The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-15
Talking
IT OVER
By JOE WILLIAMS :
BY DANIEL

World Telegram Sports Writer Pinch
Hitting for Joe williams. Who Is Ill
NEW YORK, April 15.-Did you
IN note one startling difference
in the Yankee system of play in
the stadium inaugural? Certainly
you did. Joe Mccarthy has con-
verted the New Yorks into a base
running club. They thought they
had enough power to do away with
that old-time feature during the
Higgins regime. They stood fourth
in the American League with only
ninety-one stolen bases last season.
But this time they'll lead the show
That looks like a safe prediction
Before the game Monday, Joe Mccarthy
had the usual meeting Of the club. Like
giving a tighter the anal instructions be-
fore the entry into the ring. He had
message to deliver.
Boys. II I do nothing else want to
make you run those bases" Joe said.
Outside of this club there Is only one
real catcher in this league. and they say
he's no WOW when 1t comes to throwing
the ball Let's make them all throw.
Let's run for all we are worth"
The result7 Babe Ruth. who stole only
ten bases in, l4S games last year went
right out and p!lfered second in the very
hrst inning Dusty Cooke stole one in the
NTH. All the Yankees were on their toes.
ready TO take advantage OF every oppor-
The Mccarthy mark was on the old bail
club. Small wonder that Joe felt proud
in the clubhouse after the game. True.
one game hardly is a test. But those
Yankees looked as If they were going
somewhere.
WHEREVER fans get together
w and talk about the Yankees,
the first questions are these: How
does Ruth get along with McCar-
thy? Is the Babe still sore over
having been passed up as manager"
Ruth realizes all tLis, and he is
more determined than ever to make |
good for Mccarthy. When Colonel
Jacob Ruppert looked about for a
successor to Miller Hugigns, Ruth |
felt that he merited the job.
But when Colonel Jake decided to
supplant Bob Shawkey with Mccarthy last
October the Babe no longer had any |
managerial aspirations. when it became
known that Joe would get the job. Ruth |
was one of his staunchest boosters.
Now the BAN is out to show Mccarthy |
first man to congratulate Ruth when he |
lifted his first home run OF the season |
into the right field bleacher IN the seventh |
inning Tuesday was Mccarthy.
The Babe is rushing things a bit this |
year. The whole club is rushing things.
Last season he did not get No. l until |
o. ,vho,, I,a drnvo honaer off Milf /
CASTOR in Boston. He followed with No. |
off Russell on April %. and it was May
before he got his third, of Thomas in
Chicago.
That bird IN Chicago can't get away /
with it again." says Ruth, referring to his |
being pushed into the home run pack
ground by Hack Wilson's Sc last season son
hit. couple for the Phillies Tuesday. He
will have TO be watched
TN the eight opening games in
L 1880 a total of 78 runs was reg
istered-41 in the American and 81
in the National, Brooklyn's ! to 0
victory over the Phillies kept the
National count down a bit. This
past winter saw both major leagues
change the official ball. The Amer
lean raised the StlCcneS, Jhe NaIlon-
al followed suit and increased the
thickness Of the cover.
During the recent training season pitch
ers felt and hefted the new ball and some
Of them opined In a sage and erudlte way
that hitting would be cut down. This writer
was assured by the late Ernest S. Barnard
that the so-called new ball was more or
less a hoax. and we have reached the con-
clusion that he was correct.
In Tuesdays openings seventy-nine runs /
we're .scored--forty- three in the National |
and thirty-six in the American. With its /
1881 Panacea-that Undiscovered thick |
scanned ball--the old league saw its open
ing daY run output increase by six.
All Of which again emphasizes the fact |
that hitting will not be cut down until |
4ha insidn az the ball is changed