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Show I RAY CHAPMAN The Sacrificer R. II Gore, present editor of the Terre Haute Post, fells the follow Ing story' of the late Ray Chapman'? boyhood: It was Just twen'y years ago this month that Ray Chapman played his first baseball game on the Colony ( enter street lot In Owensboro. Ky . and there Is a pretty little story about the boy who became the great professional sacrificer and his first baseball sacrifice. Ray Chapman's grandparents lived at Owensboro on Center street.' Just around the corner from Fourth street and the lot upon which his first game was played was across the street from where his grandapr-enta grandapr-enta and his uncle and aunts lived. Ray Chapman was 9 years old then. The Fourth Street Blue mere organizing all boys of similar aRe. The captain was Roy Gore, now of 1 Hint. Mich. Ray Chapman's uncle, ' Nippon'' Johnson, was the shortstop for the Owensboro semi-pro ball team, and his nickname came about tbroug'j his ability to annex all grounder which came within his lot. Because of his uncle's baseball talents It wus presupposed by the' rest of us who formed the Fourth Street Blues thst Ray Chapman was predisposed to be a shortstop, and so he was elected But there was an other youngster, whose name was Blandford, who wanted thst place, and Kay Chapmsn refused to accept what another lad wanted, and he was out of the game. Later Youhk Blandford was hit with a pitched ball, and Ray. the sacrificer. took the place where he was preferred. Thus be came Info he game by an accident to another boy. in Us very nature similar 10 tfce one which killed him. Once In. Ray Chapman was easily the favorit. (Every day there was practice either on the Center street lot or in the alley bsck of Lonsdon's grocery, and Chapman's honest effort was no ' 'as in these early days than they were in later times. In a game with the Snowhlll Champions. Ray Chapman knocked his irst home run, and he had played so consistently that Monk White, the 1 aptaln of the Snowhlll team, refused U o on with the game because he claimed thst Chapmsn was out of the class of those playing. Ray of fered to retire, but this Mme his team, the Foicth Strret Blues, stood loysl and refused to yield and so the gsme was never finished It ended, aa I did Ray Chapman's life, in the fourth inning. . |