Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-09-03
Chapter Nj.
Now | am a mcmber OE thc IA

ture SyndicIts)
Chapter NJ.
Now | am a member o. the Yankees.
Il had cost Colonel RUPERT and
Colonel Huston. owners OF the club,
$4,000 to release me from the Red
SoN after my contract troubles up
there. and they were gambling with
their money, because nobody could
know how confident I felt OF knock
ing out more home runs in 1920 than
| did in 1919. The price OF ball play
crs of reputation had been coming
along like the rent OF a New York
fla; ever since John McGraw paid
Sll 900 to bring Rubo Vanguard 10
the Giants in 1905. The Yankees were
paying me great salary and il was
costing them Il heavy premium FOR
$4,000 worth OF accident and lie
insurance on me. SO 1t was up 10
Babe Ruth to deliver in a big way
in 1920 or go down in baseball his
tory as the worst crate o. lemons in
the game.
The sale was the biggest sensa-
ton that baseball has served up In
many years. II seemed to me that
speculation were printed about this
deal than about the League of Ma
tons. iris Speaker and Eddie Col
Inns had been held az $4,000 each
when put on the market but my
price was more than both Of them
had cos;-cnoueh more to pay off Joe
Jackson's purchase price OF 1915.
Babes Rig Problem.
Could make good $3.50. goo worth
|; was a big order. but IL home runs
were what they wanted for their mon
i.cy. | felt certain OF delivering tho
goods. because my eye was on the
ball and I knew it. If fell down
was sure I'd get the most classic
| razzing in the history OF the game.
About this razzins, Id like to say
tina, when do get ii take 1t as
part OF the game. They gave me the
Brown Derby" down in Philadelphia
last April--thc tan crown of ridiculc
| had lost the first ball game OF tho
schedule by muffng an easy fly and
/ 7 hadn't done a thing at the bat
So on the second day the Jecring
Philly fans dug up a brown derby
OF the vintage OF 1898. with wide
curvinE br!m and crown about rs
high as q fried egg, and sent IL on,
TO me AT the plate wrapped up In
many folds OF tissue paper inside q
fancy Eift-boX. on the level I wa.
sold 100 per cent on this idea
really thought: Babe some OF YOUR
old huddies are sending You some
thing pretty nice just to show this
crowd OF razzberry pickcrs they still
think you're good" Well, stood
there before thar great big crowd
with the boys Of both ball clubs
standing around me and opened that
prize package. One OF the fellow.
brushed out of the dug-out with /.
| knife 10 cut the string. and when
got the lid off the box IL seemed
to be filled with tissue paper. There
| were yards and yards of il. but un.
rolled them like a girl going ar,e,
bunch of violcts and found-th,
| brown derby.
When Ruth Lost His NANNY"
! Those fans were all Watching mr.
10 see wha; kind OF bird ! rca,i,
was. II ia have been sore abou,
it. they would have ridden me on,
|
| pulled il tight down on NV head
Juss as IL 1t had been my cap, ant
that's the way went 10 the plate
| ! could hear tho yell that went ur
! from tho stands, but il wasn't for An,
| goat that I'd lost: ii wasn't the razz
But every ball player loses hi.
nanny at least once. Tha; happcnct
t" mo down in Jacksonville during
tho training trip. There was a fell
low in the stand who just wouldn'
/ let me alone. No matter what ! di,
/ ! was "a great big stiff" "a falls,
| alarm ana lot more things tina
are TOO hot 10 put down hero.
stood ii just as long as | could AN,
! thcn I went over to the stand I,
get that bird. / was ready to knoc,
his block off And when | 20, I,
MN. what did find, a little, sawed
on runt OF man. about 10 \ccnts
worth of skin and bones couldn.
hit him. so there was nothing for IN.
I" do but grin AT him and go hocl
!" The lot. was told aftcrward tia
Ernie shore was sitting in the bleach
crS that day and as soon as he saw
me start across the field he knew
mat something was doing. so In
climbed over tho heads of all H.
people and got down 10 me. The,
said that the little fellow drew
knife. hut didn't sec it. Anyhow
lie let up on me after that.
Honestly Proud of Record.
After the brown derby inc.don,
wanted TO make home run in PnilIy
Just to show en-. Rut wos on, n
luck. II was about two weeks Iatcr
on May 1. that got my first homo
OF Inc 1920 season. off Pcnnock o
'he Red Sox. al tho Polo Grounds
since then have sockcd a home
against every club in the Icacue an,
III every park on the circu cxccr
washington. SO far have Shame,
our three on M old home cr,un,
AT Fcnway rark. Boston. bu, i,
course. most Of my round-,rip clout
inns season have bcon made undo
Coogan's Bluff, New York. I'm to JuI,
20 had collected n record of forty
one home rams for the season. III 70,
hso 10 tho trouble TO take a hlgI
udtve into statistics youth find ,h,