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

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Eventually Cobb and Vitt reached an understanding, enough so that the Tigers outfielder looked out for the scrawny third baseman. The Tigers were playing the Yankees when Vitt attempted to score from second on a base hit. The throw from the outfield arrived in plenty of time for catcher Les Nunamaker to block the plate. Lesser men might have tried to slide and avoid contact with the six-foot-two, 190-pound catcher. Vitt never hesitated, lowering his head and crashing into Nunamaker at full speed. Fans shuddered as Vitt careened backwards and landed hard on his back. He was out in every sense of the word. It took a moment or two to gather himself, but when Vitt reached the Tiger bench, Cobb stopped by and said, “Kid, I’ll take care of that.”

Later in the series, Cobb was leading off second base when a Tiger base hit gave him the chance for revenge. He rounded third, picking up speed as he flew down the baseline. Once again Nunamaker got the throw in time, wheeling toward Cobb to block him off the plate. The collision at home literally shook the earth. The Yankees catcher flew backwards on impact, his cap and one of his shinguards soaring through the air. Cobb scored the run, but more important was standing up for a teammate—something that Vitt greatly appreciated. When the two players met at the Detroit bench, Cobb said, “I guess he’ll be a little more careful about the right of way next time!”