New Britain herald., 1928-01-27
RUTH IS CARELESS ABOUT CONDITION
Trainer Wants Him to Resume
 Gymnasium Activities


 about adhering to his program of conditioning for the coming season.
 In spite of the glowing reports of the Yankee slugger's condition. his ardor for golf and duck-hunting. 1t develops that the big fellow has neglected the gymnasium training that he credited with putting him back on his feet after his famous 1925 collapse. and also with putting him in shape for his record 1927 home-run campaign.
 Ruth. down close to normal play ing weight. may consider his activi- ties with the shot gun and niblick enough to keep in condition but his trainer. Artie McGovern.. is 8 bit skeptical.
 Several weeks ago the Babe pro- claimed to all within hearing that he was about to knuckle down to hard work for several weeks, taking systematic exercise designed to send him south in top trim.
 Even last year I got off | little slow" the Babe explained. II hit only four homers in April. I'm not going to overlook any bets this sea- son. Put 1t down that I'll be in shape to start off at faster clip"
 But the Bambino hasn't knuckled down to any rigorous work of the sort he stuck to last winter. He pooh-poohs any suggestion that he needs much of 1t or that he is grow ing careless but baseball alley along Forty-second street is beginning 10 shake its head and wonder whether 1t was a good idea, after all, when the Yankees signed Babe to three- year contract. With Ruth assured his $70,000 for 1928 and 1929, the experts see the possibility of the big hitter losing some of his incentive and yielding to a desire to take life and his baseball easier.
 On the other hand, those familiar with Ruths impulses realize there is nothing dearer to the Babes heart than his home runs. No youth see- ing his first big league game got any more thrill out of it than Ruth when he slapped No. 60 out of the park last September.
 Boy. I got a kick out of that" said the Babe.
 So it is likely that nQ great alarm need be stirred up now over what Ruth will or will not do this season. He will. as he puts it himself, very likely be in there "smackin' 'em."
 Youth may now have the call Tn the Washington clubs reorganization as Clark Griffith proclaims, but the fact remains that age won two pen- nants for the Senators. |
 Even with Iris Speaker cut adrift {, the Washington lineup isn't com posed exactly of the up and coming l type.
 Judge, Harris, Bluege. Rice, Cos lin. Ruel. Zachary, Marberry and others all are veterans of the 1924-25 championship outfit while such addi- tions as George Sisler haven't brought the age average down.
 The absence of Walter Johnson from the pitching staff will make the biggest difference in the appear ance of the Senators. After 20 years it won't seem like the same club without "Old Barney" taking his regular or occasional turn on the mound or counselling on the teams strategy.
 Johnson's keen knowledge of tac- tics as well as his ability to get along with the players, should give him running start in his first man. agerial venture with the Newark In- 
 We all look up to Johnson" Bucky Harris once said of the great pitcher. There isn't a player on the club who hasn't real affection for Barney"
 Harris was the manager but his for Johnson was much the same as that of the small boy on the sandlots.
 It has been an off season of strange events in major league base. ball. 4 year or even a few months dSO IL "oulu ha'o poeh po' uo"n o~ fantastic to suggest that within . short time such figures as Cobb and Speaker would be internationally Hornsby traded for two virtual unknowns, Sisler sold for $15,0O0 and Johnson released to a minor league job.