The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-06-07

Will Soon
Hit Stride
Umpire Thinks Ruth Is
Due to Start Soon; Has
Sultan Bat Weakness?
BY BILLY EVANS


w no doubt fans the country
over arc asking one another this
question.
Ruth's failure 10 start hitting
home runs right where he left Off
last scason has caused much com
ment
There are those who think Rutn"
liz slipping, that never again viii no
threaten his record Of 80 home
runs.
No doubt some fans are Of the
opinion that opposing pitchers final
ly have discovered q glaring weak
ness In Ruths style Of hitting. and
thereby have slowed up his home
run tactics.
Some simply think Ruth hasn't
struck his stride. They feel that
his long lay-off has dimmed his bat
ting eye.
As a matter Of fact there are sew
erai reasons why Ruth isn't crack.
ing out home runs In his customary
style.
There seems to he a general i'm
precision among the major league
players and baseball experts that a
weakness has been discovered In
Ruth's style. l do not agree with
such belief
This feeling dates back 70 the
world series with the Giants. II
has been strengthened by Ruth's
failure TO show 10 advantage at the
bat since he returned TO the game.
In the world series between the
Giants and the Yankees. Manager
McGraw OF the Giants worked on
the theory that Ruth was weak on
low bali pitching. He accordin2xI
instructed his pitchers to use thai
style against Babe.
In the first place. all great hitten
win tell you that the low ball. prop
erly pitched. il the most difficult
OF all balls to HIT with any degree&|
OF certainty.
Nehf OF the Giants. who Is a south
paw. used a low curve at the krNes. /.
that broke out and downward az Il
approached the plate. Nehf. who
had excellent control. kept this low
curve on the outside.
In pitching to a battcr's supposed
weakness. control is most necessary.
A curve ball broken over the heart
Of the plate Is not nearly so effective
as curve that just skins the out
side corner.
When Douglas and Barnes. who
are right handlers. pitched to Ruth
they kept their curve ball low and
inside. II either chose TO use a fast
ball. 1t was always low and out
side.
l don't believe Ruth had half
dozen balls pitched TO him in the
1891 series that were any distance
aLovVe the knee.
His showing at the bat in the
series was a disappointment He
struck out eight times. He seemed
to be at the mercy OF a low ball.
This year, since Ruth returned to
the game. American league pitchers
are using the tactics so successfully
employed by the Giants pitchers.
Ruth is being fed on a diet OF low
hall pitching. =
Possibly IL Ruth has a weakness.
II Is the low ball. However, 10 my
way OF thinking. he is no weaker on
a low bah than any number OF the
great hitters OF the game.
! feel safe in saying that half OF
the home runs hit by Ruth last year.
in establishing his mark OF 50 home
runs. were on low balls. He simply
golfed them over the fence.
Ruth nj present is simply suffering
from lack OF practice. His eyes are
dim. A batter must face real pitch
ing in competition to get results
Hitting against practice pitching
means little or nothing.
Babe is trying too hard. He is
forcing his swing. with the result
that Il is lacking in accuracy.
He is conscious OF the fact that
his crown as home-run king Is in
danger. Failure 10 get away TO a
flying start has robbed him OF some
OF his confidence.
Ruth may not lead the majors in
home runs this year. but he is far
from being thru When he gets
started. beware.