Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-28
Crowd of Ash Singers
Struggle for Honor in
Home un~Sweepstakes
Outfielders Take Homes for Summer Far in Out
er Gardens Waiting for Long Punches
From Husky Swingers.

because the gosh worried o~utfielders
wont give a fellow a chance
I'D say" Speaker said, that the
pitchers are not so generous with their
fast ones over the plate as they were
last year. They are trying to work
their curves. Believe me it is some
task for some of these old chaps with
jerked beef muscles TO curve A ball.
But speed has gone out of fashion and
now show me where there is n pitcher
who is likely to trot within three or
four seconds Of Walter Johnson's time
between pitchers plate and home
base"
Fielders Camp Out
Because | happened to have a little
luck in st. Louis" gurgled Williams
every outfielder has put his shack on
the fence for me and there they are
camped out waiting for the ball" This
elegy of the dying home run was de-
livered in New York after he had made
a prodigious Wallop TO the further
corner Of the polo grounds. 1t was
within a few feet, of fence, a hit that
would have been an easy home run in
the days when the outfielders played
TO back up the infield.
The two American league grandees,
Ruth and Williams, who for the mo-
ment and some successive moments.
will be the cynosure of all eyes, had
their first joust or the polo grounds.
Neither of them made a home run in
the first game but Williams was en-
titled to one. He landed the ball
within a few feet of where Ruth made
one Of his longest drives last year.
1t just failed to get over the fence.
Babe Moves In
Neither of them was deuce high for
home runs in the second and then came
the third contest in which Ruth made
his first home run of the season. 1t
was not as hard a blow as the vulcan
of the diamond can hit but it was hard
enough. Thus the Maharajah of Bingle-
port entered into the battle of the
bat for 1922. Williams followed with
one into the 32nd degree roost of the
sungods and the rivals quit with honors
even in New York but with the total
in Williams favor so far this season.
Both American league ash singers
are left handed batters and no more
alike than a red gum drop is like a..
white gum drop. Ruth is grace. Will
Jams is power. Ruth pivots and fol-
lows through every turn a pose. Will
idIhS dttS illllstI pD MS itit fuot
and leg, leans back and cuts through
with the swift incisiveness Of the
lumberman who is swinging an axe in
the forest.
Ruth Picture of Grace
Ruth centers the ball, and lifts it
high at times, because his swing be-
gins low, and reaches its highest aiti-
in the middle of the arc which
his bat describes. Williams pushes
horizontally and when he centers the
ball raps it on a line. He is more
likely to top it than his rival and there
fore more likely to jam hot grounders
through the infield. His style Of bat
ting will find him caught out less often
on high fouls than his rival.
Both attain long distances. Ruth
through the beautiful precision Of tim
ing. There is no batter living whose
vision and swing coordinate more per-
Williams through the tremend-
Gus muscular force that is applied in
a direct line when he comes through
the plate. Williams bats as
Fielder Jones was won't to bat in years
gone by and oddly enough Fielder Jones
is in Oregon now, the state from which
Williams halls. Ruth will bat time
and again to right field as be swings
while Williams belated in coming into
contact with the ball. is likely to hit
it through to left field every now and
then.