Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-20
e SPORTING NEWSm
RUTH COMING BACK
STRONG THIS Year
RESULT TRAINING

uHoO ~ n utSekuvuuuS
South Sudbury. Mass, Jan. 10
(By A. P.)-Babc Ruth is coming
back strong to regain his honors as
home-run king. He said so. He
looks it.
\ gentleman farmer, sowing seeds
OF hard work, regular hours and
simple food that he may reap a har-
vest of. hitS-more especially of
home runs-the one-time slusger
extraordinary is wintering in this
snow piled New England country
| town seeking to lay a firm founda-
ton for his comeback. If appear
anccs may be taken for their face
value, he is doing it. If confidence
may be taken at it's own appraisal,
the Babe is well on the way to ma
! king good his pledge to the kids of
| New York that he would be back at
| the top of the home-run heap this
year.
| Twenty pounds taken off under a
| regime of splitting wood, setting up
| exercises, hiking and, in recent weeks.
| snow shoveling, is the measure of
! Ruth's conditioning process to date,
together with an appearance of fit
ness that is its outward mark. But
f., the Babe is not yet content. He
weighed o35 pounds when he left
Broadway for his farmhouse here.
/; He weighs 2l5 pounds today. He
! says he expects. to lie down to 205
when the season opens. with q two
weeks stay at Hot Springs. mean
time likely to bring him close to the
goal
| Il am back now where l was three
years ago Ruth said, in discussing
the success of his efforts to reduce
weight as Il condition to increa slnE
the power and speeding the drive
/ which with the sharpness of eye are
components of his hitting prowess.
I'm have to work pretty hard to get
any more off. but I'm going to do it..
| \ month from now I'll be in Hot
Springs. Meanwhile / have a lot of
ice to cut and haul and this driving
Il horse and pung does not let one
| set as soft as whirling the wheel of
an automobile. l ought to be close
! to 205 when | report to the Yankees
at New Orleans and that is my best
weight"
The Babes two automobiles are in
; dead storage, but not through his
| wish. They have been snowbound
! i'll his barn for days at Il time. While
/ the country roads leading from the
| renovated farmhouse where he has
made Il home for Mrs. Ruth. Ba By
! Dorothy and himself. We're impass-
! able except by sleigh. AS a conse-
| qucnce, Ruth had to follow the lead
! OF his fellow farmers and use Il punS
! and horse on his trips to the village
| for supplies. The pung was hired.
! Its use was one detai of his condi-
tioning process that was not the re-
suit OF plan.
In the evenings through tie win
ter. the Ruths have kept early hours.
! declining invitations to whist and
! other parties from the hospitab bic
, foil, of the countryside. that the
Babe might follow out his schedule
Two trips to New York, an occasion
al briet visit to Boston and eXcur-
sions once or twice when the roads
were open, to other places in New
; England have been the only breaks
from the family iireside.
one Of Euth's trips to New York
occurred earlier this week when he
| underwent a Slight operation for an
infection on the third finger OF his
| left hand. the result of an old in
, jury. The operation. however. was
not OF serious character and the
slugger's hand was expected to heal
rapidly.
With Baby Dorothy on his knee.
Ruth presents a picture iii contrast
with that familiar to fans who know
him as swash buckler of the da-
mond.
Thoughts of the game are always
! with him. however. The Babe is
quite willing TO discuss his home-run
possibilities of next season. not in
, terms of promise, but of prospect.
Whether he can equal or better his
, high mark of all time-J9 homers,
made in 1921-will depend largely
on his condition and on the new
grounds of the New York Ameri-
cans, he said. His condition he as
sumed from present accomplishment
and future intention. would be the
best. The fence at the new park re-
manned the uncertain quantity OPP
posing pitchers were not considered.
AS to the proposal to apply a ION
ing plan. which would make two and
three baggers of balls hit over
fences close to the foul lines. the
Babe dismissed the subject with the
statement: Its crazy idea. Leave
the rules alone"