The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-28
TALKING
ITOvER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

~ one told you about the nationa,
baseball school located in los An
geles2 1t is a school where the
young idea is taught how to smack
the apple and carry the mail around
the sacks.
They say it is the only one Of its
kind in the country. In one respect
1t certainly is because 1 note that
Mr.. Babe Herman of Brooklyn is a
member Of the faculty.
Now Mr.. Herman Ia all right in his way
and one OF the indictments against him
especially when he gets on base. But
Herman as a professor in q baseball
school. not even with the ranking OF d. B.,
wnich IL academic circles is known as
Mr.. Herman Is Of course an i~ndlviduaiist.
conventions have never meant anything TO
him. Once the Goodfellows of Cowanus
herman scorned It. Until Mr.. Herman
came along baseball was a stenciled
routine. a daily repetition Of the Civil
Tolstoy or Shaw to attempt radical in
noVations. The game remained where 1t
Wes born IN the SNUG, contented hands
1t was Mr.. Herman who introduced the
three base or triple out TO baseball,
easily the most outstanding contribution
to base running the art has known in
more than eight years. There are some
critics who make mockery of the stratagem
put That Is only because the professor is
The three base or triple out consists
q retiring the side on a base hit. Obviously
II Is effective only when the bases are full,
triple.
II can be expected only. with a COM
plste detachment Of mine and an abb
E0IyEa narEaNtnA - . fhKALEAH k1~r
The batter in such ecircumstancesy.
should imagine himself to be in a row
BOAT at sea playing a mandolin.
1T is a tribute to MI. Herman's in
Il ventive genius that up to now he
is the only major Lacquer who has
thoroughly mastered the play, al
though there have been many who
have tried with great earnestness.
AS Mr. Wilbert Robinson used to
say, There is only n Babe Her.
man." Old timers used to say that
about Pop Arson, and later about
Ty Cobb.
Mr.. Herman is also known as the author
OF the skull bounce. a daring outfield
too fantastic ever to become a permanent
part OF, the game. advise these critics
" ~ DG VI aOEIlhllC III bIElI IuuRIItllbs
The skull bounce will last at least as long
as Mr.. Herman's skull, and being one Of
his devoted followers 1 trust that will be
a great number of years.
The skull bounce is not as involved as
the three base or triple out, yet 1t is not
altogether simple. 1t consists Of standing
directly under a high fly ball, waiting
until It descends with a comforting bang
upon the skull and then trying to catch it
Fellows like Speaker and Simmons say
this is not only foolish. but that it is
Injurious to the baseball, but Mr., Herman
HAS a Evolved e.; IL isP pSe theory fs : Snf nat OF il '9 is t mneb;
once than a ball that has not bounced
The same thing that is wrong with
baseball argues Mr.. Herman BY that
I mean the men are not using their heads
NTOW what is going to be the
IN result of Mr.. Herman's work
among the youngsters who want to
learn how to play big league base
ball? once graduated, what kind
Of baseball will Mr.. Herman's
pupils play? The answer seems
obvious: They will play Herman
baseball.
* AliAl bAAiD 10 oOiiGAAlAiAh W lOOk 4OI~
ward to with keen interest. Baseball has
become too standardized, too perfect.
There is a need for contrasting and COM
petitive systems. something paralleling
the approach forcing versus the psychic
bid: There is no set style of play in foot
ball. Some teams use the Warner plan,
others advocate the Rockne shift. In
many other sports there are opposing
schools of thought.
One thing that recommends the Herman
system as taught and demonstrated by the
professor himself is that no thought is
required or very little at the most. For
almost a century only one system has
prevailed in baseball-the Abner Double
day, listed in the records as the father
of the game.
That this system is not entirely with
out flaws was proved by Connie Mack
back in 1914, when he developed the per-
feet ball, team-and the customers walked
out on him. They'd never walk out on
the Herman system. They might have to
be carried out: but I don't imagine they'd
give the Herman system a trial A trial
by jury If necessary but trial nevertheless.