The evening world., 1920-07-03
Secret of HOW Ruth Does 1t
ReCeGLed by High Speed Camera
Films Will Be Used to En-
tighten School Kids on Art
of Home Run Hitting.

TIHE secret OF Babe Ruth's home
run hitting Is to be exposed. The
demon Yankee swatter, who is
just five homers short of equaling his
last years record OF twenty-nine
homers, has consented to enlighten
embryo ballplayers from the sand
lots and his major league contempo-
raries through the medium OF high
speed motion picture camera on Just
exactly what part of his bat and how
he meets the pitched ball to send It
over the fence OF some major league
ball park, ultimately to be tucked
away in some barefoot youngsters
pocket, who watches the game from
knot hole In the fence.
Previous to the introduction Of this
speedy camera by a New York mo-
tion picture concern such a thing as
photographing the pitched ball and
seeing the batter meet It or swing
under or over 1t was deemed impos-
sible, owing to the limitations OF the
old-style slow camera, taking only
sixteen pictures a second, but with
the newly invented machine $50 pic
lures can be snapped a second.
After the reproduction Of the film
on the screen the ball can be seen to
leave the pitchers hand and float up
leisurely, like a soap-bubble, until II
reaches the plate, when the powerful
Yankee Home Run King can be seen
pulling back and throwing all his
weight behind his swing, meeting II
squarely on the nose and sending II
on its journey either to the right
field bleachers, or over the fence. The
ball can be seen to receive its cata-
putting impact from the bat in an al
most still picture.
Whether or not the exposure will
lead to the revolutionizing Of the art
of home run hitting, l.. A. Forthwith.
who has contributed largely to the
| success OF this freak innovation,
would not venture to say, but one
| thing is certain, he remarked, and
that Is 1t will assist many a batsman,
particularly the younger element, in
perfecting his batting efficiency after
seeing the way Ruth, Cobb, Sisler,
Hornsby Rousch and other cele-
| brated batsmen meet the ball.
Another noteworthy feature of this
modern scientific development is that
II will prove conclusively whether or
not the umpires are suffering from
defective vision in watching the base
runners feet touching the bags as
they try to beat out throws.
During a recent game in the Yam
| kee- Cleveland series at the Polo
| Grounds several films were made OF
batters beating out iufield hits tc
first, many being called out by the
umpires, while the next day the de-
Veloped films showed the runners in
a most obvious fashion touching the
sack a fraction OF second before the
infielders throw entered the first
Easements init. Basing judgment on
the correctness of these new films II
is evident that the umpires will not
take kindly to this new process Oh
taking pictures.
1t is the intention OF the film com.
Iany to catch all the boxing cham.
plons in action and to show theil
offensive tactics and favorite punches
These films will be shown in school,
and churches, and the Yankee owner!
are hoping that in letting the secre
cut there will be several swatters c
huth's calibre developed among tn,
youngsters who see the films.