Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-23
SCIENTIFIC BATTING
PUTS RUTH ON TOP
Concentration on BingIeS In.
stead of Home Runs May
Make Him 400 Hitter.
BY JOHN B. FOSTER.

n YEW YORK, June 23.-The big
M barnbino Of base ball has gone
scientific. Babe Ruth, the idol
of fandom, has taken UP the
art OF the rapier and instead of at
tempting to set new home-run record
he is trying for base hits. The result
is that the Babe today Is q greater
batter, with fewer home runs. than
when he sat on the throne of the cir
cult clouterS.
American League batting averages in
general are dwindling trifle now COM
pared with the express speed at which
they were going in the early part OF
the year. Ruth today is batting 1893
Not only is that very high figure for
the league but q high figure for Ruth
He himself says he Is batting more
scientifically this year. He says he is
out, for base hits as well as for home
runs. His success demonstrates really
better batting skill than he has demon
strated in any year in which he has
been one Of the great players Of base
ball history.
Morgan Proving Skill.
Trailing Ruth are Micky Cochrane, Al
Simmons, Ed Morgan and Goose Cos
lin. There is good study for base ball
analysts in that group. Ed Morgan.
kid, so to speak, Is showing unques-
tionable natural skill. Simmons will
be fighting for the leadership to the
last minute, Cochrane is not above his
possibilities and GoSlin is coming back
into his stride.
In the National League there is
Harvey Hendrick at the top. His bat
ting has put Cincinnati on its feet:
he is doing better than his sincerest
admirers thought he might. AS a reg
ular he Is showing certain qualities
that are as good as other regular ball
players possess. He may not be the
fastest man in the majors, but he has
fitted beautifully into the scheme of
things at Cincinnati.
Bill Terry of New York, Grimm Of
Chicago, Cuyler Of Chicago and Arlett
Of Philadelphia are trailing Hendrick.
Perhaps the latter may not be able to
carry his stid pace throughout the
season, but If he does not he has
proved that he can be q good pace
maker.
Terry dragged for some time, but he
again is up in the front where he be-
longs. and there has been a SteadinesS
about Cuyler for three years that has
been valuable to the Cubs.
Hendrick Thrives on Toll.
The more often Hendrick plays the
better batter he is. Last year he batted
about ass for Brooklyn in SO games
On the strength Of that low percentage
there was no place for him on the
Brooklyn team. There Is evidently q
big place for him with Cincinnati.
Three weeks ago it would have
seemed not far from accurate to rate
the batting champion of the American
League this year as 400 man. It
doesn't seem quite so likely now. In
the early part of the season the bat
ting records that were being made by
the players in the American League
ran very high. Those in the National
League were much more conservative.
The National now is picking up speed.
The probable batting champion of
the National League is in doubt. It is
almost certain that whoever he Is he
will not bat 400.
If there is to be 400 batting cham
pion in either league and Babe Ruth
continues his present tactics Of swing
ing for base hits he Is more likely to
take the leadership than any other
player