The New York herald., 1921-02-20
RUTH NEEDS NO
CLOSE UP STAND
FOR HIS BATTING
Mistake to Pattern Yankee
Right Field After Polo
Grounds.
FURTHER OUT Is BETTER
Fair Test Gives Outfielders
Chance Which Would Please
the Fans.
FURTHER OUT IS BETTER
BY WILLIAM II. HANNA.


A recent statement attributed to Col
IT. L. Huston anent the new pallfield
for the Yankees was that the right
field stand would be the same distance
from the home plate as is the case at
the Polo Grounds. Col. Huston went
on to say that last year the fans dem
onstrated that they liked to see Ruth
hit homers into the stands and that they
would have the same opportunity to see
him do 1t at the new Yankee field.
The writer hopes this isn't true. and
firmly believes that IL Col. Huston Is
indulging in any such process of reason
ing he is all wrong. He Is arguing
along insecure and short sighted lines
in short he 1.-THE writer] believes 1t
would be altogether too bad and not
conducive in the long run to the fair
est and most enjoyable sort of base
ball to make the right field stand no
further away than the one at the Polo
Grounds. He hopes that Col Huston,
who Is eminently a fairminded man
and good sport. will come to see it in
that light and lengthen the distance If
the size of the site will permit it.
It's a lot more fun when the field is
capacious i'm all directions when the ball
has a chance to strike ground and the
fielder a chance to catch 1t or chase it
more fun and sportier and better test.
Some spectators delight in home runs hit
into or over stands; they delight in any
kind of home runs. but they delight
more in home runs hit into stands and
fields or over stands which are homo
runs on their merits and not because the
stands are conveniently short
Greater Playing Space.
The trenn of baseball fields is toward
greater playing space where such space
is available. This is as it should be.
Fields with stands out of reasonable
hitting distance are a fair test of bat
ting, pitching and fielding ability; other
kinds are not. Close in stands are no
better and no more relished by rams
than close in fields. Building grounds
OF either kind-provided of course there
is room for larger space--is back num-
ber business and not in keeping with
the general growth and expansion OF
the game.
Why consider such a thing as adopt
ing a stand to the peculiar capabilities
of Ruth? The new stand will be there
far after Ruth and the rest have passed
on. Besides, Ruth doesn't need any such
assistance He is a genuine home run
slugger. the greatest beyond compare.
baseball ever has seen. Fans would
stands than at the close ones. Most
Of his homers would be homers, anyway.
but the fielder is entitled to his chance
just as Ruth is entitled to his chance
on balls hit against the front wall OF
the right field Polo Grounds stand and
which are held to two-baggers when
they would be home runs on a deeper
field.
The short right field at the Polo
L.. l. To.
pitcher. his side leading by one or two
runs, ever knows when a ball will be
tapped into that stand and blooey! away
goes his ball game.
All Real Drives.
The hit that goes winging over the
night field bleachers at the White SoX
Park, the same bleachers in Detroit.
the right field fence in Washington, any
Of the fields in Pittsburg. Cincinnati or
Braves Field. Boston. centre field at the
Polo Grounds, left field in Cleveland.
left field in St. Louis--these are all real
distances and real drives. and. I'll ven
ture to say, n source of much greater
satisfaction and enjoyment than any
hit that drops to safety into n stand
easily reached or over a fence a short
jolt away. such as right field at the
Chicago Cubs park and in Cleveland
right field. at the Philly park and the
cramped left field of the Athletics yard
Baseball wants no towering, encircling
stadiums, The Coliseum was all right
for Staying lions and for gladiatorial
sword play and the Circus Maximus for
chariot races, but not for baseball. No
baseball stand should be built which
does not leave an open. untrammelled
space in the outfield, clear to the fence
AMI the wider the better.
Let us have deep right, left and CEN
ire field at the Yankee park by all
means, as deep as space permits. and
as Is compatible with the visual COM
fort OF the fans. The Harvard. Yale
and Princeton outfield space-thesc are
ideal-the wide. wide world.