Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-03-24
EARL COMBS SAYS HE
DREAMS BASE BALL
Louisville Post Devotes Lot Of
Space To Fine Work of
"Pride of Eastern"

j
= Combs, Richmond boy with the
, Louisville Coloncls in training
at Pensacola, Fla. On Wednes-
day it said:
Earl Combs, the Richmond
boy, will certainly be held for a
time. This young chap seems to
have every essential that makes
J for great ball players. He is the
fastest man on the team, he hits
TO any field with a real punch in
; his bat. He fields well and with
his speed should develop into
base runner. In addition, he !, a
boy of fine disposition. The Col
onels are gong to lool; at him
long before making a decision.
| Combs was the principal topic
on the Post's sport ?.:ge 1Eurs-
day. Here's what it had Of the
Pride Of Eastern:
i Pensacola. Fla, Mar. 22-tlow
I does it feel to hit out q home
run over the fence on your first
time at bat in professional
| baseball game:
| This rare experience, accorded
BY the gods to Earl Combs, East
! ern Normal school product,
seems to leave nothing to be de
sired. Combs probably wouldn't
have exchanged a fortune for
the circuit blow he loitcd over
the fence on Al MamauX, one OF
the Dodger pitching stars.
! 1t was interesting to listen to
| Combs tell of the guessing battle
at the plate which resulted i'll the
four-basc hit Glowing with fine
enthusiasm eyes eager and dead
/ " earnest Combs = hen talk
ing baseball. The game Is a pas
sion with him.
Mamaux's first pitch he swung
for but missed a mile. The next
one was over the heart and
Combs fouled it off.
!. Il guessed he wouldn't pitch
| the next one through and watch
ed Tor him to waste it," Combs
said. He did. | thought he
would take chance on the next
one, too, and / guessed right.
Then / figured that he would do
/ his best to get the ball over the
plate and [ was all cooked for 1t.
She came through just as | cX-
pected and | met it full. / didn't
hit it so hard.
Say did you ever get that
feeling when your bat meets the
ball right on the nose. You feel
like the wood gives. 'buggywhips
it that's it. Say, boy, that's a
real kick.
Il hit a home run at LeXing-.
ton Just about like this one last
summer. The count was 2 to 2
and / really hit it hard. 1t was
the longest drive / ever got. The
! ball landed 50 yards beyond the
centerheld fence. 1t has 4 dent
i'll it and they gave it to me for
! a souvenir. I'm saving it"
| It's interesting to watch the
unfolding OF the young baseball
bud i'll training camp. Though
Combs has never had any pro-
fessional experience he Is taking
to a baseball like a fapper to
I rouge. He hasn't the timidity
of some of the rockies, but real
izes he has a lot to learn. 1t
was something of Il shock to dis
cover that the baseball players
of today are above the 'buR"
and "rough-neck type"
You know you hear Il lot
about baesball players" confess
ed Combs, but this is the finest
crowd OF fellows l ever saw.
They're all willing to help. I've
been playing right field in field
ing practice. Didn't know wheth-
er Ellis would like it, but you
know | like to field 'em, too.
81 thought he might object,
but instead, he's been teaching
me how to play the field. There
are lot of little things in the
game | never dreamed of. l
really dream the game. l play
because | enjoy it. I'm figuring
at it all the time and often have
dreams about baseball"
Combs bubbles over with pep
and ginger while he's telling all
these things His free, easy and
powerful swing a+ - plate is
the nearest thins ,ne cub has to
Kirke's nonchalant handling of
the big stick Combs fairly
swoops over area in the outfeld.
Everything he does marks him
as a player apart.
OF course the Richmond boy is
far from a finished player. He
has two of the greatest gifts a