“Just as soon as it is decided who our opponents are to be,” the manager resumed, “I’m going to send some of you fellows out as scouts to see some of the practice games of the other fellows and get a line on their style of play. You can pick up a lot of useful information that way, and we’ve got so much at stake that we can’t afford to overlook a single point of the game.”
“How about our own practice?” asked Larry.
“I was coming to that,” replied McRae. “I’m going to get together just as husky a bunch of sluggers and fielders as can be found in the National League.”
He took a sheaf of telegrams from his pocket.
“I’ve got a lot of wires here from every club in the league, offering the services of any of their players I want,” he said. “We’ve had our own fight, and now that it’s over they’re all eager to help the National League to down the American. It means a good deal to each of them to have us come out winner. Even Brennan has offered to let me have some of 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, he told me I could call upon him for any men I wanted.”
“Sure he is,” confirmed McRae, heartily. “He’s a hard fighter but he’s as 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,” he asked.
“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.”
“Some sweet hitters!” exclaimed Markwith.
“They’ll give you mighty good practice,” grinned McRae. “If they can’t straighten out the curves of you twirlers, nobody can. I’ll have them all 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 was breaking up, a telegraphic report was handed to McRae. He scanned it hastily.
“That settles it!” he exclaimed. “Boston won to-day, three to two. We’re up against the Red Sox in the World Series!”
Although the news only confirmed what had been all along expected, it was worth a great deal to the Giants to know certainly just whom they would have to fight. Their enemy now was detached from the crowd and out in the open. They could study him carefully and arrange a clear plan of campaign.