Evening star., 1924-03-10

will you take out policy on
400 batting average this year"
"Whew! That's something else.
You look f1t enough to make it,"
Never Felt Better.
"I'Il tell you. ] have never felt bet
my life. and that isn't the old raloo.
either" said the Tiger slugger. Il
am sound, shaped up well, eye like a
telescope, arm never stronger. swing
SO good that ] can't see a fly with :
out wanting to take a swat at it. and
help. But about 400. There's where
you never can tell. / would like to
make it again. Who wouldn't? /
think / would have made 1t before
1923 if hadn't been injured. I'd like
something to me. The Detroit club
pays me for II. and it's worth some
thing TO the club. because the more
ball player can bat safely, the more
chances he accepts to help his team.
That's what we call a safe insurance
risk; I'm getting the lingo good
don't you Think
Babe Ruth went to Hot Springs and
came down with the flu. Heilmann
went there and came away with SO
much robust health that be beams
with it. He radiates IL all over the
city of Augusta-which needs radia-
Sundays ever since the Detroits have
been here.
Would Rather Win Flag.
at understand Ruth is coming after
me for the batting championship this
year." said Heilmann. I'll race him,
but there is another champ onship
I'd rather have Those boys will be
that pennant four years in success
sion. If we hadn't been crippled and
carrying a crutch one-third OF the
time they maybe wouldn't have got
it last year. If the Athletics had
kept up their gait all season I'd like
won the championship. OF course,
this Is looking things over after they
happen, but If they hadn't happened
there wouldn't have been anything to
look over"
Heilmann is being groomed to hit.
The fact shines in the Detroit zenith
like a comet. It's Detroit's policy
this year to mangle the pitchers OF
the other teams. Who wouldn't shape
a team to do that with Heilmann Cobb,
Manush, Wingo and Fothergill in the
outfield and the evidence of the last
two seasons sufficiently conclusive as
to the efficacy of the bat against the
mushy pitching that has been preva-
lent? .
an atmosphere of aristocracy TO, the
team. They liked their private train
ing table, loaded down with all the
delicacies of the southern pantry. But
when a modern hostelry came into
existence at Augusta there was room
for the team without worry for the
manager as TO the cuisine and the
roll call.
So now the players are at a hotel
and are not taking their morning
grapefruit and oatmeal beneath the
stern smiles of doughty old generals
looking down at them from the walls.
They cannot stick their feet on the
veranda rail, with the shades of night
surrounding them, and dream pipe
just acquired, but the hotel manager
says he hasn't noticed any feeble and
attenuated appetites moving Imply
in and out Of his dining room.
Pitchers Not In Trim.
Cobb had his pitchers here early to
get them loose and timber, but il has
not been limbering weather. 1t is
not polar weather by any means. but
the wild flowers are not out, as they
were at this time last year. and the
pitchers arms are as backward as
the flowers.
The Detroit players think they can
win championship. They have had
bad luck. but they have shown enough
grit to come back despite it.
That's one of the best qualities
about my team" says Cobb. There's s
more to say about it-lots more. But
that's the kind of talk a manager
two infields last year, one as good
as the other" he added with a half
sigh. But who would have thought
so much bad luck would hit us all