The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-06-27
RUTH TELLS
FANS HE'S
BETTER
Babe Adds That Legs Are
Still Weak and Bat Is
Twice as Heavy
By BABE RUTH.

BOSTON, June 27.-Seems as
though wherever ! go folks ask
me about my home-run hitting,
how Pm feeling, and when I ex-
pect to get going again. In WASH
ington strangers and friends alike
put me through q regular "third
degree" In Boston it Is the
same.
/ only know one way to answer
everyone, and that's by writing,
SO here goes!
This is what I ten them. Pm
feeling better each day. though
the old legs are still q BIT weak
and my Big Bertha bats feel twice
as heavy as they used to. And
as for using lighter bats I just
can't do it. But I'm getting the
range on the ball a little better
each day. and it seems to me I'm
hitting them . little harder. As
70 breaking any home-run records
that's impossible this year.
Believe me. III. be thankful II I
can catch up with some Of the
other fellows this season. When a
real hitter like Rogers Hornsby
steps out front ike he; has this
year, he's mighty hard to catch. II
there's a better natural hitter In
baseball than the new Cardinal man
aeers I. have yet to see him. Once
You look him over it's easy TO, see
why st. Louis fans never give up
hone Of a pennant
A lot Of folks seemed to figure
that making IIornsbY 3 manager
might affect his work as q player.
didn't think so. and II looks nS
though / was right. Hornsby has
the ideal temperament for a PLAYER
manager. He's quiet ana doesn't
put on any airs: he doesn't worry
about things that are over and done
with-and his men. respect him, for
they know he. can step right cut
on the diamond and do the very
thing he asks them to do
But that's case that doesn't
need any argument. You can
see for yourself what HOrnsby
has done since he stepped into
tITe managers job. However,
I'm getting away from this home
rim thing. / started out to write
about.
AS said. Hornsby Is q tough
boy to catch. So is Bob Meusel.
Both Of them are natural long
distance hitters who are liable to
crash one any time they come TO
bat. And when folks like that get
q lead it's pretty hard for the
trailers.
Here's the way to dope It. It's
nearly the Fourth Of July and the
season Is almost to the half way
mark. To keep up with Hornsby
and equal my mark of last year
] would have to get q home run
IN almost every other game from
now to the seasons end. And that
isn't being done.
So I don't want my friends to
feel badly IL I fail-and more par.
ticularly I don't want them max
ing foolish bets, like one fellow did.
that I would better last years
mark in spite OF my late start.
That's loyalty alright, and I'm
glad to know that he has 30 much
faith In me-but it's foolish too.
Don't do 1t.
There's one thing i am out to
do again, though. That's to lead
the old league in hitting again this
year. Believe me. Of all the things
that have come to me in baseball.
there has been nothing that pleased
me more than to be the leading hit
ter last year.
As Joe Dugan said to me the
ether day: "Any guy with broad
shoulders and . heavy bat can
step up there and smack that old
ball out of the park now and then.
But you've got to be good to 20
IN and get the old two or three
base hits every afternoon"
It was Joe who came to me a few
days ago. too. after i had had a
handed pitchers. Here's what he
said:
Don't go fooling around on that
home run business until you get a
little more meat on the old bones.
Get US a few of those base hits.
That's the stuff for a slump. No
one ever led the league playing this
old home run or no count game"
And that's good advice. know
all my friends like to see home
runs, and, believe me, like to hit
'em. too. But I'm more interested
in landing that old hitting cham
pionship-and / figure 1t will be Of
more help to the team. Once again
don't bet on me to break the home
run record this year. The handicap
is too big. But I'm feeling better
every day: nv eve Is absolutely
okay and I'm / nthere to get the OLD
basehits-let 'em fall where they
want to.
(copyriEht. 1875. by the christy
Walsh SyndicAte.)
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