New Britain herald., 1927-03-10
RUTH PROMISES ID
 PICK UP HITTING
Babe Slams the Ball to Distant
 Places as Yankees Train

St. Petersburg, Fla, March 10 LP Babe Ruth is in the lineup and alls we'll with the Yankees. The slugging outlieldcr in practice promises to pick up his home run hitting where he left off in the world series, and the other players be- l lieve New York will ride 10 another American league penEant on the big | bat of ths Babe.
 Those who believe "as Ruth goes, so go the Yankees" find much to please them in the spring training program as Ruth slams the ball to distant places. Only few pounds above his normal weight for an l ordinary athlete that places him in the proVerbial pink of condition, the home run hitter seems certain to be right at the top of his game when the season opens.
 To support the Babe, Miller Hug gins will offer the same cast he used to win the pcnnant last season. He will have some added starters in the reserves but will stand pat on the regulars.
 With Gehrig, Lazzeri. koenig and Dugan enlisted for the duration Of the baseball war, the intield contest
 is for assistant 10 Mike GaZella, who has again first utility call. Ray Merchant. who came from the White Sox, and Julian Vera, up from St. Paul. have shown so much in the spring camp that Spencer Adams may be pushed aside. There are sev- eral ether young infielders scamper- ing about the field but Vera has shown an edge among those trying to break into the ma iorS for the first time. Playing third or short equal ly well he gets the ball away quickly and covers much territory. Close observers would not be surprised to see him win q place.
 A similar situation exists in the outaold. Ruth, Combs, and Meusel are fixtures, with Paschal no less firmly entrnnched aS extra man. ! Durst. obtained from the Browns in trade made by which Sam Jones went to St. Louis, is said to have 1 been brought on because he is a i left handed hitter. Elias Funk,
 whose release was purchased from
 Oklahoma City. has shown great ! deal in practice and hc, too, IS d l left hand batsman
 Bengough and Collins. last years ! catchers, have been Joined by Gra- howski former White Sox. who won
 a place on the staff in short order. Jones and Brayton are missing from the pitching staff starting last season but Reuthor, who was with | Washington at this time last year. is on hand and Giard has taken off
 St. Louis uniform to put on New York Colors.
 1 It seems certain early in tho game ! that Myles Thomas and Walter 1 Beall, who spent most of their time 1 in the bull pen last year, will be given more opportunity to do their stuff this season. Thomas especial ly has shown greatly improved form
 Of the new men on the staff George 1 Pipgras, bought from St. Paul. will l be kept and may be a starting pitch
 CT Wiley Moore, who won thirty games for Greenville of the South Atlantic association, last year. seems
 to have an excellent chance to re-
 main under the big top, He Is a
 big fellow with impressive stuff an, a decided capa city for work.
 Manager Huggins expects to again
 pin his faith on Pcnnock, Hoyt and 1 Shocker as his shock troops on the mound.
 We will be better than we were last year." said Hug, in sizing up the l situation, but so will the other i fellows. We will have to fight hard all the way to repeat.'
 | The manager of the champions said he conceded five clubs q chance
 to win the pennant, He did not name them.
 | The Aqui'ania burns 33,0OO bar