The Washington times., 1929-04-04
y.
SAY5|V()l|VI)
ACES HAVE
CONTROL
J rilnes staff Correspondent

~ Times staff Correspcndent
z5 ACK SONV 7 LIE, Fla,
April Is big league pitch
issR harder to bit than the
minor leagne brandt
Not bit ot il. Red Barnes de'
! elsres.
Furthermore the rugged young
0ntflelder backs up his claim with
IN my professional baseball bow
with Birmingham during 1927 I
batted .29s," he admits. Yet with
the washington club last year ! hit
several points above 800.
some may say ! had improved.
! don't think 90.
ssYousve probably heard q lot
- baIlnlayers claim that It's
easier e llit good pitching than
the other kind" the redhead
explains. well, there's sOnle-
thing to that.
Consider my own case, Tor In
stance. i entered the Southern As
recitation after c0naple sting my studies
ae the University Of Alabama, on
the upgrade and full Of confidence.
Then learned my lesson.
Many veteran pitchers. attempt.
ing to hang on IN the minors have
.une stock In trade their cunning
Their speciality, In the case Of kids,
is process called cutting 'en down.
Now It doesn't seem nice to ac-
ciase those birds of deliberately
shooting balls at your bean but
that's q common practice In leagues
of lower lclasstfi ton -particu cular1y
In the Southern Z Barnes maintains.
"Whereas your big time
HEAVIER has enough sheer stuff
to get him By older heads, and
there are many In the minors,
consider Il their bread and but
ter to win as best they can.
''They figure, and rightly. that
by keeping the boys ducking they
can destroy their confidence and
thereby keep going several seasons
longer than otherwise might be
the case. 51,
And again there are many
pitchers III the minors who naturally
are as wild as March hares and who
unintentionally endanger your hfe
every time you face them. Which
doesn't help any.
Well, as / was saying" Red
continued, 81 signed with Birming-
ham while fresh from college. I'd
never been in the racket before and
naturally may have been q bit
cocly. ] soon was cured Of that.
though.
starting the season promisingly
enough / soon found 1t all ] could
: do TO protect myself. But wasn't
alone in this respect. Several
others also were getting busted off
regularly.
s.RosenfeId, another former
Alabama boy, was taking his
share 0f punishment at the
time. Az 4 matter Of fact he
lsgas furnishing q target almost
as tempting ~ myself. I.
Being one Of the greatest football
players ever produced BY the then
I famous Crimson Tide. though,
Barnes refused to quit. He had his
troubles with the pitchers but never
1 sQuawked.
'7osenteid ana finished the sea.
/ son swinging from our knees. he
laughs. This experience, however,
probably did Us both good in the
the respect Of those pitchers who,
after an, will give 4 fellow a break
iE he'll stand up before their stuff
4 ~ aranF nl4n0fiFiet &f3s s5i
s. think Rosenfeld. who just
barely managed to top 800 that
ason, proved AZ much BY coming
hack with one Of the Southern Az
aeclatioll's leading batting averages
dilring 1923,
ned, though, admits he was re-
lisVed Ut his change and welcomed
ths OPP ortlinity cf performing else,
where. 4
sIs was actually b novelty %
aand mp and take your cut
without being sOcked three blocks
B aat." he admits. The expert
E1ce was 50 pleasing that, at
lines. I actually felt as II II
are doing my swinging from
0Clklng chair.
Not that / was yellow, under.
ekld. but that good old Law Of
eel preservation still goes.
Yes sir. I'm willing to 60 on
record as saying that the Southern
Association Is the toughest Of all
alaInor league spots. for q kid
breaking in. Even so one making
good there generally promoted and
deaeryedly so. = Il a
n ,,rof,f u S,aAded - a,,hstantiSfa
the latter statement one could do
n0 better than refer you to the
m his second season under the
biz tent the freckle necked
a0utherner ID putting IN strong
bid for Sammy Rice's right field
posltion while setting hot pace
both 81 the bat ana afield.