The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-11
BABE Ruth
SAYS:
By BABE RUTH.

~ BABE Ruth.
OF. PETERSBURG, Fla, March
- I1.-Maybe I'm wrong, but it
seems to me that the type Of young
ball player is changing through the
years. The kids today are smarter
and they know more what its all
about. When I was n kid. the
rockies we're always the goats -
falling for all SORTS of tricks and
stunts from the old timers. They
don't do IL any more. The old
fashioned snipe-hunt is a bloomer
these days. and 50 are a lot of the
other jokes that used to 90 over so
big some years ago.
There are two answers to it. One
is the large number Of college kids
who come to the big leagues each
year. These fellows have been
around. They know how to act and
how TO behave. They're not green
a little bit.
The other answer is that the
young fellows today are coming
from the cities and larger towns
rather than from the farms.
It used to be that three-fourths
of the rockies came from the cOun-
try. Now they come from the
cities. And that's because in the
last few years cities have set aside
parks where kids could play base
ball and learn the game. Twenty
years ago it was only the country
kids who had a chance to play.
7 GOT a kick out OF Herbie Pen
L mock the other day. Herbie
was sitting in the dining room hav-
ing his dinner when the rockies
began to file in. It looked like
dress parade Of what the we'll
dressed young man will wear.
did you ever see anything like
that?" Herbie asked. Those fell
lows don't look like ball players.
They look more like sheiks. Why,
If a rookie had come into the dining
room in white flannels when I broke
in. they would have lynched him"
And they would, too! Nowadays
the boys come to camp with full
outfit of golf Knockers, clubs, tennis
paraphernalia. evening clothes and
everything. In the old days a fell
low who put on knickers or a tuxedo
would have been laughed out of
camp.
Don't misunderstood me. I think
in baseball these days for rowdyS.
The game has grown too much. It's
too big. And the young fellows who
make good today must have GER
tain amount of polish along with
their base hits. They've got to
know something else beside how to
throw a curve ball and the sign for
the hit and run.
CEENIS to me the young fellows
- today are bigger, too. Out at
Yankee camp we've got twenty-five
new players. and twenty-one of
them are 6 feet tall or over. I al
ways thought Waite HOyt was
pretty good sized man, but out there
alongside the other pitchers he looks
like a school kid. And I always
figured I was pretty sizeable, too.
But Dusty Cooke has been wearing
nv old uniform and it's too small
for him.
The same thing seems to be true
all over the circuit. George SiSler
was in the hotel the other night
and he tells me the Braves have
the biggest lot Of rockies he's ever
seen in camp. And Rube Bressler
came over from the Brooklyn camp
with the same story.
The answer, Of course, Is that this
Is q hitting age in baseball and
managers and scouts are looking
for big boned. broad shouldered fell
lows who can drive that old ball.
Little fellows are handicapped more
today than they have ever been.
Chaps the size of Rabbit Meanwhile,
Jackie Tavener and fellows like that
are becoming Scarcer and Scarcer.
T OOKS like the colleges are send
II ing more and more men to the
big leagues. too. On the Yankees
we've got almost a complete team
OF college men. And each year We
get a few more.
There's this to be said for college
kids. They're smarter than the
others, and seem to realize what it's
all about better. They take orders
better, too, and seem more willing
To accept advice from older fellows
Johnny Nee, one of our coaches was
talking about that just the other
day.
I'd rather work with six college
kids than one sandlotter," Johnny
said They not only catch on
quicker. but they seem more ambi-
tiouS and more eager to learn.
Given the same amount of ability
and the collegiaH will go forward