After a while, she
got Robbie on the phone.
"'Hello?' he says.
"'How are you, Robbie?' I asked.
"Fine,' he said. 'Who is this?'
"Now, I had to handle this conversation very carefully. My whole world
depended on it. 'How would you like to have a good left-handed pitcher?'
I said in a jovial tone.
"I'd love it,' he said. 'Who is this? Who's the man? Who are you going
to recommend?'
"I then dropped the clincher. 'I'm going to recommend myself,' I told
him.
"'Who are you?' he repeated.
"'Rube Marquard,' I said, trying to sound impressive.
"'Oh,' Robbie said. 'What are you kidding around for, Rube? I have to go
out on the field and I don't have time to fool around.'
"'No,' I told him, 'I'm serious! McGraw is right here and he says he'll
sell me for seven thousand five hundred buckaroos! Do you want to talk
to him?'
"'Of course I do,' Robbie said. And right then and there I was traded
from the Giants to the Dodgers.
"And, of course, we--the Dodgers, that is--won the pennant the next
year, and I had one of the best years I ever had. I think I had an
earned run average of about one and a half in 1916. And then we won the
pennant again in 1920. So everything worked out pretty well.
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