Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-26
HE expected has happened.
By FRANK G. MENKE.


no thunder of applause, no raj
And home-run hitting in this A. D.,
1921, has become ordinary, common
place.
Back in the olden days-before
the base ball powers "hopped up"
the ball--thc athlete who banged out
dozen homcrs in a full season was
hero: a demon slugger; a seasonal
champion; an offensive star to be
gazed upon with awe!
Many Long Hitters.
But now, with the season only
about one-third over, 10 or more
players have banged out around II
home runs each,
A club that averaged three homers
a week was wonder aggregation
one that could have been nick
named Demon Clouters." Nova
days the team that can't bang OUT
four baggers far beyond that aver
age is regarded as terrible aggre-
CATION.
In the last series between the
Tigers and the Athletics a total Of
16 home runs was made in four
games. The Notwithstanding as
"the worst club in base ball."
amasscd 10 of the 10. When eel
lar ball club can harpoon 10 four-
basers in four games, how can
home-running still be reckoned as
an amazing achievement?
No better evidence of the lively
ball" can be cited than Ty Cobb's
record. The mighty Georgian is
not averaging more hits now than
in his best years, yet in the first
two months of play he has made al
most as many homers as he did in
any complete season of his spec
tacular career The answer is OBJ
vious:
The men behind the national
game decided two seasons ago to
harken to fandom's cry of more
hitting" They made the ball livelier
by the simple process of using in
its manufacture the springiest mate
rials known to balloon. Their aim
was to give the players ball that
could be wlanged out of the lot
with reckless abandon but remark
able precision.
Achieve Aim.
The aim was achieved-but now
there is evidence of its boomerang
effect.
Even the four basing of Ruth isn't
provoking any excessive delirium
this year. Everybody's doing it
this home run stuff--so why get ex-
cited about it? The fans have be-
come smarted up this season and
they know that Ruths terrific clout-
ing and the great four-bagger work
of a dozen other players is, in the
final analysis, an artificial perform
ance, as compared with the era be-
fore the "hop' ball.
The new ball hasn't merely in
creased circuit drives. 1t has en-
abled mediocre batsmen to cling
easily above 800 while horde of
good swatsmiths are finding no diff
ficultv banging $50 or better. The
wear undoubtedly will end with more
800 hitters than the game ever has
known before. ...
Once upon time team that aver
aged six or seven safeties per game
was an aggregation of lulu hitters-
and did the old home town proud |
But a six or seven hit gang now
would be fired bodily by the irate
magnate. No club is hitting one
now unless it can pound out 10 to ID
safeties per diem.
Banging Out Hits.
That Tiger-Athletics series can be
cited In the four games the Tigers
made SO runs and 81 hits--an aver
age better than eight and 15-while
the men of Connie Mack made 81
runs and IS hits an average OF eight
runs and more than II hits per COM
bat. .."
Philadelphia fandom saw each day
on the average, total OF ID runs
and nearly 27 hits--probably a record
performance in offensivs play.
But it won't remain ios ong If the
lively ball continues in play. For
almost anything seems possible with
its use. Players, realizing that the
bali will sail tremendous distances
when Justify whaled, are spurning
the bunt, baking at, scientific bat
ting orders-and slugging, slugging,
smuggling. Il
The fans wanted more hitting-a
little more. They got more in huge
quantities. And the reaction is set
ting in. They no longer go into
ecstacies about batting rallies and
long distance driving. It's become
too common. II
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