The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-20
TALKING
IT OVER
by JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, May 20.-well
l Y here is interesting news. Eddie
Brannick of those Giants reports
the old time fan is drifting back to
the baseball parks.
yes, sir" says Mr. Brannick. who has
been around those Giants for quite a few
ssmesters. Il see more and more Of EN-
every day-fcllows I haven't seen out to
games since Matty's time"
How do you account for that7
Mr.. Brannick wasn't sure. But maybe
the new ball had something to do with
-. this and the talk that the game had
gone back TO the fundamental principles
of tight pitching with base stealing. in
field hits and a greater emphasis on in
diyidual ingenuity.
you know the old timer likes 10 think
that the game Of his day was much bet
ter than the smuggling game that grew up
around Babe Ruth" says Mr.. Brannick,
''and maybe he's right. You know how
the old timer is
Mr.. Brannick was asked to remember.
please. that he was addressing his re-
marks TO person OF comparatively tender
years. After all 70 is not lad. especially
wen. speaking for myself" continued
Mr.. Brannick. Il am an old timer and
entertain none but the most reverent
memories OF the dear. dead past. Say.
I wouldn't trade you that old Floradora
sextette for all the ziegfeld beauties in
Reno and I am by nature a man who does
not ask o great deal in trades."
This prompted the suggestion that per-
haps Mr.. Brannlck had been the giant
executive who authorized the trade Of
Burleigh Grimes for VIC Aldridge a couple
Of years ago--a trade which was COM
parable in equity to swapping the Europa
for fat bottom mud scow.
We will let that pass" advised Mr.
Brannick who in matters OF diplomacy
combines the defensive skill Of Loughran
with the footwork Of Twenty Grand.
What I was saying was that the old
timer is coming back to the ball games
this season. I sat behind a couple Of
them the other day and 1t was very in
teresting to hear them talk. although 1
DO not wish to give the impression that
I was eavesdropplng. because I am a man
Of extreme gentility and TO me anything
that smacks OF indecorum is abhorrent to
saw the least
"One of these gentlemen said: Well,
they don't seem to have changed the
game much at that, unless you include the
umpires We had bigger umpires in the
old days. and tougher ones. These men
today do not look as If they would get
any real pleasure out Of hitting a player
on the Jaw. I suppose it is the softening
influence Of the machine age.
But just the same the boys are
playing the game as it should be played.
They ere running the bases and the
pitching is good, and there is nothing 1
would rather see than good pitching. I
remember back in 1905 when Matty and
Plank hooked UP in the world series >
This gentleman talked on for about
three or four minutes about some of the
great pitching battles he had seen at the
Old Polo Grounds and then he seemed
TO get little restless and after a while
Re grumbled I'd like to see one of these
guys hit a home rum SO you see the
old timers are pretty much like the
younger fellows. They like those long
hits. too"
MIR. BRANNICK was asked that
1V4 if the Tightening up of the
game due, supposedly, to the raised
seam ball, had had the effect OF
Turing the old timers back to the
ball games didn't it naturally fol-
low that the younger element,
reared and nourished on Ruthian
swats, would now find the game less
attractive.
We'll, look at that crowd we had Sun
day. Fifty-fve thousand. A new record
for us. And they weren't all old timers
by any means. On the contrary, I'd say
majority Of them we're youngsters. If
you want the real answer it's the kind
Of baseball the Giants are playing these
days. Say. I've seen lot of good teams
but these Giants of our'n-"
When Mr.. Brannick takes a long wind
up and begins to jabber about the Giants
the approved procedure is to hail a news
boy. buy one of the late editions, turn
to the womans section and read the
household hints. You may not be ire
nendously interested in the correct method
OF removing oil stains from evening wraps
but at least you will be doing something
to improve your mind.