The Washington times., 1936-03-05
Ball Film
Finished
Effort
By KIRK MILLER
Times Sports Editor


ing given the opportunity Of
seeing at the local school audi
forums, a splendid baseball
sound picture being made avail
able gratis to them by the
American League.
I advise particularly every
boy in the vicinity of the Ma
tion's Capital who plays tn g
game, hopes to play it or who
merely is interested in the finer
phases of the sport, or the styles
Of the great personalities who
dominate it, to take in this ex.
cellent hour of entertainment and
instruction.
Stars Pass In Review
There is hardly an outstanding
American League star who did
not participate in the making of
"Take Me Out To The Ball
Came" as the picture is titled.
It was conceived, written and di'
rected by Umpire George Morarty
who spends his winters touring
with sound film and writing and
lecturing on baseball.
The plays are shown in normal
cadence as well as in slow mo-
ton, and each "actor" precedeS
his demonstration, whether it be
pitching, batting, catching or
fielding, with a discourse on the
essentials which make his work
effective.
Indeed, it is quite an experience
to observe this film and have
the pitching technique of such
star pitchers as Ted Lyons, OF
the White Sox; Wesley Ferrell
and Robert Grove, of the Red
Sox; Vernon Comes, Of the Yam
KEGS; and Schoolboy Rowe and
Tommy Bridges. Of the Cham.
pionship Detroit Tigers, described
In both word and action.
When you've seen that array
Of hurlerS all at one sitting, you
have indeed inspected the very
best that the American League
has TO offer at the moment.
Other Side of Question
Immediately the movements Of
these hurlers have been regis
tered, the other side of the pitch
ing problem is revealed when the
outstanding batters of the circuit
are introduced to show how they
undo the cunning of the mound
artists.
For instance, our own Buddy
Myer gets up to that plate and
does some bat waggling that dem
onstrates the good form which en-
abled him to win the American
League championship last season.
Buddy'S arm and body motion is
shown in the slowed down phase
to be Synchronization itself. The
crack of the ball meeting the bat
Is plainly heard and you see that
old pill straighten out like a string
and go soaring into the far reaches
Of the diamond.
Much is to be learned of the
batting stance of Myer and his
hard hitting brethren. Jimmy
Foxx, the slugging former Athletic,
devoteS several thousand feet OF
film to the general subject of hit
ting, as do Hank Greenberg, Of the
Tigers: Goose Goslin, of the same
club; Lou Gehrig, of the Yankees,
and his teammate, Ben Chapman;
Joe Vosmik, of Cleveland, and
Julius Solters, of the Browns.
HOrnsby Obliges
Especially fascinating is that
part of the film in which Rogers
Hornsby, one of the best hitters
either league has ever known, reg
isters his famous stance at the
plate. He stand back there in the
outside corner Of the batter's box
from which he steps into the ball
as it comes sailing up to the plate
to take it for a ride.
Rogers position in the bats
mans box has long been peculiar
to him, but he is instructing
young Julius Salters in the same
posture with the hope that it will
enable him, as it did HornSby for
years, to hit to all fields.
Particular emphasis has been
laid on the general subject of out
fielding in Moriarty's newest film
he having accomplished the here
tofore impossible feat of photo
graphing a running catch in the
deep reaches of the diamond.
Fielding Deep Flies
Such outstanding fly hawks as
10 10 White, Sammy West, Roy
johnson, Mel Almado and George
Selkirk are seen going far back
for flies with their backs to the
ball, later to turn and pluck ii
out of the air.
Mickey Cochrane and Bill
Dickey reveal the best there is in
the business of all around catch
ing, Cochrane's conception oi
guarding the plate is especially
Impressive.
Any youngster not being thor
oughly familiar with a very flint
point in baseball, tagging the run
ner going into the plate. can tak'
lessons in this film from the great
est infielders in the league today
Again I advise the boys anC
girls of Washington, as well al
the baseball addicts among the
grownups to avail themselves O.
an opportunity to see this film a
your nearest junior high or higl
school.