South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-06-15
BASEBALL EXPERT
SAYS LIVELY BALL
is HERE TO STAY
Big Attendance at Games Indi-
Gates Fans Like Home
Runs and Smuggling.
BY BILLY EVANS

The so-caued lively ball e here
20 stay
Baseball thrives OF action. The
ball IN use today supplies plenty Of
70 Home runs are a daily occur
renee in every major league game.
The fans IKE home runs.
The fact that Babe Ruth Is the
biggest drawing card in baseball be-
cause Of his ability to hit home runs
Is proof positive of that fact
Back 10 or IS years ago q ma
jorlty OF games In the majors we're
pitchers battles. Shut-Out games
were numerous. When a team piled
up a good-sized score it occasloned
much surprise.
Pitchers battles have not become
extinct. we still have quite a few
Of them. However, at the present
time the batsman has the upper
Rand.
Free Hitting Liked.
The tremendous attendance Of the
past three years is pretty good evil
dence % offer ia support Of the pop
ularity OF the free hitting game.
The other day 7 had a very inter-
esting chat with Harry Davis, now
acting as a coach for Connie Mack's
Philadelphia Athletics
In his day as a first sacker Harry
Davis was one OF the best in the
business. Incidentally Davis could
hit the old pill have umpired
many a tense ball game that was
broken up through some long wal
lop by Harry Davis
asked him what he thought Of
the present-day game compared with
the standards Of % years ago.
asked him whether he prefer
red some small score pitchers bat
tie, such as was common in the old
days, or a contest featured by more
hitting
Il have always been willing TO ac-
eept the fans judgment when it
comes 10 baseball" remarked Davis.
Big Crowds Attend.
Look at the crowds that are at
tending the games today. Think OF
the salary of the players are getting
Why, the stars Of my day didn't get
as much as the ordinary player Of
the present period.
That makes me feel that the
style and standards Of baseball as
played today please the fans. That
IL the object OF the game-to offer
amusement that pIeases the cash
customers.
They call the ball in use today
a lively ball. 7 call IT the best ball
that ever was manufactured Wish
they used the same IN my day in
stead Of the rag balls then in use.
The major leagues are the last
word in baseball In the American
and National leagues are 10 be found
the cream Of the baseball talent. IN
the majors it should be a survival Of
the fittest.
Must BE Stars.
That Is what Il IS today. with
the ball now fin use A pitcher who
can win IN the majors today with
any consistency Is real pitcher.
A fielder who can feld. and do II in
brilliant style, is entitled TO be re-
garded as a star
"The ball that we used In our day
was as rag ball compared to the
present perfect sphere Very ordi-
nary pitchers managed to get by.
also very ordinary fielders, because
the bail didn't come at the fielder
with the cannon-like speed OF today.
mo, sir, there Is nothing wrong
with baseball or the lively ball. as
it Is so often called.
"The fans like e. That IS most
important Secondly. you must de-
LIVER, II you are 20 stick On the ma
Jors, which means a high standard %
There you have the opinion OF one
OF the veteran stars on present-day
baseball. Rather interesting. 7
thought.