The Washington times., 1930-08-16
WASHINGTON TIMES SPORTS
PLACE
STRAIN ON
+,
EYES
BY BABE RUTH


BY BABE RUTH
NEW YORK, Aug. 16.-I have
been asked many times during
: the last two months what I think
; about baseball at night. / always
explain that I have never seen q
game under those powerful lights.
But like all other major league
players l am very anxious to see
one and also to play IN one. AS
q regular thing I do not think
I would care for baseball under
artificial light, and / know that
many Of the players who have
worked in these games feel that
way about 1t.
Night games are all right for
the spectators and for that rea.
son they will be a steady thing
in the minor leagues. There is
plenty Of hitting because 1t is
easy to see the ball, and they tell
me there are as many good field
ing plays as you see in the after
noon. It is all right to look at,
but not so pleasant to play as the
games in natural light.
don't think you will ever
see night baseball taken up
rs q regular thing in the
major leagues. It strikes me
that In time those lights will
have q bad effect on the eyes
Of the players, and from what
infielders tell me of their
troubles with q batted ball. ]
think there will be more ac-
cidents than we have In the
afternoon. The ball seems to
be hopping at the player be-
fore he Is set for 1t and that
may mean q lot of fingers in.
juries.
Lou McEvoy, who spent a
couple of weeks out in the Pacific
Coast League in July, tells me
that the players out there COM
plain that their eyes are sore the
day after they play under those
lights. The steady glare and the
extra strain to keep q line on
the bali are blamed for the sore
ness. suppose some day they
will have lights which will be
better suited to baseball than
those now in use. Then perhaps
it will be as easy to play at night
as in the daytime.
The outfielders have less trou
BILE. they tell me, but they are
not entirely free from it. Line
drives through the infield, or just
over the infielders' heads, are
tough to Judge. You can't figure
how hard they are hit until they
are almost on you. think that
accounts for many extra base
hits and a lot of the high scores
The night game is a great
thing for the curve-ball pitcher
but plenty tough on the fast ball
Players tell me. that a curve is
harder to hit than in the after.
noon, BUT that fast ball comes
UP to the plate as big as q grape
fruit. It seems easy to hit and
it is. They say that the thrown
ball is lot easier to judge than
the batted ball. OF course, I am
anxious to swing against pitch.
ing that suits so many players
It seems to me that many pitch.
ers who are not particularly fast,
but who have q fair curve ball
are likely to be more successful
at the night game than they are
= in the afternoon.
I would like to hit a home
run IL I ever got q chance to
play under the lights. It is
done very often and I noticed
o few days ago that the papers
carried story Of Joe Hauser,
Of the Baltimore club, hit
ting three hOmers in one
game at Jersey City. If 1
- don't hit. at least one 1 will
always feel that missed
something in hOme.run hit
] ting.
I have been wondering if the
minor leagues are going to make
night baseball a regular rule and
play only Saturday and Sunday
afternoon. If they follow this
plan, as 50 many predict, what
about the young players who
come UP to the big leagues? ?
There is so much difference be-
tween playing in daylight and
under the artificial glare that a
player might be a lot different
when he has to play all his
games In the daytime. Up to
this year the players worked un-
der exactly the same conditions
In the minors and majors, but
the new game has changed all
that.
These are Just the views of a
fellow who never played under
the lights. I may change my
ideas q lot after I have been in
q game. I know 1t is tough
enough judging line drives and
swinging at curves in the bright
sunlight. Then again, this may
be little too early to pass judg-
Inent on night baseball. The
owners and players are learning
O lot now which will help to make
the game better.
Copyright. 1880. by The christy
walsh. syAdieats)