The Washington times., 1931-04-15
A. |. HURLERS
RELY UPON
SPEED
BY BABE RUTH


get letters from fans asking me
if there is any difference between
the National and the American
leagues. They ask if the same
rules are followed by both leagues
and if there is any difference in
the style of play. I douot very
much that there is any difference
worth while.
The playing rules are the same
in the two leagues, but the pltch
ers in our league do not use a
resin bag, as they do in the Ma
tional. Whenever we play against
a National League team the
resin bag is always behind the
pitcher, but in our own games
we never see one. Some years
ago the National voted to permit
pitchers to use resin, and the
American refused to go on record
in this way. In world series the
pitchers of one team use the bag
frequently, and the others do not
touch it.
Batters Use Resin
This does not mean that no
resin is ever used in our league
Some of the pitchers sprinkle 1t
in the pocket Of their uniforms
and reach now and then for it,
Just to get better grip on the
ball. All the clubs have resin
on the bench for the batterS to
powder their hands going to the
plate. This gives them better
grip on the bat.
There is one difference be-
tween the leagues that has i'm
pressed me in our exhibition
games, both before the season
and occasionally after the sea-
son is on. That is the number
of curve balls which are thrown
by the pitchers in the National
League.
- Sometimes it's curve, curve,
curve. In our league I think the
pitchers rely a lot more on the fast
ball than they do in the National.
We have some good curve-ball
pitcherS-that is, players who get
their best results from curves be-
cause they lack great speed-but,
as rule, there is no such amount
of curve-ball pitching.
Discard Base Stealing
That is the chief difference that
I know in the style of play. Neither
league goes in very strongly for
base stealing any more, but that
is natural result of the changed
conditions. Every manager argues
that it is foolish to take chances
on having runners thrown out at
second when a hitter is likely to
come through at any time with
double, triple or even home
run. Back in the years when
singles topped the list it was good
baseball for a runner to steal.
Once on second base a single
would mean a run. Nowadays, a
player is thrown out stealing, the
next fellow hits a triple and then
the manager swears he is through
with trying to steal his way around
to the plate.
I have heard a lot of argu.
mentS about one league being
much stronger than the other
but could never see it. Even
a string of successes in the
world series does not prove any
thing. 1t simply means that
the winning team of one league
is stronger than the pennant
winner of the other. 1t does not
mean that each club rates bet
ter than one finishing in the
same place in the other league.
Both leagues have scouts look
ing over the same players in the
minors and each grabs its share
of these young players. New stars
are coming into both the Ameri.
can and the National League every
year. Look over the two leagues
and you will find that one may
have the greater number Of high
class first basemen and the other
may have the edge in shortstopS.
One may have the outstanding
pitchers of the season and the
other may be in front in out
fielderS.