The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-07-08

ONN&4AAO us
Grimm couldn't believe the vet. 1
eran pitcher was In earnest and
was about to kid him, but Adams
kept on toward the Pirate dugout.
Bin Killefer, coaching at first base.
quickly understood, and hurried ia
meet the Babe. Clasping his hand,
he said:
''I'm sorry, Babe"
Adams nodded, but could not an.
swer him. When he reached the
dugout the Pittsburgh PLAYERS
crowded around him, murmurine
their sympathy. The next day
Charlie Doyle printed a story II.
q Pittsburgh Newspaper that was
copied all over the country. Babe
Adams, IL read, had come to the
end OF his major league career
The man who had made one Of
the most sensational comebacka in
the history OF baseball was through
at last. There was no denial by
Adams. He thought. for the time.
that he was through.
Now that the hero Of that
cOmeback, the man who had
doomed large In the major
leagues after he had been buried
In the minors for q season and q
half, which was long enough TO
cause most fans In the big towns
to forget him, II trying to come
back again, and all around the
circuit players and fans are pull.
ing for him, are watching him
with Is much interest as though
they would reap some personal
benefit II he should regain his
old standing. In . sense they
win, for the Babe Is one OF the
games grandest figures, and his
passing would be one Of the
games tragedies.
The Babes own views on his
chances oG regaining his former
effectiveness were sought tie othe.
day. He had just pitched 20.
ten minutes IN batting practice,
when his AKA had appeared liz.
beS enough AID he seez.ed abe
TO bend the bali over tie plate
without eay more Of an eSSo.t
taan &c puts !.to els work wssa
pitcaang IA games.
Its still too early TO tai
whether III be abe to get s-saY
arm into shape again." Ao said,
but I'm hopeful now. I thought
last month that 1t would never
get right, but ! hope / was wrong.
Bonesetter Reese and one or two
doctors have looked at it and
they tell me 1t is rheumatism or
neuralgia. / didn't think so at
first, but ! do now. Formerly
the arm hurt me only when !
pitched and cot aSteSwa.6, but
the last few days; Il has ache6
. bit ell tie t!see. :; could
get some resl vz.aa wearaer ]
think maybe rse assa would co1ea
around. but SOW Waea : scr il
01Hmed UP tae COO. v.ads o1
the 6ampness set aI it end Get
II TO aching again"
Ever have sore arm before ?"
''Yes. In 1919. Il was so sore
I couldn't throw bali for two
months without thinking it would
drop off. BOnesetter Reese fixed
It that time. He found . liga-
ment out Of place and put q
back. and after that IL didu't
bother me-"
When you dropped out Of the
major leagues in 1916 did you 10 so
voluntarily or were you released
by the Pirates p
II was released, but I demanded
my release. I was in good shape,
but wanted to get away from the
Pirates then because wasn't salts.
fled with conditions on the club.
They wanted to send me to New
York, and when refused, they
wanted me to 80 to Detroit. I
wouldn't 50 to either, but went
home. thought then I'd like 20
quit the game entirely, but the
next spring ! changed my mind
and. being a free agent offered my
services to the St. Joseph club Of
the Western League and was &C.
cepted."'
ibid you eve- doubt that you
could come back to the big leagues
that you could make the grade
again 2"
mo, but Mt that time I didn't
want 70. ! was satisfied with
my berth IN st, doe, and regard
less Of what tho public might
have thought, ! knew i wasn't
through. As . matter of fact,
! was q better pitcher then than
1 had been for two or three
years before that. Then came
1918 and . shortage Of players
because Of the war. The Pitts
burgh club wanted me to come
back, and after thinking It over
for q while, decided would.
Conditions there had changed and
I found everything agreeable.
when you were at the ton Of
asset-control o.
mo, Control. Of course, Is neces.
sary for q pitcher, but I relied On
my fast ball. ] have pitched game
after game using nothing but n fast
ball. I'd Just buzz that fast one
up there and get by with IL even
when the batters knew what was
coming and were all set for ~
Now and then I'd throw a curve
just to let the boys know I had
one, but that was ALL"
did you find that the longer Won
remained In the league the easier
the work became because OF vo,Ir
increasing knowledge OF the bat.
ters2"
mo. ! found 1t getting harder al,
the time. When you're young and
strong, everything comes easy to
you. It's when you're getting along
that It becomes an effort. When I
was kid pitcher / used to hate
to see games end because entoyed
pitching 30 much. Now" with a
smile, "1'm glad when they're over"
"Do you think that, generally
speaking, pitching IL easier than il
used to be2"