The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-04-28
YANKEE
STADIUM
NO HELP
TO BABE
Comparison With Polo
Grounds.
Ruth's First Home Run.
Recording a Long Triple.
Unusual Freak Play.
BY BILLY EVANS

NEW YORK, April 2s,-Tho Yam.
1 ' kcs stadium 10 being built
around Babe Ruth.
often heard that remark last
summer while tho park was under
construction.
Tho inference was that the park
Was being built In such a manner
ia would assist Ruth In breaking
his home.run record.
Tho day before tho opening OF the
season went out and looked the
stadium over. Tho foul line limits
IN left and right field are about tho
asrna distance from the plate as at
tho Polo Grounds. That means that
Il will be as easy TO get a home run
az The stadium as at the Polo
Grounds on fiy balls that travel just
inside the foul line.
The short territory. however. ID
decidedly limited. and as the playing
territory works away from the foul
line. the distance from the homo
plate Is rapidly increased.
A FT'ER giving tho field the once
II over I made the remark That
Ruth would find Il more difficult
to get home runs at the new stadium
than at tho Polo Grounds
Ruth in tho first game hit a home
run. IL was decidedly legitimate
one. IL would have Travelled into the
far end OF the right field stands at
the Polo Grounds.
In tho second game Ruth hit
triple that bore out my belief that
Ruth would find the stadium
harder place 10 get home runs than
the Polo Grounds.
With the outfield playing deep.
Ruth hit slow curve on the outside
that failed TO break. far over the
head OF Left Fielder Joe Harris. The
ball struck the left center bleachers
on tho second bound travelling about
20 feet after first hitting the ground.
T FELT positive that the ball would
K have gone for n home run on
any ball park In tho American
league with the exception Of Wash.
ington. which has "a very deep left
field.
After tha game bumped into
Major Tom Birmingham, who de.
signed the Yankee stadium. asked
him how far tho ball had Travelled.
'rhe distance from the home plato
TO where the ball struck the bleach.
ers is 500 feet. replied Birmingham.
IL would say that the ball travelled
about $50 yards on the fly and a
high fly Mt that. ON the Polo
Grounds IL would have been an easy
home run,
TT didn't take the 1923 season long
L to produce something unusual In
the way OF freak plays.
Ina National league game at Bos.
ton the other day two players were
retired at the plate by Catcher Sny.
der on the same throw from the
outficld.
Sounds impossible. but here are
the details:
with southworth on second base
and Boecltel on first. Bagwell hit the
ball far into right field. Would the
ball be caught?
CoUTHWoRTH believed that Right
~ Fielder Young OF the Giants
would make the catch and held sec.
ond base. Boeckcl didn't think 80
and dashed for second.
AS Bocokcl was almost TO second.
Southworth decided that Young
wouldn't get the ball and dashed
madly TO third, with Boeckel at his
heels.
The ball struck the right field
blcachers, Young taking It on the re.
bound. throwing It 10 Trisch. who ro.
laycd II to the plate.
Catcher Snyder received tho ball
Just ahead OF Southworth and man.
aged TO tag both Southworth and
Bocckol. completing most unusual
play and retiring the side.
Not oven tho oldest inhabitunt can
recall q similar play.