[legendsport]

Egypt, GA: February 13, 1932:

"So I eat, sleep and drink baseball, 24 hours a day, every day. What of it?"

Tom Barrell rolled his eyes at his younger brother. "Because there's more to life than baseball? Ever consider that, you big lunk?"

"Do you mean chasing women, like you do?" Bobby Barrell replied in a flat tone.

"Don't get all high and mighty on me, little brother. Maybe a girl would do you some good."

Bobby Barrell huffed out his breath and shook his head angrily. His lip curled and he shot back, "Well, I'd say that given I am in going into my second season with the Keystones and you spent last year in Double A that the results bear out that I'm doing just fine."

"Bah! The only reason I'm still in Double A is that the Cougars are overly protective and they already have a great team so they can take it slow. They know what an asset they have right here." He tapped his chest.

"Do they? Seems like you spend an awful lot of time on the trainer's table."

Tom's face turned red and he was nearly shouting when he replied, "Watch it, Bob! You're lucky we're in separate leagues so that you don't have to step in and face me."

"Why? You gonna drill your own brother? Would that prove something to you? The only thing it'd prove to me is that you're afraid to pitch to me because I might hit your best pitch a country mile!"

Harry rushed into the barn and skidded to a stop a few feet away. He was momentarily stunned to find his brothers standing toe-to-toe and each looking like they were ready to start throwing punches at each other.

"Hey, fellas. You might want to settle down. You boys are shouting so loudly I reckon Mom and Pop can hear you up at the house."

For a few moments no one moved and the two continued glaring at each other. Bobby was the first to step away. He waved a hand at Tom and said over his shoulder, "Maybe you should take the game more seriously and then you'd actually get to Chicago. Hell, Harry might beat you to FABL too and he hasn't played an inning of pro ball yet."

Tom took a step forward, his right hand balled into a fist. Harry stepped in front of him and put a hand on Tom's chest, pressing him back. "Stop! Both of you. Save it for the opposing team."

Harry smiled sheepishly and said, "I guess it's a good thing spring training starts soon. A little too much pent up energy around these parts!"

The next morning Harry was out early, doing some long toss with Bobby. It had become something of a ritual for them, and despite the fact that Bobby was playing for the Keystones and Harry had been the first overall pick in the draft by Cleveland in December, old habits died hard. Plus it helped both their throwing arms - Harry felt he could go deep into the hole and throw out anyone - and he looked forward to proving it, no matter where the Foresters sent him for his first pro season.

They heard an engine and both turned towards the house where they saw Fred arrive. Since he and Tom were both Cougars, Fred had offered to drive them out to Pasadena for spring training. While Joe, and Tom (who was most like Joe in temperment), were willing to fly, most of the Barrells from Rufus and Alice on down the line, were openly sceptical of the still-young airline industry. Plus Fred and Tillie were looking forward to seeing as much of their big, rambunctious country as possible.

Harry squeezed Bobby's long throw - the pair had to be well over two hundred feet apart by now - and then trotted towards the house. He shouted towards Bobby, "I want to talk to Freddy! You should come along!"

Bobby nodded and started to jog towards the farmhouse too.

"Fred!" Harry shouted as he trotted to a stop near the car. Fred had a straw boater on his head, tipped back rakishly. Tillie was opening the door as she prepared to exit the car, citing a need to visit "the powder room" which made Harry smile. Bobby arrived a moment later. Fred grinned noting that neither of his brothers were breathing hard.

"I see you boys have kept yourselves in shape. Not going to get much guff from the old-timers when it comes time for the old boil out, eh?"

Harry looked perplexed, but Bobby came to his rescue, as he told him out of the side of his mouth, "Some of the older guys call spring training 'boil out' because they cook the winter softness out of us ballplayers before we head north."

To Fred, Bobby said, "Well, Buster and I just had our long toss. We been spending a lot of time playing basketball this winter too. But I do look forward to seeing some of my team mates wheezing next week."

"I reckon Rankin Kellogg won't be among the wheezers," Fred noted drily.

"Noooo... ol' Rank is always in tip-top shape. I'd reckon he's my role model," Bobby replied.

Fred nodded. "He's a good one, no doubt. I will admit having John Dibblee around when I first came up to Chicago was a godsend. Seeing how these star veterans do it... that stuff's priceless."

To Harry, Fred said, "And you. Ready for your first taste of pro-fessional baseball, Buster?" Harry grinned at the way Fred split professional into two words. He bobbed his head with some enthusiasm.

The pleasantries having been attended to, Bobby mentioned to Fred that Tom was a bit "testy" of late. Harry jumped in and detailed what he'd seen in the barn the day before.

Fred frowned and brushed some dust off the fender of his car. "Well... don't tell him I told you this, but Tommy's frustrated that he missed most of last season. Plus," he paused and looked around before dropping his voice and continuing, "he had a girl in Mobile. This one he apparently really liked. Then... he found out she was two-timing him with one of his team mates."

Harry whistled and said, "Well, no wonder he's been in such a snit."

Bobby, wearing a chagrined look, said, "Maybe I shouldn't have given him that shot about being on the trainer's table too much."

Tom came out of the house, toting a pair of suitcases. He slowed a bit when he saw Bobby and Harry, then picked up his pace and greeted Fred.

"There room for these in the trunk?" he asked.

Fred chortled and replied, "Not really. Tillie's got half our house back there. Just toss 'em in the back, you'll have the backseat to yourself anyway, might as well share the space with your stuff." He looked at Harry and Bobby and winked.

Tom threw his bags in the car, then looked at Bobby and said, "Sorry about yesterday, Bob. Been a tough year. Just itching to get back at it, you know?"

"Me too, Tom, me too," Bobby said, adding, "And I'm sorry about what I said too. Heat of the moment got to me."

Tom waved a hand dismissively. Then he pointed at Harry and said, "You show those boys in Sarasota how the Barrells do it, you hear?"

Harry grinned and nodded, though he wondered if the Foresters would let him near the big league camp in Sarasota.

To Bobby, Tom added, "And you... give 'em hell in Philly."

Fred, with a grin on his face said, "Aww, I'm going to get all misty with all this brotherly love going around. We're not in Philly, even if Bobby's going there in six weeks." He winked at Bobby and then shouted, "Tillie! Get a move on! We've got about three thousand miles of road ahead of us girl!"

In the end, a quick escape was not in the cards. For one thing, Rufus, Alice and Betsy had to come out to see them off. With a lot of reminiscing to do and best wishes (and advice from Rufus) to go around, it was another forty minutes before Fred turned his car towards the road and got underway.

"They're crazy," Alice said as she watched them dwindle into the distance.

"Huh?" Rufus asked.

"Driving all the way to California? They should have flown."

Rufus gave her a stunned look. "I thought you had a big fear of flying."

The right corner of her mouth turned up as she said, "Oh, I do. But three thousand miles in a car? With restrooms few and far between? It may not be a problem for you boys, but for me - and Tillie? No thank you."

Rufus started laughing.

.