The Washington times., 1924-05-10

When an attack of influenza thr
the right eye and caused a ser
nodded their heads and feared for
opinion. throughout 1923 that Geo
action on the ball field again. 1t
in / 1000 that perhaps he would re
Well, the 1924 box scores intro
ducing the daily play of the st.
Louis Browns present George Sisler
as the first baseman, the. third
place hitter and not more than a
brief step below the form of 1922
when he surpassed Ty Cobbs high
batting record with mark Of .42l
and chucked aside Ty's hitting con.
9ecutively record by hitting safely
IN forty-one games.
No doubt major league, minor
league and corner-lot baseball fol.
lowers are interested in the come.
back of Sisler. In the first place
they can hardly believe it is true
that he is in uniform again. In
the second place they confidently
expect to hear the news that Sis
comeback is fizzle, that he has
Ieen playing on the nerve Of an
Iron heart alone and that major
league pitching has placed him in
the discard forever.
The real facts Of the case fol-
low:
SisIer was a bit balI-shy when
the season opened. He was duck
ing on curves and fast balls. He
was swinging at bad pitches and
when he was meeting the ball
there was not the power Of the
swing Of two years ago behind it.
It must not be forgotten. how
ever, that Sisler did not look at
Q pitched ball from October, 1922,
q until March, 1924. Could Chick
Evans, Gene SaraZen, Bobby Jones,
Jim Barnes, Walter Hagen and
other great golfers remain away
from the tee for year and half
and then return with a flock Of
brides and pars? Ask them If
they could.
Keep Jack Dempsey away from
the padded mitts for that length
Of time and could he sock n right
hook to the knockout vein with one
swing?
Sisler needed training and prac-
tice. His work during the spring
encouraging to himself But swing.
ing against minor league pitching
ig not like going against Charley
Robertson, Urban Faber, George
Dauss, Stan Coveliskie, George Uhle.
Joe bush, Walter JOHNSON and
those kind.
During the first week OF the sea-
son Sisler was Shaping grounders
to the left side Of the diamond. He
was popping looping things over
the head of the shortstopper. He
was not cutting a vicious drive
around to right field. In plain
words he was out Of practice.
In the game for three weeks,
GisIer has found himself. His
Improvement has not only been
apparent to the fans in st. Louis
but to his own players, members
Of opposing teams and himself.
In a recent game with the White
Fox, Sisler opened by punching a
lightly wallop over Mostils head
in deep center for triple. In his
next time up he walloped a liner
over Harry Hooper's head Nfor a
double. When he pasted a whis-
ting drive out 10 right center
against the Cleveland Indians, iris
"That was the way he hit EN- in
1922"
Sisler not only is optimistic over
his own condition but enthusiastic.
"I will admit that was downcast
all last summer" explained Sis
recently. Who wouldn't be? Recog-
nized as q hero one moment and
then wake up one morning, find
the sight affected and perhaps a
livelihood taken away.
"It was a terrific blow during the
early stages. 1 couldn't sleep for
weeks. .,.,
IT worried which was only nat
ural and this didn't help me. My
doctors told me to quit worrying.
I asked them what they would do
II something came along and pre-
vented them from following their
profession. They smiled and tried
TO encourage me, but it couldn't
be dOne-last summer.
"Early last fall noticed an inn
provement. I discarded the smoked
glasses and gradually my sight be.
came better. / do believe that It
Is practically normal.
"I can't say too many kind-words
FOR the fans and the players who
said they missed me and wanted me
back"
In fielding Sisler has convinced
everybody who has watched his ca
reer with st. Louis that his come
back is genuine. He remains the
fielding marvel around first base
stretching far to his right with
his left shoe hooked against the
bag and pulling in wide throw
from the infield with his glove.
Sisler shouts: II go. it!' for every
popfly that goes up around the In
field. Marty McManus, Walter Ger.
her and Hank SEVERED step aside
and Sis has caught everything he
has put his glove on. He remains
an artist on the play that delights
the fan-the double play starting
with pickup of a sizzling grounder
with the glove, a throw to second
base to force the runner and back
to the bag for the relay.
Even st. Louis fans were n BIT
ekeptical about Sisters comeback.
They squirmed around in their
seats every time o ball was bat
ted In his direction. but covering