The Washington times., 1931-03-18
SOUTH CLUBS
FAR BEHIND
IN WORK
By BABE RUTH

By BABE RUTH
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, March
18.-This has been the worst
training season, from weather
standpoint, that the big league
clubs have run into in many a
year and I think you will hear a
lot more about it when the teams
return home. The clubs that get
away well will forget about all
the rain and cold weather they
had in the South, but those
which stumble in the early weeks
of the pennant race are likely to
believe that bad weather is the
answer.
Every few years the ball teams
run into these poor condltlons
when rain or cold, sometimes
both, are common all through
the South. For that reason one
club is not handicapped more
than another. Take this spring
as an example. 1t was by far the
worst that the Yankees have
found since they moved into
Florida six years ago, but the
same weather conditions have pre-
vailed for the Athletics, Browns,
Red Sox, Cardinals, Robins,
Braves. Reds and Phillies. All
these clubs also do their training
in Florida. I guess the clubs IN
other parts of the South nave
not Jared a lot better, if any.
The three clubs which are
training out in California have
heen getting a better break in
weather, from all accounts.
Rut it would be difficult to i'm
nrove on the normal training
conditions in FlOrlda. ms 10
just one Of those Off years.
Back in 1928 they had another
bad spring which had the man
ayers kicking about the condition
of their players. The Yankees
trained in New Orleans that year
and the weather was none TOO
good The clubs which trained
in the southeastern part OF the
country ran into one postpone-
ment after another. But as re
call it there was not so much
cold weather that year as we
have been getting this spring
Rain was the big trouble then.
Yankees Not Advanced
Joe Mccarthy told me a few
DAYS ago that he was very mucn
disappointed over the condltlon
of his team.
eve should be advanced a lot
further" Joe explained, but
what is there to do? We can't
keep working extra time in colo
weather, Just to make up in the
work we are behind. Trying to
force things when the muscles
are not properly lOOsened up
is dangerous, and it takes real
warm weather to loosen the
muscles and keep them that
way
During my first week Of base
ball this spring, We did not nave
one day of good training weather
Sometimes it rained. Other times
it was cloudy and cool. On days
when it was clear the wind was
so high that we could not keep
warmed up properly. One day At
was so cold that We gave up try
ing before our hitting practice
was half over, and you know how
ball. player loves to take his
swings at that kind of pitching
The day that this happened ]
read about a ball game being
cancelled in Texas on account OF
cold weather, which only goes
to prove that all the clubs are
having their troubles.
Require Warm Weather
It is safe to say that all the
13 clubs training in the South
are behind in their work now
but that doesn't mean they Will
all be behind when the season
opens. It is about month be,
fore the pennant races start and
a spell of hot weather before
that time will make up for a
lot that. has been lost. When
players are exercising every day
it does not take more than two
or three weeks of warm weather
to put them in shape.
Naturally the players like
real hot weather from the time
they start work. The exhibi.
ton games just before the sea-
son opens, carries the teams
back North a & ain and the
weather for these games usually
takes away some of the edge
which has been gained in the
South. For that reason they
like to be as far advanced as
possible before they run into
this change which is sure to
set them back in physical con-
ditiOn.
The older players suffer more
than the youngsters when the
training seasons are cold ano
wet. The veterans need plenty
of warm weather to put them in
trim while the youngster, whose
muscle are easier to condition
can make the grade without the
benefit of so much sunshine. AS
Joe Mccarthy says:
"There is nothing to do but
wait and hope"