As he despaired in the dugout, Schalk heard a low, measured voice say, “You’ve got a big league catcher sitting right here.” It was Berg. He was referring to the husky backup first baseman Earl Sheely, who’d done some catching in the minor leagues, but Schalk didn’t know that. “All right, Berg, get in there,” he said. Dutifully, Berg began buckling on a chest protector and a pair of shin guards. Not only is it difficult to catch a baseball that is dipping and swerving at more than 90 miles an hour, for the unprepared it’s also dangerous. “If the worst happens,” Berg is supposed to have said,
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