The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-09
TALKING
IT OVER
by JOE WILLIAMS


yours of Two-Gun Crowley and
Buddy Rogers
J. A. K. wRTTEs-An English friend Of
mine. recently arrived in this country.
and now 3 baseball enthusiast. brings I'D
This point: II batter hits home run
With nobody on bs5e. why does he not
deserve another time at bat Immediately
ne has circled the bases7 In other words.
a home run carries the potential value OF
forr runs when the bases are full and
when no one is on base. Il takes four
home runs 70 realize It's full potentaIity.
Nv friends contends the batman's rewards
are uneoualiy distributed IN such in
stances. or. IN short. thsI 1t isn't
cricket"
coMAIENT-The matter was submitted
personally to Mr.. Babe Ruth. Just before
he caught the train to 20 vest With the
Yankees. with his usual directness and
vigor. he replied: Il think that English
guy is right When you hit homo run
they ought to let you bat again whether
there are two men on base or twenty.
mean. they ought to let YOU bat until
YOU are out. You aren't out when you
knock the ball over the fence. are you?'
Strangely none Of the pitchers are in
sympathy with the suggestion. They
seem 10 feel that instead Of permitting
p batter to swing again after hitting the
ball out Of the park he should be made
70 20 get IL and return TO the park by
gradual stages via San Diego. Reno.
Kansas City and Perth Amboy.
As TO, the Batsman's rewards being
uneauitsble this isn't entirely true be-
cause when he hits home run with the
bases full he is credited with driving in
four runs instead Of one. and 1t can
hardly be argued that he had anything
20 do with putting the three other
potential runs on the bases. Also there
IS this drawback II the hitter was
allowed TO hit over against the kind OF
pitchers they have on the Reds. Red sox,
and Phillies. It would take week to
nnish ball game. and even longer when
the boys had an of day.
FROM CHARLES BRADY would ap-
preciate your opinion as to which game
requires the more skill-golf or baseball"
COMSIENT-In my own case. to cite
conspicuous example. there has been very
little TO chose. one way or the other, in
Guiding the Freudian. Back in the early
SUs. I played a smashing game around
the midsaek. or what is known to the
modern generation as the keystone station.
and at different times my style Of play
was said BY critics to be strikingly
reminiscent OF Evers. Laioie. Mcphee and
two other fellows from Saginaw.
It is a matter of record that as guard
ian OF the second hassock for the old
Memphis Reds I was the first ball player.
man or beast. to work the hidden ball
trick. a bit of leEerdemain I picked up
from a cunning old Hindu iakir by the
name OF Shamus OKelly. who fortunately
died before the Peanut Vendor was ever
PLAYED over the radio.
AS to golf there is practically no skill
involved In mastering the rhythm OF the
game unless you are willing to concede
that It is more difficult to sing a Harry
Lauder song in dialect before holding out
at the nineteenth than after.
Naturally with respect to this phase
of the game a great deal depends on
whether YOU employ the overlapping grip
or exercise becoming moderation, !
keeping firmly in mind the statutes cover
ing reckless driving from club to home.
At the same time. the facts seem to
argue that It's harder to master top
notch BASEBALL than top notch golf. There |
are any number Of ball players who have
taken up golf and mastered it well enough
70 shot consistently In the 7o's.
On the other hand. the Jones boy
while stakeholder in the Atlanta Club,
is never called upon to pinch hit for
the teams star slugger with the winning
run on third. Hagen is the only golfer
/ know Of possessing marked baseball
ability. Yet even at his best he probably
wouldn't have held down Job in
Glass B League.
DANIEL NJ. PEGA-rakes his stone
chisel in hand and carves out the fol-
lowing: Pm having a battle with some
of the boys about Herb Pennock. One
of them claims Pennock doesn't pitch
more than average of five curve balls to
4 game, another maintains the Yankee
lefthander uses his curve practically all
the time"
COAfMENT-1t is fortunate for the cause
of good. clean Journalism that Mr.. Pen
mock is not touchy or squeamish about
discussing the innermost secrets OF his
private life. Some of the great artists
of the national pastime are not so dem
ocrstie and when you approach them
and inquire: How is your curve bail
today. Mr.. OATMEAL they will be very
sharp IN their answers. If not rude, and
say IT refuse TO answer on the ground
that 1t may incriminate and degrade me.
so help me Tammany"
But as I say. Mr.. Pennock Is a frank.
outspoken citizen who would be
courteous even to wincheu. and he tells
me he never pitches less than fifteen
curve balls to game. and sometimes
more-which. in either case. is not as
manv as Is popularlv sunnnsed