Short Fiction · Character

Lefty Crosby

A left-handed pitcher so terrified of women that a single smile from the hotel telegraph operator could wreck his arm for a week.

supporting

Also known as Lefty Parks, Lefty, Crosby

First appearance: horseshoes

As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Lefty Crosby is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Member of the quartet; gave up a girl due to Art's pressure.

In the storyHarmonyOpen this moment free

Crosby is the ball club's best pitcher and its strangest man — he bolts through the hotel lobby to avoid Mary Lloyd, the pretty telegraph operator every other player flirts with, and the veterans warn her to keep her smile to herself. His flaw is a paralyzing shyness around women that the team treats as a practical hazard: a cross-eyed look from a girl takes him a week to shake off. Mary's curiosity about the handsome "woman hater" sets up the story's central collision between his fear and her persistence.

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Character Web

37 connections

A slice of how Lefty Crosby sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Baseball and Social Circles
Humorous Companions

+32 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak of the crowd’s self-deception, where their…

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In the story

Lefty Crosby appears across 10 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Harmony
Member of the quartet; gave up a girl due to Art's pressure.
I
A promising young left-handed pitcher who cannot read and is extremely shy around women. He is the target of Harry Childs's practical jokes.
Chapter II
Pitches well for five innings but loses control after Childs tells him a girl is watching; he is pulled from the game.
Chapter III
Shows extreme fear of guns, leading to his absence from the series.
IV
Reveals his bashfulness around women and his fear of guns, stemming from a traumatic event.
V
Extremely shy around women, avoids Mary Lloyd, and flees when introduced to her.
VI
Worried about being drafted into the army, repeatedly teased by Harry Childs.
VII
Expresses a desire to get married, seeks Joe's advice, and agrees to send a telegram to Mary Lloyd.
VIII
Scared of meeting Mary, but is helped by the narrator, Gil, and Martin. The taxi ride with Mary goes well.
Women
A player on the bench who engages in banter with Healy and Young Jake, often providing sarcastic commentary.

Chapter companion notes

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See Lefty Crosby in horseshoes

See Lefty Crosby in Harmony