The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-18

fCopyrght 1923. in United States and Hreat Britain. Cuba, Japan and South Alliance for The Age Herald. All rights reserved)
 By HANS WAGNER
 Before leaving Paterson behind in this story it is proper, my editor tells me, to call attention to the fact that in the three years I had played professional ball I had led all the teams and all the leagues in which had been a player in batting. Up to the time I was bought by Louis vile my batting average for the three yeas was about 1875. I guess that is why Barney Dreyfuss paid the S2,0o0 for me.
 At Steubenville my batting average was .365, at Warren it was 1869. For my fist full season at Paterson the average was 1854 and the second sea son .392. Those batting averages were considered more remarkable then than they would be now. We didn't have the lively ball then. To hit 300 was quite an event.
 am not squite sure in my mind whether it is altogether the lively ball that is causing such heavy hitting nowadays or whether it is poor pitching. l am certain that the restrictions put on the pitcher have had something to do with it. Pitchers are not allowed to soil the ball or Use any foreign substance on it, such as resin. Even the spitball is barred except in few cases. In the old days the pitcher could go as far as he liked.
 There is no doubt about the lively ball helping the batter. Some hits that shoot through the infield would have been stopped in the old days.
 Right here let me bring in another subject. Much has been said about the pitchers walking Babe Ruth pur- posely. It has been said that they ought to give him a chance; that 1t is unsportsmanlike to pass him.
 Every body seems to be of the i'm pression that the pitchers pass Ruth to keep him from getting hit-that and nothing else. There is another thing they have overlooked. In many cases the pitchers pass Babe Ruth simuly because they don't want to risk getting hit with a ball driven straight back at them. Don't forget that. Nobody was ever able to hit ball with the tremendous force that Ruth puts to a swing. It is remark able that he has never seriously ln- jured pitcher. Personally 1 know that he is always afraid of hitting  can't get out of the way.
 Ruth's WaIIop A Real Risk.
 If that ever happens he is likely to kill somebody.
 Some of the players were telllnS me last spring about drive Ruth hit back at Dutch Reuther. The ball struck him. on the thigh and made him limp for several days, The blue spot on Reuther's leg showed the mahking of the stitches in the ball.
 I'll guarantee you declared Reuther, Inc won't hit another one back at me like that
 By that he meant that he would keep the ball outside or inside so that Ruth would hit to one fleid or the other.
 Now. if was in the three tole on Ruth l doubt very much If would lay one over the middle and risk getting killed. Many of the pitchers have the same notion. lie is passed for that reason as much as through fear of his getting hit That boy is a dangerous man up at the plate.
 From my own observation any from talks with other old ball play are am pretty sure that the pitch inc is not up to the calibre or a few years ago. The younger ball - players do not seem to study their business as closely as they formerly did. It is the same with other players.
 Bill Donovan, mighty smart nitcher in his day, has the right idea.
 ..Whetber it is a lively ball or dead one" says Bill, they've got to hit it, haven't they? If you let batter get hold of one of the old halls he knocks it for loop It might not go as far but it would cer- ,ainlv go safe. The main idea IS for the pitchers to keep the batter from hitting the ball on the nose. 1T he does that they can't beat him, even with the lively ball
 That there is a lot of truth in this is shown by the number of no-hit eames pitched last season. The lively hall didn't help a bit as long as the ,nitcher wouldn't let them get hold or it There were any number or smut out games and lot of small scores. That's when the pitching was good.
 Q o q
 Uhc Greatest Hit Ever.
 There is no doubt, though. that the lively ball has made big change m hase running Managers do not make their men steal second now except In rare cases Whats the use of try ing to steal second and, maybe, get fling thrown out when the next bat fer might come ~along and knock the hall out of the lot? Even if he didn't do that he has good chance or. smacking it past some infielders. In other words, there are more chances in waiting for hit than in trying to steal second.
 have hit these lively balls. No doubt there is a difference, but hon. estly. I don't believe there is as much difference as some try to make out. Just as Donovan says, the batter has got to hit the ball on the nose, no matter if it is lively or dead. An India rubber ball wouldn't help fellow who couldn't hit it.
 This looks to me like good spot to answer one of the questions that several fans have asked.
 what was the greatest hit you ever saw" is the question.
 imagine that those who asked that question wanted to know the most remarkable hit-not necessarily ,he longest or hardest. I'll talk about eAase later.
 3he most remarkable hit ever saw ~es made by Jack Killackey, first baseman on that old Paterson team. It was a home run, too.
 The opposing pitcher laid one in