Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-12

During the 1919 race Ruth made
twenty-nine home runs. which broke
the major league record for circuit
sWats. That was a remarkable feat.
The base ball public so regarded it.
At the close of the 1919 season many
INNS asked me what 7 thought of
his chances to break that record. To
as to the possibility. yet Ruth makes
almost twice as many circuit drives
in 1920, despite the fact that he got
away to a bad start.
Balls Were Not Livelier.
Because of Ruth's remarkable bat
ting. some critics were prone to take
away some of his honors by insisting
the American League ball was more
lively than the one used In the Ma
tional League. When that rumor first
came out it aroused my curiosity. l
thought it might be true. even though
earlier in the season I had watched
the manufacture of both major league
balls. and knew they were identical.
To satisfy my curiosity. I. with the
umpire who was working with me.
procured a National and an Ameri-
can League ball and performed an
autopsy. We found the composition
to be Identical, just as I had OBJ
served it in the factory. That killed
one theory offered for Ruth's mar
velous swat ability.
What, then. was the answer to
Ruth's home run record in 1920!
First, / would say the elimination Of
trick pitching. Only major League
hatters who have faced the trick de-
liveries of the star pitchers know
what that means When Ruth stepped
into the batter's box last season he
had nothing to far from the So
called trick deliveries. Except when
a spit ball pitcher was in the box. he
knew the pitchers offering would
be a curve or fast one. with an
ball was the most annoying to Ruth.
Summing up the situation. would
say slightly inferior pitching. due to
the elimination of trick deliveries.
was the ore big factor in Ruth's
remarkable feat OF piling up fifty-four
home runs.
Psychology of Situation.
Then there was the psychology Of
the situation that conferred around
Ruth. In the spring Ruth got away
to a bad start. He realized what the
New York fans and the public ex-
pected of him. He felt he must make
home runs. I watched him in sew
eral spring exhibition games. Most
of the crowd were there because of
his advertised batting ability. They
wanted to see him make couple
OF home runs. Ruth always wants to
please. and he was swinging his
head of" in the spring games Be-
cause of his desire to hit one or two
over the fence in each of the train
ing trip games. he was sSinging SO
hard he was constantly OF his stride.
He lacked poisa. and. as q result. was
timing the bah badly. Instead of
home runs. he was striking out or
sending up nury flies.
The crowds through the south were
critical. They came TO see the home
run king hit some home runs. When
he failed to do so. thew twitted him
good natu-"dlv, Sret it didn't set very
well with Ruth. saw him after one
o. the games in which he had had a
bad dar striking out a couple of
times and falling to get even a single.
asked him how ne was going
"Retten." he replied. 81 haven't hit
a b"Il hard in a couple of weeks. /
can't time bali am too late or
wallop. Something is wrong. I don't
k"ow what IL is. but when / get to
timing them some American League
pitcher yin suffer"
Finally Hits His stride.
Failure to hit in the spring training
games unsettled Ruth's state of mind
He lacked confidence in his great
ability. OF course. il WAS but mo-
menfary lapse- but it was having it's
bad effect. For about a month after
the season opened Ruth remained in
the tHroes of his batting slump. At,
tempting TO please the Gotham fans,
he continued to so swing that he was
not meeting the ball properly. AS
matter of fact, he swung so hard and
missed in one of the early games that
he injured his back. Then, literally
overnight. he came out of his slump.
Without knowing how or why, he be-
gan to swing at the ball with his Gus
tomary natural stride. Without