The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-06-19
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the time, so they made an outfelder
Of him. He Immediately started in the
business of manufacturing home runs.
He turned them out with such per-
sistent regularity that the sporting
writer's began to take notice and dig
into their records. They had to throw
them away because the Babe made
new ones, and continued to do so
until temporary incapacity curtailed
his output.
What has enabled Babe Ruth to
achieve his reputation on the dia-
mond? Some people will say that it Is
his powerful swing of the bat, made
possible by great strength in his arms.
This is true, but equally important is
the good eyesight which is essential
when fast ball is coming toward the
man at the bat.
1t is not only the sturdy arms Of
Helen Wills, but it is also her steady
eye that make her queen. of the tennis
court. Bill Tilden. Jack Dempsey,
Bobby Jones and the other topnotch-
ers in the field of sport owe their rep
utations and success largely to the
fact that they are blessed with healthy
eyes as well as strong bodies.
Good eyesight is also important to
the thousands Of sport fans who 60 to
watch their favorites perform. One
cannot truly enjoy any athletic game,
whether in playing or watching, un-
less one has clear vision.
Without such good eyesight that
strategic situation may be seen accu-
rately and understood at a moments
glance, one cannot acquire skill in any
sport. Most professional athletes real
ize this, and therefore, take every pre-
caution to keep their eyes in good
condition. Sometimes it is necessary
for the athlete to wear glasses, but
this does not mean that his days Of
usefulness on the field are past.
1t is interesting to note that a few
of the best known ball players in the
major leagues find it necessary to
wear glasses. Lee Meadows, an out
standing pitcher in the National league
for several years, wore glasses in the
pitchers box. Another pitcher who
wears them is Vic Sorrell of the De-
troit Tigers, who is one of this years
sensations Others are Toporcher and
MacFayden. Glasses are worn on the
baseball field also by Chick Hafey,
outfelder of the st. Louis Cardinals,
and by Mark Koenig, shortstop Of the
Detroit team in the American league,
who is rather well known in New
York city where he was shortstop for
the Yankees for several years. Hafey
and Koenig are the first fielders In
baseball to wear glasses while playing.
Glasses are worn in other sports
also. In tennis, for instance, Watson
Washburn, who was for several years
a member of the United States Davis
cup team, has worn glasses on the
tennis court for long time. And in
golf, Willie McFarlane, former ma
tional open champion and now a pro-
fessional in Westchester county, New
York, usually wears glasses while
playing.
In colleges and high school through
out the United States, athletic direc-
tors are specially careful about the eye
sight Of members of the various school
teams. Incidentally, boys and girls
Of high school age seem to be most
susceptible to accidents shat involve
eye injuries. Perhaps this is so be-
cause they are very active at that age.
The National Society for the Pre-
vention Of Blindness, in survey of
eye accidents, found strange variety
of hazards in athletics, in the home,
and especially in industry. There was
a record of painful injury when, in
wrestling, one boys finger found its
way into one of his opponents eyes.
Also, there was the incident of one
basketball player who apparently con-
fused the eyes of another player with
the basket at which he was supposed
to be aiming. One university student
was so confident of his own abilities
that he took off his mask while fenc-
ing and had one eye put out by his
opponents foil
In many sports there are chances
of injuring the eyes with a ball-golt
ball, tennis ball, baseball, handball,
basketball, football and others. But
in golf, aside from the danger of being
struck by the ball, inquisitive persons