The Washington times., 1931-06-03
H|T7ERS
In SLUMP,
SAYSRUTH
BY BABE RUTH

am going to make this article
serve as an answer to some ques-
tions received in my fan mail this
week. 1 do this because 1 be-
lieve the same questions may
have come up in the minds OF
other fans who did not happen
to ask about them. I have found
that things which puzzle one
baseball fan also puzzles many
others.
Here are some questions which
seem very timely:
Do you think the change in
the baseball explains the batting
slumps suffered this year by such
hitters as frankie Frisch. Tony
Lazzeri, Frank O'Doul, Taylor
Douthit and few others?
How did that trade by the
Cleveland and Chicago clubs
strike you, and who got the
better of it?
Will the resin ball make any
difference with the hitting and
the pitching in the. American
League?
Which league plays better ball,
the National or the American?
Ball Not to Blame
Several other questions also
concern some recent happenings
but they do not rate quite as i'm
portant as these. Nor do I think
the answers would interest sc
many people. So I'll just try to
answer these four today, taking
them in the order as above.
I do not think that the
change in the cover or stitching
of the ball is the answer for the
hitting slump by players accuS-
toned to hit much higher. The
ball may have some effect on
reducing averages, but am in
clined to think that an old
fashioned hitting slump answers
for each of the players named
in the question.
You never know when these
slumps are coming. They may hit
you in April or May just the same
as in August or September, and
think these players are simply
victims of an early slump. ex
pect to see all of them make ur
for it later and hit close to theil
normal figures. Don't forget that
Al Simmons, Mickey Cochrane
Joe Cronin, Averill, Fonseca anC
a few more have been pounding
the same ball that other American
LeaguerS have to swing against
And Roettger, Arlett and HornSby
have done pretty we'll with the
National League ball.
I would say that the Cleveland
Chicago trade looks like a gooC
one for both clubs. You can't al
ways figure trades, you know, by
the talent passing from one clut
to another. Getting what is need
ed is more important than what
you give. The Indians we're badly
in need of a third baseman, and
Willie Kamm fills that one need
very well.
FOnSeca Adds Punch
Chicago could spare Kamm and
wanted more hitting power. Lew
FonSeca is a powerful hitter, but
|
with Cleveland last year and fig
ured to be the same this yeal
when Eddie Morgan was able tC
play. He adds real punch tt
the Chicago batting order and car
play good game at first or sec
ond base. The trade gives each
club something that it needed
badly, without taking anything
that could not be spared.
Now about the resin ball.
can't figure that it will make
much difference, but it may
with some pitchers. Using resin
is not entirely new in our league
anyway. There was q rule
against the use of the resin bag
behind the pitchers box, as the
National League has used 1t for
years, but some of the pitchers
kept resin dust in their trousers
pocket.
All they had to do was to pu
their hand in the pocket to ge
some resin. Now they can get i
in another way but I can't SCI
that there will be much difference
Some pitchers do not use it any
way, and they may try it. nov
that the ban has been lifted. Yol
know the club batting marks TO
the National League last seasol
did not indicate that the resi-
helped the pitchers so very much
That fourth question abou
which is the better league, tn
National or the American, is al
old timer. I have been running
into it for years. And my idea
On the subject have. not changed
I have always contended that thI
two major leagues balance VI
quite evenly. New players arr
coming and others going all thC
time. No doubt there are year.
when one league gets the bettel
players from the minors, but II
1.-The long run this will even Up.