The Washington times., 1930-03-07
Halls
:. SHANKEY
A5BOSS
By BABE RUTH

BY BABE RUTH
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, March
+, Sixteen years ago 1 made my
Z first southern training trip with
!, . baseball club. Now I'm start
ing my seventeenth. Most of the
fellows who made that first trip
/ with me are gone. Today out at
the park see a lot of newcomers
who were kids in knee pants
; when 1 started in.
:, Yet the big thing to me is that
the game goes on and on-with
Just as much interest and just as
/, much enthusiasm as ever. That,
i figure. is the tip-off on baseball.
The players are only figures out
there in uniform. The games
the thing.
Maybe you wonder why I'm
writing that way. But have a
personal reason. Much has been
written during the winter about
my differences with the New
York club. And there has been
. difference-but not nearly so
serious as the newspapers have
made out.
Naturally I have an opinion
as to my value to the New
York club and / feel that
am entitled to that opinion.
But let me say here and now
that I don't think there will
be any real difficulty in get
ting together with them. I've
been with the Yankees a long,
long time and our relations
have always been pleasant
and fair.
And now that I'm started on a
personal subject let me be per.
,Bonal just little longer. After.
award I will confine myself to
baseball and the interesting
/ things in baseball. Things aren't
quite the same with the Yankees
! this year. Down here in camp
/ there's something missing. The
! fellows don't say much about it,
but we can't any of us forget
that the man to whom we owe
most Of our success is gone. We
all miss Hug and we will continue
t to miss him as long as we wear
y uniform.
! Some people seem to think that
his passing may affect Yankee
splay this season. I don't think
so. The fellows are carrying on
now the way he would want them
ITO carry on if he was here. His
inspiration goes on even when he
isn't with us.
And we're all for Bob Shawkey
Some of my friends have tried to
tell me that I should have been
named manager. That's all over
and done with. I talked to
Colonel Ruppert and I agree with
him that so long as I am able to
play regularly I would be foolish
to think about managing o ball
club. Instead I'm 100 per cent
for Bob Shawkey and I will con-
tinue to be.
With Huggins gone 1 don't
! know Of anyone who could
have been named who would
I be more popular with the
players than Bob. He's
i veteran, he knows his base
! ball and more important than
+ that he knows the Yankees
and the men on his team. If,
!. rs some people think, the
! YankS fail to win the pen
| nant this season it will be no
!, fault Of Shawkey's.
T So much for that. They were
tthings I wanted to get off my
ScheSt before the season started
IEo many friends write me about
tthese little personal matters that
sE want them cleared up once and
Nor all. I'm happy to be in uni
heorm again. Somehow 1 guess a
kIoan player is a lot like a fire
Eaorse. When he's working he
Thinks how pleasant it would be
10 be away from it all-but the
minute he's had a rest he's eager
30 get back in harness again.
When I was a kid I used to
kpee the old timers come back
And hang around the park during
lpractice and I wondered why
Now I'm beginning to understand
Etheir feelings. Through with the
game themselves, they still like
30 be around in the baseball at
hnosphere: they like to hear the
crack of the bat and they like
to see other fellows digging up
the hot ones the way they used
30 dig them up. It's another
Dne Of the things that makes
aoaseball last forever.
] People ask me how feel about
the coming season. feel fine
kd'm in great shape-the best I've
been in for some years.
rNCopyriEht. 1850, by the Christy Walsh
Syndicate).