Evening star., 1924-08-17

Even if Ruth does not equal or
better his high water mark for home
runs. there will still be a way to
feature him AeNt season. BY the time
this season is over he should be well
up toward the 300th heme-run mark.
\ slogan next season of see Ruth
make his S0hth and start on the
road TO the fourth century mari" will
continue to pack them in.
Mathematically. it is possible for
Ruth to pass the 800 mark this sea-
son. But practically it is impossible.
To do it. he would have TO average
better than three and fraction
EomerS week. This is too much to
ask, even of home-run king.
Would he Fine Slogua.
But that 500 mark will make a fine
slogan for next Spring and then they
can start the 400 mark ballyhoo.
Whether Ruth will remain in base
ball long enough to accumulate 400
home runs is something else. Whether
he will accumulate 400. even IL he stays
in base ball for a long time. also is
another chapter.
Just now there is nothing lacking
in his power. He gets much force
behind his swings as ever. But early
this season he was completely off.
That coordination about which the
experts like to talk wasn't there.
Ruth's arms and his eyes were not
working together 1t was reported
that he was i'll. Probably he was.
But a similar slump may come again.
Once he got started this season.
Ruth has been going great. He has
not batted out respectable quota of
home runs. but he has batted his way
toward the top of the American
League. In fact he has been at the
top for time. Ruth has long covet-
cd the honor of leading his league in
batting as well as in home runs, and
perhaps this may be the year for him
to land the double title. That would
be especially sweet for him if his
club won the championship. Without
the pennant the individual shines less
resplendent.
HES One Title in Sight.
Another title that seems to be
headed Rutb's way is that OF cham
scored more than 100 runs. on some
thing like $50 hits. That puts him
about 25 ahead of the runners up.
But. as Ward recently pointed out
Ruth has everybody else handicapped
because his home runs are counted
in the total, while the others have to
get most of their runs by clever base
ing. lHH COtdl Ol TuHS iIldue
would be much better index of
cleverness on the bases, Ward sug>
gested. if everybody,s home runs
were deducted before comparison
was made.
On that basis. Rice Of Washington
would shine. as he has made about
as runs, mostly by good hard plug
ging on the bases. The same thing
is true of Cobb of Detroit, Collins or
Chicago and GosIin of Washington,
all of whom are around the IS mark.
The tilt between Ruth as a batter
and the veteran Walter johnson as a
pitcher has been interesting. john
son pitches the type of ball that
Ruth likes to hit because the ball
responds when met fair-but Ruth
doesn't always hit it.
He got his first home run Off john
son in 1918. He made two Off john
son that year. Johnson being the
only pitcher to yield two.
In 1919, johnson didn't let him hit
any. In 1920 he made one. in lS2l.
three; in 1922, one, and in 1923, one.
This year he has made one-his first
homer of the season. Altogether
Ruth has nicked the great waiter
for nine, and he is working hard to
make it an even ten.
The pitcher against whom Ruth has
made the most home runs is Dauss
Of Detroit. Dauss has yielded Is.