Books with author Lester Chadwick

A wild uproar greeted the appearance of Joe Matson, the famous pitcher of the New York Giants, as he emerged from the clubhouse at the Polo Grounds after the great game in which he had pitched the Giants to the head of the National League and put them in line for the World Series with the champions of the American League.It was no wonder that the crowd had gone crazy with excitement. All New York shared the[2] same madness. The race for the pennant had been one of the closest ever known. In the last few weeks it had narrowed down to a fight between the Giants and the Chicagos, and the two teams had come down the stretch, nose to nose, fighting for every inch, each straining every nerve to win. It had been a slap-dash, ding-dong finish, and the Giants had won “by a hair.”Joe Matson—affectionately known as “Baseball Joe”—had pitched the deciding game, and to him above all others had gone the honors of the victory. Not only had he twirled a superb game, but it had been his home run in the ninth inning after two men were out that had brought the pennant to New York.And just at this moment his name was on more tongues than that of any other man in the United States. Telegraph wires had flashed the news of his triumph to every city and village in the country, and the cables and wireless had borne it to every American colony in the world.Joe’s hand had been shaken and his back pounded by exulting enthusiasts until he was lame and sore all over. It was with a feeling of relief that he had gained the shelter of the clubhouse with its refreshing shower and rubdown. Even here his mates had pawed and mauled him in their delight at the glorious victory, until he had laughingly threatened to thrash a few of them. And[3] now, as, after getting into his street clothes, he came out into the side street and viewed the crowd that waited for him, he saw that he was in for a new ordeal.

Baseball Joe is the fictional hero of a number of children's books written by Howard R. Garis under the name of "Lester Chadwick". The series follows the main character, a star baseball player named Joe Matson, from high school to college (at Yale University) and then to success as a professional. In the Baseball Joe series, Chadwick chronicles the adventures of Joe Matson from the sandlots to prep school, the Ivy League, the minors, the majors, and on to a world tour and other adventures.

Baseball Joe, Captain of the Team or, Bitter Struggles on the Diamond by Lester ChadwickAuthor of "Baseball Joe of the Silver Stars,” “Baseball Joe, Home Run King,” “The Rival Pitchers,” “The Eight-Oared Victors,” Etc.CHAPTER I. QUEER TACTICS“No use talking, Joe, we seem to be on the toboggan,” remarked Jim Barclay, one of the first string pitchers of the Giant team, to his closest chum, Joe Matson; as they came out of the clubhouse at the Chicago baseball park and strolled over toward their dugout in the shadow of the grandstand.“You’re right, old boy,” agreed Joe—“Baseball Joe,” as he was known by the fans all over the country. “We seem to be headed straight for the cellar championship, and at the present rate it won’t be long before we land there. I can’t tell what’s got into the boys. Perhaps I’m as much to blame as any of the rest of them. I’ve lost the last two games I pitched.”“Huh!” snorted Jim. “Look at the way you lost them! You never pitched better in your life. You had everything—speed, curves, control, and that old fadeaway of yours was working like a charm. But the boys played behind you like a lot of sand-lotters. They simply threw the game away—handed it to the Cubs on a silver platter. What they did in the field was a sin and a shame. And when it came to batting, they were even worse. The home run and triple you pasted out yourself were the only clouts worth mentioning.”“The boys do seem to have lost their batting eyes,” agreed Joe. “And when it comes to fielding, they’re all thumbs. What do you think the trouble is?”“Search me,” replied Jim. “We’ve got the same team we had when we started the season. Look at the way we started off: Three out of four from the Brooklyns, the same from the Bostons, and a clean sweep from the Phillies. It looked as though we were going to go through the League like a prairie fire. But the instant we struck the West we went down with a sickening thud. Pittsburgh wiped up the earth with us. The Reds walked all over us. The Cubs in the last two games have given us the razz. We’re beginning to look like something the cat dragged in.”CONTENTSQueer TacticsA Bitter StruggleThrown AwayFrom Bad to WorseA Startling SuggestionPerplexing ProblemsBad News for JimThe Hidden-Ball TrickThe New CaptainGetting in ShapeWinging Them OverAn Amazing FeatClever StrategyDeepening MysteryTrouble BrewingOut for RevengeStealing HomeA Test of NerveThe Warning BuzzThe Package of MysteryDropping BackUnder Heavy StrainBlundering Old ReggieGetting a ConfessionIn the DepthsOff His StrideTaken by SurpriseA Fresh SpurtThe Snake’s HeadThe Final Battle

“Get ready boys!” called Jerry Jackson, his eyes on his watch, which he had fastened before him. “You’ve got about fifteen seconds more.”There were sharp intakings of breath, and the young coxswain, glancing at his crew, noted with satisfaction that the slight tendency toward nervousness, exhibited by some, had disappeared. They were all cool and eager.Crack! came the report of the starting gun.On the instant the retaining cables were loosed, and twenty-four oars seemed to take the water as one. It was a good, clean, even start.To bring the finish opposite the boathouse, it had been necessary to go down the stream some distance, and there were few spectators gathered there.But such as were there gave forth a hearty cheer, and the yells of the three colleges were given in turn, for some loyal-hearted lads had sacrificed their chances to see the finish, that they might cheer the start.“Steady, fellows, steady,” counseled Jerry, in a low voice, as he noticed a tendency to hurry. “It isn’t time to hit up the pace. They’re both keeping even with us,” he added.Then began a steady grind. A leaning forward of the bodies, with hands well out over the toes, the dipping of the blades of the oars into the water, and then that tremendous pull of sixteen sturdy arms, shoulders and trunk—the pushing of sixteen muscular legs, the rising off the seats to get all the weight possible on the oar at the point of leverage where it would do the most good.Over and over again was this repeated. Over and over again, with the eyes of seven of the men on the back of the man in front of him timing the[301] movement, and with the eyes of the stroke on the coxswain, to catch the slightest signal.Stroke after stroke—movement after movement, one just like the other—twenty-eight to the minute, Jerry having started them off with that minimum.And what Randall was doing, so was Fairview and Boxer Hall, in the same degree.The first mile was passed, with the net result that all three shells were on even terms, albeit one or the other had forged ahead slightly, not because either one had quickened the pace so much consciously as that they had done so unconsciously, and there was, of course, a difference in the muscular power at times.They were half way over the second mile—half the course had been rowed.Frank Simpson, watching Jerry, saw the little coxswain shoot a quick glance toward the Boxer Hall boat, and then stiffen in his seat.“Hit it up!” cried Jerry, and he gave the signal for a thirty-per-minute stroke. But, even as he did Frank, risking something by taking his eyes off the coxswain, looked across the lane of water.He saw the Fairview boat shoot ahead, while, the next instant the Randall shell, urged onward by the increased stroke, tried to minimize the advantage gained.

Joe Matson began playing baseball when he was just a kid. From then on, baseball was all he cared about. During various school teams he was on, rival players were sore at him but they never gave him any real trouble until he got to high school and college. They tried various things, such as kidnapping and framing. However, the "villains" are usually found out. Meanwhile, his mother wanted Joe to go to college, so he went on to Yale. However, "Momsey" really wanted Joe to be a pastor, but in truth Joe only went to Yale for baseball. He was picked up by a scout and made it to the minors, and after just one year was sent to the majors. Even though rivals still attempted to "lay him up," and they were almost never found out or arrested. When Joe found out who was causing him trouble, he gave them a good thrashing. He eventually became a great pitcher and hitter, as well as the captain of the New York Giants, who are now the San Francisco Giants.