The Washington times., 1930-04-19
STRONG MINES
SHOW REAL
POWER
BY BABE RUTH

BOSTON. Mass, April 10
With. = FIRST week Of the season
over and done with, I see little
reason for changing my opinion
Of the power Of the contending
clubs. Those early games, aside
from certain pitching shortcom-
tngs due to cold weather and che
fact that the pitchers are not
yet in trim, have run just about
true to form. The strength in
the two leagues is just about
where it was figured-and the
weaknesses doped before the
season opened have shown up
about as expected.
The thing that has impressed
me more than anything else in
these early games is the number
Of young fellows who have shown
a lot of stuff in breaking into
the 1ineups. Cooke and Chap
man with the Yankees, Jolley
with the White Sox, Funk with
the Tig~~s, Terrell with the
Browns, Marshall with the
Giants, Lopez with the Dodgers
these are only a few Of the
first year men who have made
good from the start.
It's just another answer to
the old cry that they aren't
sending young ball players
nm any more. And q pretty
fair answer it is too. Going
back over the records you'll
find mighty few baseball
years when SO many kids
have broken in at one time
or have done so well.
So far as the American League
As concerned, the Athletics alreaoy
have shown enough strength 10
prove that they are the CLUB tnaC
will have to be licked to win a
nennant. When it comes down
to a final baseball analysis. pitch.
ing is the thing that wins pan
games and remnants, and thai
pitching staff of Connie MacK'S
is so strong that the club can
mt uu with a lot Of weaknesses
elsewhere and still carry on.
over in Philadelphia. where
we opened the season, and later
on in Boston, I heard a lou Oh
discussion as to whether or not
the AIS were a really great ball
club-one of the great ones OF all
time, Personally, don't think
thew are. They have certain in
field weaknesses that q really
great ball club doesn't have. nor
have they the balance OF punch
ali the way down the line that
goes to make up a really great
club. But they've got fine pitch
ing, and, 50 long as their pitchers
continue to hit on all SIX GYM
ders, they'll be plenty tough 10
Tn the series we played against
the AS, 1t seemed to me that
Lefty Grove didn't have quite the
stuff he had a year ago. There
was one thing noticeable to me
about Lefty, however, and that
was that he had learned to let
down when the going was easy,
and then bear down again When
he got in a hole. That was
something he couldn't do in other
years and it means a lot to him
self and to the club. The really
great pitchers are the pitchers
Who can take it easy without
losing their stuff when they need
II. and Lefty has learned to do
that now.
A word about the Yankees.
We got away to q little bad
start. Our hitting was off
color and some of the boys
Guffered mental IapSes In
those first games. But l still
think we've got the most
powerful club In the league,
and, barring injuries. I've got
a bunch we'll be right up
there at the finish.
You can't tell much about
league race on one week OF play.
= A lot of things can happen be-
tween now and October. A lot
of players who look good now
can fade out of the picture before
then, and some clubs that are
away to a bad start can come
back to win. But, all IN all,
those early games have sized up
about as everyone figured. The
strong clubs are showing as ex-
pected, and the weaker ones
already have shown signs OF
those weaknesses which everyone
predicted.
Judging from the crowds and
the fan interest, it looks like a
great year. All that's needed
now is a couple of good tight
races and you're likely to see
every attendance record ever
made brokn to small bits before
the season ends.
Copyright 1870, by The christy
Walsh Syndicats)
AAnnI an onnnT