The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-06-21
Nv HUGH FULLERTON

There were seven OF US In the group
and five OF them were pitchers and one
eX-pltCher. The subject drifted AROUND
TO Babe Ruth's batting. and since we
were talking shop. to Ruths weak
ness"
Il was funny for me. an outsider. to
listen to those pitchers. students OK
Latling. discuss Ruth's hitting ability.
Every one OF them had q way in which
Ruth can bs stopped. One argued that
a low ball. whether curved. slow or fast'
hut pitched on the N corner close 10
the ba;ter's knees. stopped him entirely
One declared that fast ball. or even
p moderately fast one. pitched straight
across the letters on his shirt would
prevent him from hitting. One de-
r!ared that low curve on the outer
corner would stop MIN entirely. one
a man who never permitted Ruth Z"
nit him a. all. said that he could lob
them across his neck ard close N and
Ruth would swing MS head off.
happened To know that. In some ex-
ncrtnents I once conducted with Ruth.
ne was asked 10 put ball, hanging
from a string. IN the spot he liked best
10 hit FOR long drives. And he hung the
ball two feet high and on the outer coz
rer OF the plate and tested II with ms
natural swing. Yet two OF those TEL
lows who had studied him in action de-
clared that was the place To pitch
ball TO stop him hitting.
Teasing One Weakness
II seems 10 me that the truth is Ruth
has not proDounced weakness he
may miss themSand look foolish al
most anywhere the bali IS pitched and
the next time II Is tried no IL liable 10
hit that ball over fence. He has
weakness. and " teased sufficiently ne
Is sucker for the pitcher. no matter
where the ball Is pitched smart
pitcher can tanealize him into stat"
OF helpfulness but mechanically the
only way to pitch 10 him Is 10 put
everything ore has on the ball and then
trust to luck.
II reminds me Of Harry Sutor, the lett
handler who was with the Chicago
White Sox for time. Harry pitched
on theory. He never had seen Wagner
MT ball. nor IN fact had he ever seen
Wagner We were out In front ot the
CorIey Square Hotel in BOSTON one eve
ming and Sutor was telling how he
would pitch 70 Wagner II he ever had
the luck 20 pitch against him.
I'D work Il down 10 two and two.
he said. Then I'd shoot fast one
straight throug hthe heart or the pta'e
with nothing on tt
Cole, a Sally Leagu" v9unCSter. was
listening and ne suddenly turned. ran
a. top speed across Huntington avenue,
hanged ND against the front Of the hotel
across the street Caze1 upward an In
slant and came Sauntering back across
,ba street The rest ~ rs. as'on!shed
nv Coles move wa.tHd. fTe came back.
ho and SNtO- said.
what was the matter? What were
You chasing
ct was Jus, chasing that fast straight
one tina, YOU pitched through the heart
OF the plate" said Cole.
Eye Almost Perfect
Babe has weakneSS-when ne takcs
hls gull swing. He can he fooled as
badly az any batter ~ the world when
re swings his hat at full noN"r ana ms
re-baps has led 10 the theories OF the
ri,cbe-s concerning him. The Babe
should worry about that. because tho
moro guessing they do the more mis-
,otes they make and the better he hits.
Rut when he hits naturally he hits al
most ANYTHING pitched. for the simple
reason that nc has m almost perfect
eve and unless wal!op!ng for home
runs he can change the course OF his
bat and hit bail even when he Is
fooled The pitcher who fools him once
would do well 20 watch what change he
makes IN his hold on tho bat and how
Re shifts is feet, for the mex, time ne
will not he fooled.
Honus Wagner was also that kind OF
- batter. lie practically never missed a
hall ne swung At unless ne was swing
Ing full sweep Of the bat. Hts eye was
perfect and he could change the course
OF his bat and hit even fast curve
after II had fooled him completely. hi
~ on top so hard that he was liable
10 bound II high enough 10 enahl" him
m heat I, out He could shift his feet
IN fact. was always moving and step
ping around the box and no pitcher
could guess from his stance whether
Re vas setting to hit 70 right or lief,
field.
Johnny Evsrs Another
JeAnny Eysrs was another hitter VINO
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