The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-01-07
Plan New
 Deals To Win Flag:

New York, Jan. 7-Babe Ruth is now a full f1edged Yankee. Stories from California that Ruth would balk at the deal which brought him to New York because of his cigar busi- ness in Boston were dissipated last night, when Col. Ruppert, president of the Yankees, announced that he had received a telegram from Miller Huggins, manager of the team, who is in Los Angeles. saying that Ruth had signed an agreement to play in New York.
 In the telegram Huggins also said that Ruth was greatly pleased over his transfer to the Yankees and that he is delighted with the opportunity to play in New York next summer. In i, a statement issued in Los Angeles last night Ruth said he is ambitious to break his former batting averages on the Polo Grounds during the 1920 season.
 Huggins' telegram is a little ambig- uous, inasmuch as he says he has signed Ruth to "an agreement to play in New York" He doesn't say anything about signing con- tract. Ruppert, however, points out that in Ruth's case 1t is not necessary for him to sign a new contract. In purchasing the player for the record sum last Monday the Yankees also took over his Boston contract, which still has two years to run.
 ''Huggins has full authority to act for us,' said Ruppert last night, ''and when he signed Ruth to an agree ment it means the same as if the player signed a contract. The agree ment unquestionably provides for New York taking over Ruth's Boston contract with certain inducements which may be satisfactory to the player
 | Despatches from the far West quote Ruth as saying that he will hold out 1 for part of the purchase money. Rup- pert said that is entirely up to Frazee. 1 we paid a pretty handsome price for Ruth, and it is Up to Frazee to do l whatever he pleases with the pur- l chase money"
 Ruppert said the club already had received bundles of letters and tele- grams congratulating it on the ac- quisition of the famous home run champion. The general tone of the 1 letters is that the Yankees finally have taken their place with the real 1 topnotch teams of baseball, and from all sides come predictions that the club will bring home the 1920 pennant
 'The fans seem immensely pleased, " said Ruppert, land I think they now are convinced that we intend to give | New York some real American League baseball
 l Ruppert reiterated his statement of
 last Monday night that the Yankees hope to add one or two additional
 stars to the team before the training
 season opens
 We are pretty strong as we stand now,' said Ruppert, 'fbut we have
 several other deals under considera- ton that we would like to put over There are a few more positions we should like to brace up before we
 start our pennant drive next spring.
 1T feel sure that signing Ruth will bring Baker back, at least for another year. There ought to be a pretty good | chance for our boys getting into the worlds series next season, and think Baker would like to get into another big series before he turns in his uni form for good.''
 While New York is unquestionably
 delighted with the acquisition of Ruth the general impression is that the
 Yankee Colonels in raying $125, 900 fol
 Ruth have made one of the. bigges
 gamlb1es in baseball history.
 Ruth will not be 26 years old unu Inext season. But should anything
 happen to him, should he suffer ar
 accident the big sum would be lost.
 There is little doubt that Ruth vii
 go even bigger in New York than he
 did in Boston. The right field wal was so far back in Boston that Rutf
 is the only player who has been able
 to clear it. Predictions were freel!
 made yesterday that Ruth will pas:
 his 29 home run record before the 192
 season is half over. His ordinary Ions fly on Fenway Park will be eas! homers in New York.
 Five of Ruth's 29 home runs las season were made in New York, ant
 one-quarter of his big league home runs have been made here.