The Washington times., 1932-05-21
OUT
TO RETAIN .
. PACE
BY BABE RUTH

NEW YOktA, May 1A"-WuSn
recently went through a long
spell Of games without getting a
home run I received several let
ters from fans about it. Some
Of them had suggestions which,
they insisted, would pull me out
of my slump and get me hitting
again beyond the fences. Others
asked me how many homers I
figure I should hit this year, and
If this stretch of more than half
q month without as much as one
home run would kill off my
chances Of setting a new record,
or tying the old one. One writer
mentioned that I surely was in
q bad way If I couldn't hit hon.
ers at the Yankee Stadium.
Each Of these points are inter-
esting and will answer all. I
will start with the last one be-
cause / have just checked up on
something which I have had in
mind for some time, I am pleased
to say that the check-up proved
what had believed, though I
know it will be surprising to a
lot Of people.
Hit More Away
This is it: have hit more
home runs while the Yankees
were playing away from home
than I hit at the stadium since
1t was opened nine seasons ago.
The difference is not great, I
admit, but the cold figures show
that the stadium Is no home
run paradise for me. In five Of
the nine seasons that the
Yankees have been at the sta
dunn I got fewer homerS there
than on the road. When I set
the record with 80 home runs in
1927 I got 80 away from New
York and 20 at the big ball yard
in the Bronx.
So, I don't feel that am Sunk
II I can't get 'em at the stadium"
as one writer inferred.
How many should I hit this
year? g..
AL I can say is that I have
averaged Al. a year for the past
three seasons and I figure I
should finish with something
close to this mark. I may get
SO, or I may be stopped down
near 40. Home runs come in
streaks for me, as for all players.
Average for z Years
There are weeks when I get
plenty and other weeks when I
can't connect for one. I merely
mention A., bcause that has
been my average in the past
three years. Naturally, I hope to
get many more, but I have no
sound reason to believe I should
go beyond this average.
do not feel that a stretch Of
failure ever means anything in
home-run hitting. Back in 1927, |
the year I set the record, I made |
only four homers during April |
and only four more during the
first half of May. This year I |
started off with six in April, |
which is the highest mark ever
touched for the month, so 7 am
better prepared for the slump |
which follows. I just figure that |
when I am swinging properly, I |
am going to get my share of |
these homerS and when I am
timing the ball badly I must go |
without them.
I have another thing to say
about home-run hitting and the
Yankee Stadium. I feel that this |
year I will hit plenty more on the |
road than at home. During the |
first month of the season I hit |
10 or II drives which were caught |
away back near the cinder path |
In right center field at the sta
dium. Between right center and |
left center it is impossible to hit |
a ball beyond the fences at our
park.
Suffering Same Way
Gehrig and some of the other
long hitterS have been suffering
the same way, and getting only !
times at bat for drives which
would clear many wall in our
league.
Yes, sir, would rather do my
hitting away from New York, aad |
I know I would get more homers.
] say that in all seriousness and
with the sound conviction that
the Yankee Stadium is not the |
home-run orchard that many peo-
pie think it is. In a stretch of |
seven games recently Earle Combs |
was the only Yankee to hit a |
homer in New York, and Jonathan |
Stone hit the only one made by
q visiting player. I offer this as
further proof Of my argument
that 1t Is not the easy place that
many believe.
There is no set remedy to cure
these slumpS. We all suffer from
them at times. fell off in some
ing more than homers, because
I was unable to get even the sin
giles. and I wasn't getting the |
usual number of passes, either. |
The only thing to do is to keep on
swinging and figure that the law
of average will begin to work in |
your favor after a while.