The Washington herald., 1922-02-25
Club Owners Bolster Pitching
Stats to Curb Activities
OF Sluggers.
By ROBERT EDGREN.


the recent trading In which various
club owners have tried to bolster
their pitching STATS. Better pitch;
ing and a less lively ball will be
relied upon to curb the excessive
activities OF Babe Ruth ana other
nome-run artists.
There is q growing notion In
baseball circles that something
must be done to bring baseball back
to where the team and not some In
diyiduai star Is the attraction. It's
all right. from a gate receipt angle,
to have a Babe Ruth around the
old ball park. But suppose for some
reason or other Babe doesn't per-
form? The attraction is gone.
From a magnate's viewpoint It's
better to have a whole team az
drawing card. Babe was all right
for q season or two, or perhaps
three. But there are many ball
clubs and few Babe Ruths. The
back to baseball" movement has
started.
John McGraw says pitching has
slumped in late years, and that
managers must concentrate upon
developing curve ball pitchers Of
the Christy Nathewson type. John
also states without hesitation that
there never has been q second
+ Mathewson. or any other pitcher
who combined so many elements Of
greatness since Matty's time. II he
could develop another Mathewson.
says John. other clubs can have the
Babe Ruths.
Speaking Of Ruth, people are be-
ginning to wonder IL Babes sus-
pension until along in the playing
season Is going to stick. 1t Is a
general opinion that Ruth Is victim
OF q sort of baseball peonage under
which judge Lands deprived him
of his world series money and his
chance to start another assault on
the home-run record next summer.
The public's view Of Babe Ruth
and the Lands decision is quite
natural to Americans brought up on
the idea that this Is free coun-
try. Just why any ruling baseball
body should assume the right to
govern the personal actions OF base
ball players after the ending of the
baseball season and before spring
training begins Is a puzzle. And even
il that right were conceded II would
be difficult to explain why a rule
should be made penalizing mem
bers of pennant-winning tesms by
denying them liberty Of action al
lowed other players.
Baseballs reputation for fair play
hasn't been enhanced by the harsh
treatment accorded Babe Ruth.
Eugene Criqui is called The
Knockout King of France" A few
days ago a cabled dispatch from
Europe told that Criqui had knocked
out Charles Ledoux in the FIRST
round of a twenty-round bout in
Paris. Criqui was flyweight and LIE
doux bantamweight champion y OF
France.
Everyone in America knows that
Charles Ledoux was one OF the
greatest bantams in the world be-
fore the war. and that in the war
he established a heroic record.
| Twice Ledoux was gassed. Once
big German shell fell on q dugout
just over his head, ana Ledouz, dug
| frcm the debris an hour later, was
laid out for burial when signs OF
life were discovered. Again he was
wounded in action. in a bayonet
charge. In the charge at Thiaumont
he was one of seventeen survivors
out Of $50 Of his command in the
charge.
Twice he was marked for retire
| ment, but each time he got back to
the front, and he served through the
war from beginning to end. being
mustered out when it was over
Then he went back to boxing, but
his wounds and the strain of four
Years Of active service had taken
the best part of his life. He never
recovered all of his former speed
and hitting power.
But what Americans don't know
5 Criaui's record.
Oh. yes. Eugene Criqui did a lit :
tie hshting in the war. too.
He fought through 1t to the end
like Ledoux.
the Medaille Militsire. SO it's evil
dent Criqui saw active service.
In one bate Criuui was struck
in the mouth by a bullet. which
blew out his teeth and carried away
part of his jaw. The surgeon built
him new jaw of a steel compost
tion. And now Criqui is KNOCK
cut King" and bantamweight cham
pion of Europe
After the war Criqui took up box
ing again and went to Australia.
where he knocked out a lot of the
best men In his class, including one
or two Of our Filipino fighters. He
le one nf thA fIA - Ia
French fighters and a terrific hitter.
You can't down a nation mad. III
OF fellows like Criqui and Ledoax
who, in spite of wounds that would
put nearly anyone on the retired
list for life, 60 on lighting in the
ring and make good. Ledoux, BY
the, way. has been on two boxing
tours in this country since the war.
and has done some very good fight.
ing.
Seeing that Criqui has accom-
rsished since the war reminds me of
several other French boxers and
athletes who did their bit and
should not be forgotten.
Carpenter, of course. Is known
everywhere. Except in meeting
Dempsey, he has been, as success
full after the war as before it. Car
pentter wears the Croix de Guerre
and the Medaille Militaire. As
driver Of an officers car. and later
In aviation. he had a less strenuou,
experience than Ledoux and Criqui,
but he did some pretty fair work in
the air to earn those decorations
Bernard. the famous French box
er, an aviator. was killed in an
air fight