The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-25

It lTItS
He probably would have run his
pressing during the closing weeks Of
without getting foul tip. He was
so frightened up he couldn't hit the
ball when White Sox pitcher
CTietze. I believe it wasl put fat
one through the middle. after
telling him about it in advance. He
was trying too hard, the usually
malady of the inexperienced.
Even so Mr.. Greenberg had a
very large season, was unquestion-
ably the handspring of the Tigers
attack and is richly deserving of
recognition as the player of the
year. He is probably the hardest
and longest hitter in baseball today.
He tears into a pitch with all the
fury an dviolence of tn cold Ruth.
His best years are ahead of him.
He'll find the pitching easier to
solve as he goes along, will develop
added poise and confidence. and will
become more and more formidable.
FriSch Still Head Man
If any batter is to equal the
Ruthian exploit it probably will be
Mr.. Greenberg, despite the fact he,
like Foxx, is a right-handed hitter,
mad as such is somewhat handl-
capped. Most of his blows go tc
left field. The average length of
the American League left fields is
$40 feet, as opposed to 329 for the
right fields--normal targets of the
left handed hitters.
Over a seasons play this aver
age difference of IL feet can cost
a right-handed slugger many a
mournful moment, not to mention
a scattering of home runs.
My immediate reaction to the
Frisch reward is that it was a long
time coming. He has been some
thing of a baseball olympian for a
number of years. Everybody knows
how he stepped off the Fordham
campus in 1919 to become regular
under John McGraw; he was a
major Lacquer from the instant he
Joined the Giants and now after II
fierce, blistering campaigns, he is
still one OF the head men of the
sport.
McGraw Admits Mistake
Mr.. Frisch probably would still
be with the iantS-managing them,
no doubt-if McGraw had had a
more even temperament. The Ford
ham Flash was the old mans prize
pupil. He had him in mind as
his successor. He was eager, ag-
eressive, combative. But there was
a clash and the old man traded
Mr.. Frisch to the Cardinals for
Rogers Hornsby.
This trade marked the beginning
of the diSintegration of the Giants
-McGraw's iants, who were always
ready for a fight or frolic. They
began to lose color, spirit and fire.
A few years later the collapse was
complete. With the team in last
place McGraw, Ill, weary, tired of
1t all, threw up the job and walked
off the field never to return. When
he traded Mr.. Frisch to the Card
inals he traded the heart of his
ball club and before he died he
admitted it,
But If Mr.. Frisch did not get to
round out his career with a team
in his home town he at least got
to start it with one. What is said
about the prophet and the re-
luctance of the citiZenry to accord
him modicum of honor is also
applicable to home grown ivory.
For some reason few of them get
a chance to break in with their
home teams. Mr.. Frisch was an
exception. AS was Mr.. Lou Gehrig
of the Yankees.
Gehrig Goes On and On
Mr.. Greenberg, on the other
hand, though born in the combined
shadows of the Yankee Stadium
and the Polo Grounds, had to go
Detroit to sell his exceptional gifts.
Just to keep the records straight,
the Yankees did negotiate with
him, but the Tigers booking agent
had more eloquent and convinc-
ing line. Also he was there first.
Besides which Mr.. Greenberg
probably would still be with New
ark in the International League if
he had decided in favor of the
Yankees. No matter how magnifi-
Gently he might have performed in
the minors the management would
not have been tempted to bring
him in to replace such an estab-
lished institution as Gehrig.
Is this his fifth or sixth century
at first for the Yankees.