The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-08-03


Frank Buck" O'Neill him,
It wasn't so long ago when. pop
ular fancy had it, you had tt
swing from the south side of the
plate to to home run king
Babe Ruth was a southpa0, selc
right behind him was Lou Gehrig
Then one year, when Ruth failed
to make the grade, a left handler
named Ken Williams of the st
Louis Browns. stepped in ano
gathered the laurels as a home
run producer. Hal Trosky OF the
Indians had a lot of fun with that
short right field fence in Cleve
land, and is still doing fairly well
The right handlers we're kings in
the days when Big" Delehanty
ruled the roost: when Larry La
joie, the matchless Frenchman,
was king of second sackers, and
when Cravath conquered the
fences from a starboard stance.
Now they've come into their
own again. The names are diff
ferent, but the stance and the
swing are the same. The priceless
gift of timing is with them.
The heir apparent to the home
run crown is Hank Greenberg, of
the Tigers. He is slashing the ball
with the power and skill of a
champion, a threat to the record
of Ruth. Jimmy Foxx, of the
Athletics, who was expected to
overthrow the rule of Babe Ruth
and set all time records for knock
ing the ball out of the lot, IS one
Of the great right handlers, record
or no record.
Great At ANY Time
Foxx would be great in any
decade Of baseball. standout in
any company. Another right
banded ace, and a team mate of
Foxx is Bob Johnson, the Swedish
Cherokee.
With the switch of power from
the port side of the plate, the
right field fence at Shibe Park
has not suffered much. The Shibes
thwarted the southpaw pull hit.
tiers by superimpoSing an iron
fence on the original concrete
barrier. However, the fence was
raised not to foil the hitterS, but
to kill traffic in roof seats on the
houses across the street.
Only eleven left handed home
runs have left Shibe Park as com.
pared to Sc right handed shots.
In Comiskey Park, As right
handed home runs were made &C
cording to last records compiled
by Henry Edwards as compared
to 20 for southpaws. OF 20 local
homers, II were made by right
handlers. Totalling the American
leagues home run shots, 262 were
made by right handlers as COM
pared to 1854 for southpaws.
Griffith Stadium stands as the
best playing field in the American
League on the testimony of the
home run score.
While we're on the subject Of
home runs at Griffith Stadium,
Tony Lazzeri hammered one that
matched Yves Ferrell's two in
power and flight. The veteran
italian rode his drive in the third
inning over Powell's head and out
of the playing field. It was Tony'S
twelfth home run of the year.
Jess Hill got a homer that was
something of freak. His fly
dropped near the foul line with
Miles playing him in right cen,
ter, and then bounced away. Hills
great speed made the completion
of the circuit easy for him.
Bump Hadley started the game
in fine style and for two innings
set the Yanks down in order. In
the third came the two runs men.
toned above, and then in con.
Secutive innings came clusters Of
two runs until Hadley was out Of
the game.
-., Pitches Indifferently
Russell pitched three innings
with Indifferent effect. Our pinch
hitters, Schultz, Stone and Red.
mond, struck out and popped out.
Myer and Kress went down
with the wreck, but they went
down blasting. Myer got three
hits, one a bunt, and Kress laid
the wood on a couple to the out
field.
A freak play developed in the
sixth inning. Bolton singled to
center field with Travis in Scor.
ing position and KreSs on first.
From the stands it seemed as if
Chapman had caught Bottoms
shot. Some of the Yankees
seemed to think so too, and there
was much yelling and gesticulat'
ing, telling Chapman to throw to
first, to double KreSs, who was
on his way to third.
Chapman threw to Lazzeri, who
relayed to'Crosetti. While all this
was going on, Kress stopped run
ming, figuring he had been dou,
bled at first, and Crosetti tagged
him out.
Harris didn't care to discuss
+Iie So1ov oftaIs tha game