The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-23
FARRELLSAYS
BAMBIN0 WILL
SOON PASS BY
Home Run King Played Like
an Artist Leaving Loved
Ones in Series
A NkLES TOO SMALL
Miller Higgins Is Looking for
a Good Man to Alternate
With Babe
BY HENRY l.. FARRELL
<NTA c---s--

While he was hitting all those
home runs, making all those heroic
catches and playfully razzing his
fans with all those defiant gestures
in the late world series, it may have
been that the Babe was making his
last glorious baseball stand.
In retrospection now it seems
manifest to not few Of those who
saw the Babe in the last game in
st. Louis that he was inspired to
super efforts by something more
than the mere love Of doing the
things that he has been doing for
so many years.
The personal way in which he
acted toward the crowd, especially
his fans in the bleachers, seemed to
have in it the act of a great artist
who knew he was in his last big
moment and who was taking his
loved ones to his bosom. His man.
nerisms had in them the attitude of
the big star who says: "Boys, this
is my last big act and I'm making
it a good one" He didn't act that
way in the other three games nor in
any other game of his career. There
always before had been a certain
dignity about the way he accepted
applause.
You might say that he was out there
to show up those who had" mourned
late in the season when he wasn't
hitting balloon and hardly could
walk that he was through. Perhaps
he was showing them up. He never
will admit that he isn't as good
physically AS ever. Ball players
never do. Ordinarily humans sell
dom.
His Legs Are Gone
But his intimate pals and pot,d
friends on the Yankee bali club
think that his legs have gone. And
that is another way of saying that
he is through.
His legs have been going for some
time. And considering the weight
of their burden and the punishment
they have taken they have been a
long time going. Cobb lasted long
er, yes. And so did Speaker and
Collins. But they weren't built out
OF proportion like the Babe with a
heavyweight wrestler's trunk on a |
chorus girls ankles.
The Babe hardly could walk
through the last games of the reg
ular season, and it was only the in
SEPARATION Of big moment that kept
him moving in the series. There is
9 long season coming for rest, it is
true. but legs the age of the Babes
don't come back. And the Babe is |
not resting. He is out barnstorm-
ing. The Yankees didn't want him
to do it. but they knew better than
to ask and didn't feel like Command
ing. He is not transforming for
money: He is enjoying himself at |
the only recreation he loves.
No Rest in Season
The real hard test was annlied
to the Babe last season for the first
time. He had to play through the
whole season without a rest. And
he broke down under the strain. In
previous years, by misfortunes
which did him no good. he cot a
rest Of two or three weeks, but this
year he had to pound his legs up
and down until they all but fell off !
him.
His friends on the ball club think
that he will not be able to plav an
other season regularly, and the yam
kee management is said to be maxi
ing plans accordingly and is seeking
2 first class regular alternate for
him. -
The Babe always will be able to |
mt. Cobb still can hit, and so can
McGraw, but the Babe isn't hitting ,,
like he did. The infielders plav in
Tor him. They don't fear any more
that they will be killed if the bali |
doesn't go out Of the park. The
balls he didn't knock out of the lot |!
IN st: Louis dropped where Douthit !
would have fielded them if he had
been in position.
But they are points beside the is
sue. The tipoff is that Babe in re-
cent years always has had a linn. |
And the limp gets worse.
The big fellow is not ready for
the minors. He'll never 20 there
when he's through with the majors
he won't have to work. and. hem
never consent to be anything but a |
head-liner. 49,
He has another year to serve an
his $7O,OOO-a-year contract. and he'll
serve 1t out, but the ball players
think he will serve it out as a yerv
good ball player but not as the Babe. |
the greatest that ever lived.
NO one need worry about the
Babes future. But it won't seem
like baseball when he is gone and
You can't say to your neiehbor:
Il see the Babe smacked another
one today" o's'