The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-18
BABE RUTH
SAYS:
BY BABE RUTH.

- 18-Since signing my new con-
tract I've had hundreds Of letters
from fans all over the country.
Some of them congratulate me,
others put NE on the pan for de-
handing and getting so much
money. Eighty thousand dollars,
admit. is a lot Of money. II any
one had suggested at the time
started my baseball career that
some day I would be getting that
much a wear, 1 would have thought
they were crazy. Even now nave
TO pinch myself to realize that 1t Is
true. 1t just goes to show what
great institution baseball is and
what a hold it has on the fans. For
I'm not kidding myself any. With
out the thousands and thousands OF
fans who support the game, salaries
of that sort would be impossible.
Mech Of the success I have had, I
owe 10 those thousands who have been
nv friends. appreciate their loyalty
a lot. 7 appreciate their kind feelings
~ them. So far as the New York Yankees
are concerned. I'm happy to he with them
and 7 believe Colonel Rupert IS equally
banpv 10 have me there. From the hISt
I never had any real idea that we ~ouio
nj be able to Eet together. In al my
dealings, I have always found the CViohei
fair and square. And I have always 'Iieu
10 be on the up and MP with him' 'e
1ixsn him a little trouble and worry from
dine TO time in the past, Know anu
~. nIwavs regretted 1t. As get o'oeI
ran APPRECIATE more the mistakes
mad. in my younger PLAYING daSs-9nu
now when 7 get the chance try 10 Il"
=. IN. Younger PLAYERS to keep tneH
ont Of the same faults.
r
a. ,,uch FOR that. The contract Is
- Botb Colonel RUPERT and my
saSs A.. more than satisfied. and 80 lar
:. Tn concerned. the whole thing Is
sIo,sd subject. I'm out now to play oah'
~, n worry over contract matters
r EFT me talk for minute aoouV
the ball club. A lot of people
think. because We slipped to second
Mace last year, that the Yankees
will be out of the race this season:
We won't. We've got a good pau
cIub-better than last years outflU
by quite a bit. And II we geC any
sort of pitching at all, we'll be rlght
in the thick of things from the start
to the finish.
Nov. Tn not Understanding
the Athletics. They're the team
yell have to beat to win, and /
would be foolish to say otherwise.
Not only has Connie all his last
wears team to throw in there
but he's got something bigger than
that. He's got the spirit ohat
comes from having won once and
that's a tough thing to beat. IL
isn't exactly cOnfidence-its Just
assurance and sureneSS ana ease
You never feel it until you've been
with a championship outfit but
once a club gets it, it never leaves
Having a ball club made up Of feHo"S
who are always saying and thinking come
on. let's get this game going. we can
ucv snv team in the world" is as good
az ten points added on TO teams bat
+ing average. And the Athletics during
the coming season are likely to have that
very spirit.
So far I haven't had a chance to see
them, nor any other of the big league
clubs except the Braves. But before We
break camp, not only the Athletics but
the Tigers. Browns and Red Sox all VIII
be in st. Petersburg and then I'll be able
to get real line on the comparative
strength. Judging from the dope and
what know of the teams from last year,
the AS will be the toughest outfit in the
league. Detroit. too. should be lot i'm
proved. As matter of fact, expected
the Tigers to finish higher last season
than they did. And you know You can't
keep = good team down forever. I figure
the Tigers are sure to land in the first
division with the Yankees and the Ath-
letics. Then will come Cleveland and
Washington battling out for the fourth
position with the rest strung out behind.
Later, when the teams begin play
ing real games, it will be possible to
get better line on them-but right
now I'm convinced that the pen
nant fight in the American League
will be between the Athletics and
the Yankees again this year.
Copyright 1880 nv The Christy Walsh
Syndicate and The Times.