The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-03-12
TALKING
ITOvER
BY ZOE, WILLIAMS

FLORIDA BOUND, March H.
Il Your correspondent is bouncing
over the rails in the company OF
Colonel Jake Rupert. owner Of the
Yankees. and heading in the gen.
eral direction of st. Petersburg,
where the high salaried athletes are
steaming out under a semi-tropical
sun. tAdvt.)
Your correspondent and Colonel
Jake have some very serious BUSH
ness to take care of. We must sign
Babe Ruth for next season if it
takes the last dollar Colonel Jake
owns. Personally, 1 do not care
how far the Colonel goes in this
matter. In spite of the depression,
have decided to be very liberal
with the Rupert bank roll.
We do not anticipate any great trouble
in forcing Mr.. Ruth's hand. We are pre-
pared to offer him $40. 900 for six months
he Is very fond Of. II Mr.. Ruth refuses
70 accept our offer we will probably. give
him $4,000: Our feeling is what is 5000
between friends?" The answer is, 1--WE
OF course. Mr.. Ruth should realize that
being fairly generous, considering one
thing and another. plus the fact that this
clubs expect to take in all summer. let
I hope nobody will start worrying seri-
ously about the situation. especially the
boys in the breadline. because your corre-
spondent and the colonel will see to 1t
that everything is taken care Of in the
not be reduced to such stark circumstances
that ne VIII have to sell four OF his cars
and dismiss his valet.
IT may be that the colonel is
Il stringing me along and that he
does not really need my assistance
in signing Mr.. Ruth. 1 have heard
rumors that the colonel and Mr..
Ruth have already come to terms
and that this flying trip to the
southland is merely a publicity come
on. AS to that am not sure.
At any rate it doesn't make very much
signing of Mr.. Ruth is no longer spec
tacular event. The novelty has worn off
non-existent. Everybody knows that he
he. demands he will get enough anyhow:
AS ball players 20 he is pretty old
geezer, well past his prime. If he couldn't
heydaY there Is small chance of his col
Letting a fantastic figure now.
And besides this is not an opportune
moment for professional athlete to strike
for higher wages. Usually the athlete can
count on the sentimental support of the
customers. But not now Too many Of
their own. To them SO 900 is ali lee the
money in the world, and twice as much
as they ever hope to see.
n
THESE spring training trips stir
L. up memories. They do more
than that-they make fellow real
ize how old he is. The first spring
trip I ever made was with the old
Cleveland club. The Maps, they
called them. Larry Lajoie was still
in harness, playing second. He had
just been supplanted as manager by
Dode Birmingham, comparative
youngster.
>, Joe Jackson was the star, Of the club.
He travelled in state. in a drawing room.
no less Newly married. the missus was
along; Among other travelling accessories.
Mr.; Jackson carried a parrot and a i've
ever figure why he carried the parrot.
The parrot had one talking line: Lousy
II taught him that" beamed Mr.. Jack
son, who shared the average ball players
contempt for umpires. Mr.. Jackson was
properlv; almost patheticallv. proud of his
netheP read oH nor Srte himsef But 'G chat
didn't keep him from being great ball
PLAYER. Connie Mack has repeatedly called
saw.