The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-04-30
= Isl
ruth ASKS
EORCIJT IN
SCHEDULE
BY Babe Ruth

There are a lot of things a
fellow cant dope in baseball.
You can't dope base hits and
Won can't dope slumps and
winning streaks. But most Of
all you can't dope the weather.
Now don't laugh! Weather, good
ana bad. plays q big part in the pen-'
rant race. No kidding. I'll believe
now and + always will believe, that
i was had weather which decided the
National League race last year. You
nav remember that the Cardinals
ma Giants were rained out OF an
entire series in New York in the
later mart Of the season. As Q re.
allIf they had to double up ana
play seven games in four days IN
aenternber-right at q time when the
race was close and the result was IN
doubt.
The strain IL took to play those
seven games i'm so short 3 period,
nIua the added burden L put on
fFe nitchers, Is the big thing that
ruined the chances Of both
CardinaIs and Giants. il wasn't
Pittsburgh base hits that won the
NafiOnaI League pennant last
season. II was the weather Fnal.
Al lot Of people figure that the
worst thing about bad weather i
that the players develop colds.
pitchers get sore arms, and that sort
of thing. But that isn't the Die
thing. The worst Of bad weather ~
that it upsets q schedule. Take the
Yankees. for instance. Although the
season II only two weeks old. we We
already lost five games by bad
weather. The result is that our
pitchers, through lack Of work have
lost 4 lot OF stuff. Their arms are.
weak from too much rest, and THAT'S
only half Of it.
Later on in July when the sea
SON Is going along great theyH
have to double up to make up Tor
games lost now. and they'll be over
worked right at a. time when they
need everything they have. That's
what bad weather does.
I don't know whether anything
will ever come Of it, but among
the players at least there's q lot OF
agitation for starting the season q
couple Of weeks later after the
weather gets settled. 1t could be
done, too--if they would cut out the
off days and play every day. It's
entirely possible to start q season
on May /, play q regular 154 game
schedule and still get through by
October / az they do now. And
fheVe wolldn't be any more double
heaAsrs under that plan than we
have right now.
It's 4 good hunch, too. Some
day the two leagues will get to-
gefher and put the plan over
and when they do the old
weather man won't be able to
upset things as he has this
spring for the clubs in both
leagues.
But enough of that. What /
started out to say was that lie
weather has done more to upset the
American League race this spring
than any other single factor. I.
don't think it will make a lot Of
difference In the long run or over
the season for all the clubs have
been treated about alike. Wash
ington, Philadelphia, and New York,
the three supposed contenders, have
Jared about alike. II anyone has
profited it has been the Cleveland
Indians who have been able to get
in most OF their games and take
everything in stride.
But along in July. when the
games we miss now. begin to pile
up in double headers it will be
tough. Right then is when pitch
ing win tell the story.
The Yankees haven't done as well
AZ we had hoped-but we're not
discouraged. Maybe I'm making
the weather too much of an alibi,
hut the fellows on our club all
figure that bad weather has hurt
ue lot-both as to pitching and
hitting. There's this thing to re-
member, though. It's a long, long
season and no pennant has ever
been won in the first two weeks OF
the season..
copyright, 1923. by the Christy
Walsh Syndicate)