The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-27

He seemed to be such a likeable
youngster that I gave him a base
bah and had all the Yankees auto
graph it for him. You should have
seen his eyes bulge. They almost
popped out in happiness.
Well, sir, he went back to his
train and about ten minutes later
came back with four or five other
kids whose acquaintance he had
made on the train. You know how
kids are.
1t seems that the kid / gave the
bali told the others about 1t and
that they wouldn't believe 1t. So
be brought them along to prove 1t.
One of them was a husky, bullying
sort of kid Naturally his bluff was
called and he grew very flustered
was playing some bridge at
the time but wanted to put
talking and one of them asked
me q question that made me
think q lot. That question was
this, "What is the greatest thrill
you ever got playing basebaIlS"
The kid seemed to be pretty well
posted on my home run records.
my total runs scored record, my
extra base hit record, bases on
balls record and even the pitching
record OF twenty consecutive
scoreIess innings 1 made in world
series games when was pitcher
before turned to outfielding. He
knew almost more about me than /
did
His question was such an un-
usual one that the Yankees was
playing with put down their cards
and got to arguing about it. They
went hack over roy baseball years.
mentioned this incident and that In
eident. but none Of them hit on what
thought was the biggest thrill II
ever got.
Before say what that was Il
want to tell Won what Jack Denlp-
sey told me recently at his hotel in
New York. He asked me questions.
about my gNmc while I asked him
about his. wanted to know what
the greatest kicI. he had ever go1
out of fighting, and he said 1t was
the blow that knocked Jess Willard
down for the first time in the frs
round OF the fight that gave him
the championship at Toledo.
That one blow. he said, was his
biggest thrill. He knew then, he
champion. He knocked Willard
down over and over again, and
finally knocked him out, but the
first one that he landed was the
big One-the one that stands out
In his mind as feeling better than
any other.
Jack has landed q lot of knock
down and draG1em-out blows, and
I've hit q lot Of homers. They
have all felt great. Nothing gives
me greater kick than to get a.
homer. But Of all the homers I've
hit, the one that stands out is the
one hit. not in 1921. when made
my record ofsfifty-nine homers. but
the one I hit IN 1920 that broke
all existing Eome-run records.
That year, You remember, made
dfty-four homers.
Fifty.three Of those felt great and
Ill those I've made since then have
Nelt just as good. but the one big
aby-bigger and prettier than all
Mhe rest-the greatest thrill ever
got in basebali--was the homer that
busted the record.
still have a great appetite for
thrills that viii be greater than all
others. I'm cracking about the
world series, and I don't mind say
ing haven't forgotten what ] did
and didn't do last year and the
year before against the Giants.
II can make up in the coming
series for what I didn't do in tie
last two, I'll feel thrill that will
beat anything in the past because,
while the fans have probably for
given, ] haven't forgotten.
Copyright. 1929. by The Christy Walsh
Syndicate. Inc.l