The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-06-16
HI: THINKS
They'll Be
FIT TIL
BY Babe Ruth

ST. LOUIS, June 16.-When
/ picked the clubs at the start
OF the season, / picked the st,
Louis Browns to finish in
eighth place in the American
League. 1t looks as though |
mnffed that one.
i've seen them all the way
around the circuit now. both at
, home and abroad, and I'm about
decided that the Browns are good
for fifth place at least, and per
haps. higher.
It Just goes to show that a ball
club of young fellows can win
ball games. Baseball experts have
talked for so long about the
value Of experience and age that
they overlook kid ball players en-
tirely. Back in 1926, you may
remember. the Yankees tore their
old club to pieces and built up
wafh Youngsters. Everyone said
wed finish way down in the list
--but instead OF that we went, out
and won 4 pehnaft. Now the
Browns, instead of being easy pick-
ing for the other clubs. are putting
up q whale OF d fight and winning
q lot of ball games. 1t just goes
to prove an old theory that I've
had all along.
That IS, that it isn't inexper.
lence that hurts young ball
plavers 30 much AS lt Is stage
fright. IT. you're lucky enough
10 pick M some. kids who don't
get scared. they're apt 10 maize
. fight for Il any time. Young
BramnOn and Kress ard the rest
81 the st. Louis youngsters are
that kind. And I'm for them.
"a like . see them stay up
there In the race all season
long, And / think they'll do II.
The National League race is TAX
Ing the play away from the Afneri-
car i bit because It's 50 close---and
the surprise club OF the National
/ .eague il the Cincinnati Reds.
When 1t comes to passing credit
around for the showing OF the
Reds there's one man that think
most of the experts overlook. They
talk about the great Red pitching
and the great play of Critz and
some OF the others-but to my
mind the chap who deserves a
lot OF credit is Horace Ford.
BY that / don't mean that Ford
il an outstanding star or anything
Or that sort But he has been
playing great ball--and he has
been doing his job lot better than 4
anyone figured he would. What
most of the boys thought would
be q weak spot isn't a weak spot
1T all, and as a result the Reds
are staying right UP in the race.
You know it's funny thing
how fans figure. They get no.
fiOu that this man or that man
isn't Il high grade ball player
and they never get over 1t.
when he does come through
they won't give him any credit.
I've heard hundreds of fellows this
wear who said that Horace Ford was
playing over his head. Maybe he is
I-but when a fellow goes along for
two or three months at good steady
pace it looks a lot more to me as il
ha found himself than that he was
plAying over his head.
Naturally playing alongside CritZ
has been a great thing for Ford.
5Iughey Is a smart kid with A lot
6k baseball instinct and q world of
natural ability. and he knows how
10 work with a shortstop and get
the most out of him. Just the same
Enough l think Ford deserves lot
more credit than he gets. IL the
Feds should pull through and win q
pennant, he's one OF the chaps who
ia entitled to a lot of credit and lot
OF applause.
Over in our league it looks as
though the race Is about over. I'm
not cocky and I'm not trying to hand ]
, any laurels to myself but l figure
that this Yankee club Is one of the
greatest clubs Of all time. I'm about
convinced, too. that we'd do just
about as well in the National League
as we do in the American. Wen
probably have a chance to prove that
IN the world series-and l think we
will do II.
tcopyright. 1929. BY The Christy Walsh
syndicate)