The Washington times., 1920-05-30


Last year Babe Ruth made baseball
bome-runs. passing all former records
He stands an excellent chance Of bet
tering his own mark before October
rings down the curtain in the big
show. Now of those twenty-nine cir
fuit slams, nine came off southpaw
pitching. Practically one-third Of his
homers came when southpaws were
Wirling. The average club seldom
tffers more than one southpaw In
Iour pitchers during any series, so II
Is easily seen that Ruth faced far
more right-handers than left-handers.
and yet .one5third of his record was
compiled against the southpaw type
VI twirling.
y Joe Judge. like Ruth, hits from the
wrong side of the plate. When he re-
ported to the Washington club he had
the idea that he could not do as well
against left-handers as against right
handlers" Indeed, for some weeks
Clark Griffith used to pull Judge out
" the line-up when opposing south
paws. But Judges speed and field
ng ability required his presence In
he game evesy day. Thus he got
plenty OF practice against the left
sanders and gradually got over his
ng against them.
Judge Batters 'Em ALL
This spring Judge is the best bats
nan on the Washington club. He
steps up to the plate with all the con-
idence of a successful hitter. He bat
lers 'em all, too, left and right hand
FRS with F,equal weight. 1t means
iothing to- him that southpaw is in
here with wide hooks. He looks
syer every offering and hits one as
we'll as another.
Let's look over the list of regulars
hitting for at least 800 this spring
N the American League. Not count
ing pitchers, like Zachary, or pinch
ALTERS like Hyatt and Eddie Murphy
there are twenty-six players In the
800 class. or these twenty six eight
ire lefthanded hitters. They are Doc
Tockston, Joe Jackson, Joe Judge,
iris Speaker, George Sisler, Sam Rice,
Harry Hooper, and Zeb Milan.
Close behind the charmed circle
ribe are. Eddie Collins ana Babe
Ruth, both southpay batsmen hitting
.of more than $50 and certain Of nm
shing in the 800 class. This merely
.oes to show that good batsren are
good batsmen. whether opposing left
pr right handed pitching. Further
more, 1t is usually q lefthanded bats
nan who wins the batting crown. In
zen years only Ty Cobb and iris
speaker have triumphed. Both hit
rom the wrong side.
why We Need Pitchers.
Just why the Griffmen need some
eal old-fashioned Washington pitch
ng may be CLEANED from a peek at
he batting Of the young men gath
ired by Prexy Griffith for the 1920
ampaign. Steady hurting will carry
ne team right up the line until 1t Is
lighting for top honors.
The Washington inield, consisting
If Judge, Harris. Shannon, O'Neill
ind Ellerbe, Is hitting for .297 in
hirty-one games. The outfield, made
ID OF Roth, Rice, and Milan, over the
ame distance has an average of 300
With the stick. Now these figures
lave been made by the regulars,
aking no count of certain high aver
lges obtained by pitchers.
In the past Washington pitchers
ave always been called the prize
lard luck guys of the league. John
on might hold the foe to one run,
ut that would be enough to lose.
His own team mates would be unable
o get even that one run.
, While 1t would be too much to ex-
,ect the present high averages to be
Maintained throughout the campaign,
l1,r H..