The Washington times., 1930-08-27
ONE WALLOP
CLEARED
!. SCREEN
r.s
BY BABE RUTH

-
- BY BABE RUTH
NEW YORK. Aug. 27.-Early |
this month I hit home run at
the Yankee Stadium and / think
I. that one homer has caused more |
talk and brought me more mail
than any I have hit in years. |
This one carried to deep center
p field and into the narrow part |
of, the gbleaChers Just in front Of
the score board. A number OF |
the writers said the next day it
was the longest hit I ever made
ct the stadium.
I can't say whether it was or
wasn't. Their guess Is better
than mine, anyway, because they
keep their eyes on the ball and I
don't always do that after know
for sure It's homer. I get q
thrill every time hit one and I
got a particular kick out Of this
one I hit during that double
header with Washington. Hadley |
was pitching at the time. knew
T got q great hold" on that ball.
as. the players say.
This particular homer started a
lot of arguments and letter
writing because the baseball
writers got a real line on its |
length. The bleacher fence is
painted in several places, telling
the distance from home plate.
This ball went over the screen |
right. near. q sign reading 429 !
feet. The writer's figured it
travelled at least $50 feet before
it bounded.
Benny BengOugh insists
that I hit one up nearer the
scOrebOard during our big
season, in 1921. Bob Shawkey
says he recalls one that hit
in the same section but he is
not sure about where 1t
struck. This Is a ttp-off that
haven't hit many out that
way.
I'll say a hundred people have
asked me if that was the longest
homer have hit, and I received
O number Of letters referring to
It. MSst Of them put this ques-
tion up to me in one way or an
other:
f that wasn't the longest
home run you ever hit, what
was the longest. How many
feet did 1t travel?"
I'll answer here that I don't
know. Measuring a home run is
impossible since most Of them go
beyond the walls or fences, and
finally land where a tape could
never reach. can recall one at
Tampa, years ago in an exhibi-
ton game between the Red Sox
and the Giants, while was with
the Boston club. One I hit over
the right field bleachers in Chi
cago and ore over the Detroit
fence in left center come back to
mind. Some over the top deck
Of the Polo Grounds must have
gone quite a distance. But
haven't the slightest idea which
went the farthest.
People ask me that question
ever so often: +
''What was your longest
home rum" i +
7 believe, now that home runs
play 20 big a part in baseball.
that lot of fans would like to
see numbers at various places IN
the ballparks, telling the distance
from the plate. You know a iat
Of people want figures on such
things. They want to know how
many games pitcher has won,
what this fellow is hitting, and
how many years you have played.
They talk of golfers by their
scores, of sprinters by their speed.
VIII. not give the fans this
knowledge about home runs? II
he knows how far ball travels
before it reaches a fence he can
Judge how far beyond the wall
It went. I don't argue this for
rayself. but for all the men who
hit home runs. Let the writer's
tell, as closely as possible. how
far q bail travelled in its flight.
I am sure from the number of
letters get that people want 20
know. .-..
I 'Snow Lou Gehrig votes with
me on this one. So will Hack
Wilson, Chuck Klein. Jimmy Foxx,
al Simmons and all the others.
Put the numbers on top of the
bieachers where balls are hit over.
or among the seats. That would
make home run hitting even more
thrilling than it is. Just like
golfer watching the distance
marks to see how far he drove.
Copyright $780, by the Christy
Walsh Syndicate)
Leading Hitters
AMERICAN LEAGUE
s,,,mo0. Pin. e e. Asr .Is ,ss 3; HI Fl Ass IS,
Gehrie. n. ". 125 470 11e 1855 .Sa6
Cochrane, Phlla.. 110 4OA "a 1l9 .38o
Ruth, y: Y........ 1l9 412 1888 ila .s62
Rice. Griffs ........ 119 4f6 80 169 $50
'.~' NATIONAL LEAGUE
.'--..- q. -. r. ". Ave.
Terry, n. Y........ 190 l95 1IS 2O2 .4O8
Klein. Phila. I9S SlT 128 zoo .SS7
Herman. BklyR.. res 49S I1s t92 .3a6
StQpheRaOn Chi A2 9D1 a. IVA 2al