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Show THE MASTER STROKE. By John Ludlaw. Cheered for his agile feat and nimble stunt The bronzed ball player swells with honest ,pride; The long and accurate throw, the wily bunt. The daring steal, the perilous headlong slide. Each in the homage of the gladsome eye Close to the public heart an hour has sat; Plucked from the blinding sun the incredible fly, Or fiery liner smoking from the bat. Full oft the timely and prodigious whack The multitude has jubilantly thrilled Tho great, aerial, fence distaining crack And home run wallop when the bags were filled. Lo, where the catcher like a granite rock, Kinsman to courage and unknown to fear, With dauntless front repels the iron shock And awful volleys of the cannoneer. And unforgot the pitcher's mighty hour, Whose fusillade immortalized his name, Held the dread sluggers helpless in his power, And broke their proud hearts with a hitless game. With feats like these our plaudits they evoke, On the green diamond in a game of ball; These, and the incomparable master stroke And flash of genius that outshines them all: Such as of old had made Olympus ring, And vitalized the beautlous Phidian clay, And given to Homer's harp another string, The glorious unassisted triple play! New York Sun. |