San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-27
abe Is Not Hitting EN-
Right But Swings Over
the Ball.
YES OUT OF KILTER
-ordination Which Gave
Him His Homer Rec
ord Is Missing.
BY GEORGE CHADWICK.


pyright, 1924. by Consol. Press Assn
New York. April 2e.-Babe Ruth
II not win the batting champion
p Of the American League this year
not at his present rate of carress-
the pill. Moreover, his own
home-run king perhaps may not
securely on his wrinkled brow it
continues to make futile motions
lie others continue to lift the
chers' offerings into the right and
/ field stands.
It isn't his swing. He swings as
rd as ever. Sometimes he swings
hard. The mighty "whisp" with
ich his sturdy shoulders were wont
lift the ball over the fence is still
re, but the ball isn't going far when
be hits it.
The mighty Babe is looking 'em
r as every batter should. But
isn't seeing 'em. That is why he
IT batting more home-runs, or run.
TX Harry Heilmann of Detroit and
ers a neck-and-neck race for the
Fcentage honors of the American
bgue.
He's Not C0-Ordinating.
The secret of Ruth's home-run hit
has been his ability to coordinate.
th. when be bats home-runs at his
I. centers the ball. The bat and
old apple connect at what the
tbematicians call the center OF
rcussion. He has great strength
in possessed of shoulders that
aid make professional men heave
as of admiration But his long
ITS resulted because he caught the
on the bulls eye with that long
golfers swing that should KNOCK
ball to kingdom come If the bat
nected.
NE Babe is missing the ball. His
are misbehaving for the moment.
hits over low curves. This does
happen in single isolated In
hces. 1t continues to happen
Ee catchers have said his weakness
n slow curve inside. He missed
curves inside in the last worlds
es when he was so anxious to hit
hers that his head ached. Now
misses them frequently. He is over
N so far that it is palpabie even
n the stands.
Mixing Them ON Him.
recent time at bat, a low
70 came over from lefthander.
swung at it full force and was
over it. A fast one with a slant
"a by. straight over, and he Just
ed at it and the umpire. he
ssed il was a strike and it was
urye inside followed and he struck
with a swing that raised a cloud
and from the batter's box at his
mother time, he got high one on
outside corner, good ball, but
rent BY rs the umpire gently muir
ed "strike." A slow one inside
he hit over it half foot. A
one outside was served him-a
that could not be driven any
re even il it were touched, unless
batter had luck. He caught the
on the tip of the bat and hit
Nv to deep short. Yet it was a
tch hit and he went after the
as il he knew he were beng
I'd but was hypnotized and could
resist the mental urge to swing.
new and green pitcher who had
n faced him before Offered him
curves for two strikes and then
her curve on the inside and Babe
over it by inches and a green
her had struck him out. The
ID roared, for il is an incident
he life of a fan when Ruth strikes
But il he continues to lurch
lurves that he can't hit. 1t will
TO be striking incident.
Hitting Over the Ball.
lie isn't swinging right, MS
ds and admirers say. OF course,
int swinging right when he misses
hall by half foot. But no bat
can swing right il he does not
he ball right. Home-runs seldom
I when the ball has been struck
below or tapped on top. Home
are the product of muscle, d.
ii By eyes that are able to see
feathers on the head of the In
on a copper cent at distance
Z feet. The final test of hitting
fy comes in the last six feet the
travels before it reaches the
Unless the batter can gauge
Eurye or speed or other necessary
IS at that distance he cannot
mammoth hits.
be has as much strength as ever.
he does not see the ball as he
a and as he did when he was
Z top of his home-running career.
are breaks appearing of which
ever knew before. He is hitting
'em almost all the time-more
over than under--and that is
the home-run record and the bat
average are not climbing. But
eason is young. Nevertheless
very depressing when a batter
begins to hit over 'em.
Never Had q Lesson.