The Washington times., 1931-09-26
DEADER BALL
. WON'T CURB
A'SH|TTERS
By BABE RUTH

NSR~SSSSS wv
for the National Leaguers. It mas
even been pointed out that an
extra advantage Is gained this
year because the Mackmen will
have to bat against the National
League ball in these two games,
and should not be so dangerous
when swinging against this less
lively ball.
disagree on both counts.
realize that most every ball team
plays better ball at home before
a friendly crowd than it plays on
the road, where most OF the
shouting is done for the oppo
nents. But it has been the history
of world series, under the present
arrangements, that there is no
particular advantage to be gained
by the team opening at home.
AS for the ball, I believe that
there is no advantage for either
team, as each will have the same
opportunity to swing against both
the National League and the
American League ball.
Only Exception
/ have Just checked up on the
success of teams opening at home
during the seven years in which
the schedule, now in vogue, has
been followed. This calls for two
games in one city, three in the
other, and then a return to the
opening city to complete the
series. Only once in the past
seven years has a team gained an
advantage in the two home games
and it held through the series.
. That was in 1928, when the
Yankees won two at the stadium
and then went out to st. Louis
to sweep the series by winning
two more.
The. AS won two at home
last year but the Cards took
the next two in st. Louis, so
there ..SS no advantage there.
Washington won in 1874, and
Pittsburgh in 1925, each open
ing at home, ut each of these
teSms moved ~ the other city
after breaking even in those
first two games At home.
So there was nothing gained in
either year. The Yankees of
1926, the Pirates Of 1927, and the
Cubs of 1929, all played the first
two series garlC5 on their home
fields AMI all three Of them lost
the 1aries. So I can't see where
the Cardinals gain any edge by
starting at SportSman's Park, st.
Louis.
Might Suffer Handicap
AS a matt of fact the Cardi-
mails suffer a handicap, I believe,
in having to open at home this
year. Because they must open at
st. Louis. and because that mean"
getting the tickets out several
days earlier than the AS must
get out theirs to the fons. it
was necessary to hold off the
start of thu series until october
/. This condition caused ! I'M
usual schedule which brings two
idle days after the first games.
-ne teams will travel on Saturday
and will be kept idle on Sunday
by the Pennsylvania Law prevent
ing any ST day baseball.
This arrangement unquestiOn-
ably is o help to the Athletics.
One may say that the Cardi-
mails will be helped as much,
but do not think that is true.
! figure that pitching will play
q very big part in these games,
as it usually does, and I figure
Grove and Earnshaw as better
pitchers than anybody on the
Cardinal staff. In saying this
let me add that / believe Street
has q greater number Of good
pitchers than Mack has, but
nobody quite as good as Mack's
two headliners.
Naturally the AS may be ex-
pected to send Grove and Earn.
shaw against the Cards as often
as such thing is possible. Well,
the schedule for the coming Sc
ries would permit Mack to start
each of them three times If the
series goes the limit of seven
games, and what is more i'm
portant, each could get the nor
NAL amount of rest between
games. If Street has two pitchers
who stood far out above the field,
and Mack had several good ones
but none up to the caliber OF
Streets best, this schedule would
help the Cardinals. It just hap
pens that the AS benefit this
year because of the kind Of pitch
ing staff which Mack has.
The ball should make no diff
ference. The Cards will be swing
ing at the lively ball through the
third, fourth and fifth games.
and any one of Streets regulars
is capable of hitting it beyond
the right or left field boundaries
of Shibe Park. Furthermore, the
less lively National League ball
is not home-run proof. Either
Cards or Mackmen are likely to
Jolt 1t into or over the st. Louis
stands. If the ball is hit prop
eriy it makes no difference what
league it was made for. So I
think we can forget about that.
(Copyright. 1891. by the Christy
Walsh Syndicate)
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