A sportswriter (John Wayne) realizes that a talented young rookie (Patrick Wayne) is the son of a former Chicago White Sox player (Ward Bond), who was banned from playing Major League Baseball for life because of his participation in the 1919 World Series scandal, a.k.a.
Patrick Wayne would later play a similar role in a 1962 television drama, also directed by John Ford, called Flashing Spikes, starring James Stewart and featuring John Wayne in a lengthy surprise appearance for which he was billed as "Michael Morris."
He intends to reveal this in his newspaper column, but is threatened at gunpoint by Ruth Dahlberg who wants to kill the story.
Ruth takes Cronin to a local baseball field where Larry is coaching young boys.
Unhappy with being recognized, Garrison tells Cronin he can't prevent him from running his story, and leaves dejected.