The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-06-03
TWAS GOING TO
 ASK RESIGNATION
 ANYWAY" "FUCHS
Boston Club President Of- fers to Sell Interest to
 Best Bidder


 and probably at the end of his playing career, the once mighty Babe Ruth to-day headed back to New York, scene of his greatest triumphs, with uncertainty be- clouding his future in baseball.
 Ruth's experiment as national Leaguer, after 21 years stardom in the American League, ended dis mally yesterday when he abruptly announced his resignation from the Boston Braves, charging President Emil Fuchs with treating him shabbily.
 Bench-warming because of an injured knee-one of a series of ills he blamed for keeping him down all season long-Ruth made known his decision to quit following his teams 20 shutout of the N New York Giants. He leaves with a Ma tional League batting average of .181, the result of 13 hits in 72 trips in total of 2S games.
 Released!
 Fuchs who charged Ruth with be- ing less than half-hearted in his ef- forts to make good with the Braves and who said he was about to de- man the slugger's resignation, any, way gave the Babe his uncondition- al release. Ruth said he would ask to be placed on the voluntary re- tired list for 60 days.
 Still clinging to the managerial ambitions that hastened his de- parture from the New York Yan- kees and which motivated his transfer to the Braves, Ruth em- phasized that he wasn't through with baseball-"not by a long shot". But he said he mightn't get back into the game in any capacity until next season.
 Ruth charged that Fuchs, the man who engineered his transfer back to the city where he began his big league career in 1914, had been heartlessly insistent upon his appearance in the Braves lineup despite cold and limb injuries. Fuchs called Ruth in effect a "prima donna," charging that he had refused to get into condition, had broken training rules and had refused to take orders from Man ager Bill McKechnie.
 "I'm sorry it had to happen this way" said Fuchs, but I think it's all for the best. We have given Ruth his unconditional release and he is free to negotiate with any other club at will"
 Ruth made it clear that his grievances were solely with Fuchs and that if by any chance Fuchs severed connections with the club he might return.
 Way for a shift in Braves own ership which might make Ruth's return possible was seen in Fuchs supplementary statement that in view of the drastic need for bol- stering of the Braves roster, he stood willing to sell out to any in terest who might prove satisfactory to his creditors.
 Blowoff!
 The impasse between Ruth and Fuchs came to head last night when the Babe asked the judge for permission to go to New York to be guest at docking of the new French Liner Normandie. Fuchs f1atly refused.
 Fuchs, refusing to shoulder the entire responsibility for the erup- tion, said Manager McKechnie had complained to him that with Ruth coming and going as he pleased he was utterly unable to maintain dis cipline among the other players.
 "The club was terribly dis organized and McKechnie said he couldn't go on that way" Fuchs said. "I am con. vinced that had Ruth made a serious effort at getting into con- dition he'd have been able to get into more games. When he asked permission to greet the Normandie I naturally refused because we are paying him to play baseball"
 Opposed to Fuchs statement in- volving McKechnie was the Babes statement, in his hotel suite, that he had no quarrel with McKechnie or any of the players. Ruth was dressed in a grey sack suit and looked rather doleful and i'll at ease minus his usual big black cigar. His wife, sitting nearby, said she knew her husband was doing what was best in the matter.
 Ruth, the former S0,000-a-year man, who hit 54, 59, and 60 home runs in his peak years with the New York Yankees. started his Ma tional League career back in his big league cradle auspiciously, clouting a homer off Carl Hubbell to lead the Braves to an opening game triumph over the Giants.
 On the Skids
 Since then, however, he has done little except for a one-day flareup in Pittsburg on May 25 when he pounded out three circuit clouts. Bothered by a kne injury suffered in Cincinnati, he hasn't played since Memorial Day at Philadel- phia.
 With Ruth in a slump, the Braves failed to reap the increased box office receipts hoped for and to-day the clubs finances are prob ably as muddled as when the league came to it's assistance last winter. That Fuchs, with several large notes to pay, was in an inse- cure position was indicated by his announced willingness to sell out to any satisfactory interest better l.f -k. 11111