Читать книгу Bad Boys, Bad Times. The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Prewar Years, 1937–1941 онлайн

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As the season entered June, Cleveland had a record of 19–14, actually not a bad total when your number one and number two pitchers are out of the lineup. Johnny Allen made a slow recovery from the appendicitis attack, pitching only two innings of relief on May 11. He waited nine more days before starting against Chicago. He had tremendous support from his teammates, who bashed twenty-one hits and scored sixteen runs, but Allen retired in the third inning, too fatigued to go any further.

At the end of May Allen regained his old form, pitching a complete-game victory at home against Chicago. Also in his old form was a classic temper tantrum directed at home plate umpire Johnny Quinn. Throughout the game Allen was haphazardly tossing the rosin bag all around the pitching mound. Quinn spoke to him about it, then walked to the mound for a confrontation. Allen waited a moment, stared at the ump, and fired the ball right into Quinn’s chest protector. The baseball caromed all the way to the first base dugout. Maybe Quinn was too startled, but, to the shock of everyone at League Park, he did not toss the demented pitcher from the game.