, as if

390
00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:18,720
he were unable to decide just what to do next.

391
00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,079
All right, Andy, I inquired, doubtfully, handing him the ball.

392
00:23:24,079 --> 00:23:27,759
He made no response. He ignored my query as completely

393
00:23:27,799 --> 00:23:31,400
as he had everything else. Turning his neck, he started

394
00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,559
a slow, graceful wind up, every motion of which was

395
00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:40,039
perfectly familiar. Deliberately methodically, he threw five balls over the plate,

396
00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,200
and then waited for the batter to take his stand,

397
00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,720
and he did not utter a sound. I shall not

398
00:23:45,759 --> 00:23:48,559
attempt to explain it. The facts are all I can

399
00:23:48,599 --> 00:23:51,519
deal with. And the fact in this instance was that

400
00:23:51,559 --> 00:23:55,039
Andy threw those five balls with his left arm, not

401
00:23:55,279 --> 00:23:59,759
in a ridiculously awkward manner, but with perfect ease. Furthermore,

402
00:23:59,759 --> 00:24:02,559
his his style was identical with that of Silent Smith,

403
00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:06,880
and Silent Smith was dead. But this was no time

404
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,640
for theorizing. The batter was set, the umpire was waiting.

405
00:24:11,279 --> 00:24:15,880
We fell into position, and play was resumed. Andy's amazing

406
00:24:16,039 --> 00:24:19,559
change of pace certainly worked havoc with the enemy bats.

407
00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,000
Lanky Andrews stood up to the plate like a statue

408
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:27,119
and watched three perfectly good strikes float across his bat

409
00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,319
never left his shoulder. Chubby Wilson did a little better.

410
00:24:30,599 --> 00:24:33,599
He at least swung. In fact, he swung three times,

411
00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:36,640
and then followed his lanky teammate back to the pit

412
00:24:36,799 --> 00:24:40,200
for the second out. Pinch hitter Collins nipped the ball

413
00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,720
for a puny fly, which Jordan our catcher smothered in

414
00:24:43,799 --> 00:24:46,720
his big mit, stranding all three of the runners who

415
00:24:46,799 --> 00:24:49,559
jammed the bags. And the ball that did it was

416
00:24:49,599 --> 00:24:54,039
the sideball. The wonder of the thing held the crowd spellbound.

417
00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:58,480
They watched Dandy's weird performance with gaping astonishment. Had the

418
00:24:58,559 --> 00:25:02,559
lad changed his style, could he have perfected that famous

419
00:25:02,559 --> 00:25:06,279
delivery in secret practice? Had he been holding out for

420
00:25:06,319 --> 00:25:09,119
the past few weeks thinking to spring a surprise At

421
00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:14,160
the psychological moment, Questions were flying fast, answers were scarce.

422
00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,000
Had they known of the fate of Silent Smith, their

423
00:25:18,079 --> 00:25:21,400
thoughts might have taken a more gruesome channel. Had they

424
00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,440
read that telegram from the east, they might have agreed

425
00:25:24,519 --> 00:25:28,160
that Silent was answering their call at last. As it was,

426
00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,920
they could only stare and wonder when we again trailed

427
00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,000
into the dugout, we found the chief in earnest consultation

428
00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:38,839
with Doctor Barrett, the club physician. The word was spread

429
00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,359
that Andy be left alone, and he was. He came

430
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,759
shuffling off the field with hanging head and settled down

431
00:25:45,799 --> 00:25:48,319
into a listless attitude at one end of the bench.

432
00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,880
Doctor Barrett studied his drooping figure for a moment or

433
00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:54,599
two and finally shook his head. So did we all

434
00:25:55,079 --> 00:25:57,599
if the dead can come back to any form. Silent

435
00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,279
Smith was sitting there in his accustomed place, radiating as

436
00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:05,240
much gloom as he ever had. But the most unnatural

437
00:26:05,279 --> 00:26:07,519
twist of the whole affair was still in the making.

438
00:26:08,519 --> 00:26:11,720
Pudgy Ares lined a pretty single into right to start

439
00:26:11,759 --> 00:26:14,240
our half of the ninth, and the crowd started pulling

440
00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:18,119
for us. At last, Tommy Leech pushed Pudgy around with

441
00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,759
a well placed bunt and beat out the throat a first.

442
00:26:21,559 --> 00:26:24,640
Both of them advanced a bag when Marty McGowan walked

443
00:26:24,799 --> 00:26:28,119
and the bases were full. All we needed now was

444
00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,319
someone with a punch, someone who could uncork a drive

445
00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:33,599
that would sweep the bags and tie the count at

446
00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:37,119
three all Andy was the next man up and everybody

447
00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,079
was looking for a pinch hitter. With victory at stake,

448
00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:41,920
it would not do to take a chance on the

449
00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,079
hitless wonder, but the chief must have been playing a hunch.

450
00:26:45,519 --> 00:26:47,759
He never said a word when Andy climbed out of

451
00:26:47,799 --> 00:26:50,920
the pit and surveyed the bat rack with melancholy eyes.

452
00:26:52,039 --> 00:26:54,480
Mine was the only black stick in the lot, and

453
00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:58,160
Andy picked it up amid a silence as dead as

454
00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:00,599
a graveyard. He dragged the bat up to the plate.

455
00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:04,119
Every movement he made was followed by the crowd with

456
00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:08,119
straining eyes and bated breath. The moment was fraught with

457
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,200
something beyond their knowledge, and the mystery of the thing

458
00:27:11,279 --> 00:27:15,920
held them fascinated. A newspaper photographer took up his stand

459
00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,759
along the foul line and focused his camera on Andy

460
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:21,720
as he entered the box. If Andy saw him, he

461
00:27:21,799 --> 00:27:26,039
made no sign. His eyes were glued to the ground. Dolefully,

462
00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:29,039
he sidled around to the left of the plate, grasped

463
00:27:29,079 --> 00:27:33,799
his bat with a weary effort, and stood waiting Blondie Vance,

464
00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:37,799
The opposing pitcher was visibly shaken. Andy had always been

465
00:27:37,839 --> 00:27:40,559
a right handed batter, and to see him fall into

466
00:27:40,559 --> 00:27:43,680
that woeful left handed stance with a big black bat

467
00:27:44,079 --> 00:27:47,279
was like looking at a ghost. For a moment, Blondie

468
00:27:47,319 --> 00:27:52,039
stared and Andy gazed sadly back. The umpire brought Blondie

469
00:27:52,039 --> 00:27:54,319
back to earth, and he finally started his wind up.

470
00:27:54,839 --> 00:27:57,680
That was his last pitching effort of the season. The

471
00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:00,839
ball went sailing toward the plate with absolutely nothing on it.

472
00:28:01,279 --> 00:28:05,480
Andy connected with a resounding crash, and three runs came

473
00:28:05,519 --> 00:28:08,720
trailing in. The score was tied while Andy, with the

474
00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:13,000
winning run, was rounding third. He staggered the distance between

475
00:28:13,039 --> 00:28:16,200
third and home. His feet were dragging as if loaded

476
00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,759
with lead. He managed to make the plate with the

477
00:28:18,799 --> 00:28:23,559
deciding tally and then collapsed like an empty sack. It

478
00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,480
was fully half an hour before Andy recovered and started

479
00:28:26,519 --> 00:28:29,519
jabbering away like the lad we knew. The doctor took

480
00:28:29,559 --> 00:28:32,920
him in hand, and Andy was puzzled over the discovery

481
00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:36,480
that he himself had finished the game. His last recollection

482
00:28:36,759 --> 00:28:40,039
was that of being hit by a batted ball. I

483
00:28:40,119 --> 00:28:42,960
might add that a picture of Andy starting the ball

484
00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,720
on that home run journey appeared in the Daily Mail

485
00:28:46,039 --> 00:28:50,319
issued on September eleventh, nineteen twelve, and created much discussion

486
00:28:50,319 --> 00:28:54,799
throughout the country. While somewhat blurry Andy's face is sufficiently

487
00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,279
clear to be identified. Covering his face like a veil

488
00:28:58,519 --> 00:29:02,720
is a misty something which closely resembles the melancholy features

489
00:29:02,839 --> 00:29:08,240
of Silent Smith. And Silent Smith was dead end of

490
00:29:08,559 --> 00:29:10,039
the Ghost of Silent Smith