The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-15
| ALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS
NEW YORK. Jan. IS.

NEW YORK, Jan. 10.
VHTILLIAM PICKENS moved in
w to the sports department,
spread himself over couple of
chairs, reached over and speared a
cigarette, demanded a match and
drawled: Say is it true that this
fellow Ruth is really holdout?"
Pickens Is the old ballyhoO man
Of sport. His current letter heads
inform you that he Is an accelerator
of public sentiment. He has been
doing odd jobs of promoting for
more than twenty-five years. He
was with Barney Oldfield in the old
mile-a-miuute days. 1t was Pick
ems, believe, who fostered the first
airplane races in this country. AS
a novelty touch he put on mixed
races between Oldfield and airplanes
at county fairs and other such func-
lions. At one time he owned more
sirplanes than the United States
government.
uAtte tdNFF on IN htF JbiHFN
out With Cash and Garry Pyle and intro
duced professional tennis to America. fea-
turing Suzanne LenEIen. Mary K. Browne
and other practical graduates from the
amateur 8elds. He also had something to
do with the lamented bunion derby In
which the same gentleman was inter
ested. think he was the bunion.
q.
He has headline complex To him it IS
Incredible that any person With a publicity
background should fail to capitalize it.
Barnum was his notion Of the greatest
man that ever lived.
XXTHEN Colonel Lindbergh made
wv his epoch flight to Paris,
Pickens was the first to cable him
an offer. Name your own terms"
he generously propoSitioned. 1t was
quite shock not to say surprise
to PickenS when the aviator ignored
him. THE Man must be silly" con-
cluded Pickens. Knowing this much
about Pickens it is not astonishing
to find that he is interested vitality
in the possibility that Ruth may
leave baseball fiat.
$50 $4,000 Is all the Yankees want TO
paw him?" Repeated PickenS helping him
self to another cigarette. Don't they real
i've that that guy is the most widely pub
lcizfd PLAYER in history" Pickens' words
cracked with high scorn and incredUlity.
SAY will guarantee Ruth 100000
wear and put him in a circus and make US
both rich
Pickens paused to let that sink IN and
before anybody could ask him what he
intended to use for money he continued:
There isn't a village in this country
where baseball isn't played or Ruth isn't
known and l could take him around the
country and the natives would tear down
the tents to see him"
DICKENS then recalled how he
i attempted a similar adventure
with Grover Cleveland Alexander
back in 1917. This was the year the
star highlander. then in his prime,
held out for $4,000 from the Phil
lies. Pickens wired Alexander an
offer of $4,000 to go transforming
with him with a circus, and for a
while 1t looked as if the stunt would
materialize.
Pickens even went far as TO have
batting cage built. IL his idea TO
hang up a cash prize for any native son.
who could get a bit of Alexander in the
batting cage. There were TO be perfor-
mances in the afternoon and in the eve
ming. But before anything could be done
about ID the Phillies met the pitchers
terms.
Plckens believes Ruth could be exploited
In much the same way except that the
prizes would be hung up for the local
Matty. who was able to strike out the
slugger. You are not asked TO believe
there is any great probability of this
scheme developing. but Just the same
Pickens is quite serious about it and he
says be will call on Ruth within the fort
night In Florida and submit contract.
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