The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-24
TALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS :

IN carried the Babe on the field
in Boston Wednesday. A muscle
in one Of his legs back fired on him,
and he wound up in local hos
pitsl on the first bounce.
The BABE tsat TIE nan he 5 Tsed e BE-
But this is rushing the hospital season
for him-~usually he manages TO remain
n an upright position until July OF
Il used 70 b that when the BABE
Soppiea over in gsqdy heap a.. qno me ne
the remains It was always advisable 70
dismiss the incident with q few chaste
Thoss w5hho densd tradition and ground
out columns OF pessimistlc speculations
we're invariably COMPOUNDED day or 50
phoeniz-like from his own ashes "a truly
astonishing bit Of business, and well
worthy Of the genius Of HoudinD bigger
But that was back in the days when the
Babe was younger, his capacity for punish
e9 Sro S5sa - t sao acne. was and np pans
bit different with him today. He's going
on, 90. and that's pretty old in base
TIVE Babe always has been q
L smashing type Of player, too.
He's never saved himself. He's
thrown his ponderous frame around
the bases with all the fury Of a
Cobb and he's crashed into more
than one concrete wall going after
a long fly at a critical stage.
Possibly this does not imply q very
PLAYERS With spirit. Mr.. Ruth IS or was
yyeour candidate. As I say things are a BIT
he goes down now you can never be sure
that he Is going TO come up completely
Babe amt human, but the old gent with
the scythe never heard that gag; II ne
nid II doesn't mean anything TO him: o,d
contract. Before the season started he
was optimistic. He figured he had at least
record Of sixty for a single campaign.
"All I need to do Is stay in the ball game
ana keep swinging ne sag /, eng sba may
Yet April finds the Babe propped UP IN
hospital bed taking his baseball IN home
81 course he may not, be, there long.
but the ominous part OF this Is that ne is
down vi h Leg injury and the season has
scarcely begun These leg injuries are
never very docile. They. are apt to come
hack on you at the slightest provocatlon.
hazard is Just that much greater:
So, the chances are the BABE wont
break any home run Te6o5as liz S c5 e4s4
What IS more important to the yankees as
a team his absence adds nothing 10 tnelr
Dennan' hopes
FTHINGS had begun to look a lit
tie brighter up around the
stadium since Herb Pennock showed
that he is still great pitcher. The
Yankees hadn't counted much on
Pennock. He's another old geezer
and his arm has had the miserles
for a couple Of years. think the
idea in the business Office was to
string along with him for another
season and then gently ease him
out.
But on early season form Pennock ranks
as the most dependable pitcher on ine
staf and with him pitching n n some IN 1T
there every day it would not nave peen
, too fantastic to bracket the YANKEES WIN
the Athletics and the Senators as popular
choices for the pennant. 49,, -,
Of course. sooner or later the Babe will
pass definitely from the box scores. ~
won't be so easy to see him go. He has
been quite guy. take him by and large.
No star. has had more ups ana downs r ~
accepted them with finer philosophy. ne
f hSi mace a. '@' ''0'' u. ''i'
THERE never was a more recK-
/ less or roisterous rookie than
the left-handed pitcher who re-
ported to the Boston Red Sox back
in wearing a yegg cap and
smoking a cigar that looked like a
yard of plumbing" He was fresher
than the new moWn hay.
Pitching against the Tigers one day he
1t was over the plate as he saw 1t. MT.
Brick Owens was the umpire. Mr. BrlcK
d owens is a very able citizen with MS
Mr. Brick owens took a brief souint at
the pitch. threw back his well fabricated
tonsils and beloved ball oneP
Our hero did not ike that, He main
tanned it was pertect Strlke. ana Wha y, ;
smash YOU on the kisser."
Our hero went back to the hiuocE or
mound spat angrily in his glove, circled
his arms above his head and sent another
fast one roaring down the slot. Ball
two" shrieked Mr.. Brick Owens.
Brick owens and promptly smashed him
on the kisser.
That's one nice thing about the Babe
when he saws hen do thing. you can
Il was Just. plain nuts IN those days"
to reminiscing. They used to say when
you went to the big league you had to be
tough and I didn't lose anv time trying
In fact those who knew the gentlemen
In his salad DAYS report that he didn't
even have to take a warm up IN order to
be tough. It was gift.