Evening star., 1923-01-19

Twenty pounds taken off under a
regime of splitting wood, setting up
exercises. hiking and, in recent
weeks, snow Shoveling is the meas
ure Of Ruth'S conditioning process
to date together with an appear
ance Of fitness that is its outward
mark. But the Babe is not yet CON
tent. He weighed 230 pounds when
he left Broadway for his farmhouse
here. He weighs 215 pounds today.
He says he expects to be down TO
205 when the season opens, with Il
tWo-week stay at Hot Springs, Ark,
meantime. likely to bring him close
to that goal.
VIII Reduce TO 2OJ Pounds.
Il am back now where | was three
wears ago" Ruth said in discussing
the success of his efforts to reduce
weight as condition to Increasing
the power and speeding the drive
which with sharpness of eye. are the
compoaents of his hitting proWess.
Til have to work pretty hard to get
any more off, but I'm going TO do II.
A month from now I'll be in Hot
Springs. Meantime | have lot or
ice to cut and haul and this driving
a horse and pung does not let one
get as soft as Whirling the wheel
of an automobile. | ought to be
close TO POS 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 in
his barn for days at time, while
the country roads leading from the
renovated farmhouse where he has
made i home for Mrs. Ruth, Baby
Dorothy and himself. were impass-
able except by sleigh. AS a conse-
quence. Ruth had to follow the lead
of his fellow farmers and use punG
and horse on his trips 20 the village
for supplies. The pung was hired.
Its use was one detail of his condi-
tioning process that was not the re-
suit of plan.
Maintains Early Hours.
In the evenings through the winter
the Ruths have kept early hours, de-
clining invitations to whist and other
parties from the hospitable folk of
the countryside that the Babe might
follow out his schedule. Two trips to
New York, an occasional brief visit
TO Boston and excursions once or twice
when the roads were open to other
places in New England have been the
only breaks from the family fireside.
one OF Ruth : trips to New York
occurred earlier this week, when he
underwent slight operation for an
Infection of the third finger of his
left hand, the result of an old injury.
The operation, however, was not of
)
hand was expected to heal rapidly.
With Baby Dorothy on his knee,
Ruth presents a picture in contras ST
with that familiar to fans who know
him as swashbuckler of the dia-
mOnd.
New Park Uncertain Quantity.
Thoughts of the game always are
with him however. The Babe was
quite willing to discuss his home
possibilities of next season, not in
terms of promise. but of prospect.
Whether he can equal or better his
high mark of all time-fifty-n mine
homers, made in 1921-will depend
largely on his condition and on the
new grounds of the New York Amerf-
cans he said. His condition. he as
sumed from present accomplishment
and future intention, would be the
best. The fences at the new park re-
manned the uncertain quantity. Op-
posing pitchers We're not considered.
As to the proposal to apply a coming
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
a crazy idea. Leave the rules alone" "