The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-12
BROWN BOMBER BOSS OF SOFT
 BALL COMBINE
Joe Louis Pays For Equip. ment and Plays For
 Detroit Friends
BY HARRY CRIMSON Shorts Editor, NEA Service


 stevensVille, Mich, Aug, l2.--Joe Louis has returned to the summer home of Julian Black at Stevens vile to get his mind back on beak busting.
 The heavyweight champion will do three weeks of light work be- fore moving on to pr. Joe Bier's fa- nous camp at pomptom Lakes, N. J., where he will sharpen and polish up for his first defense of the title In q i6-round engagement with Tommy Farr of Wales at Yankee Stadium, Aug. 20,
 Louis has been playing soft ball, or at least appearing with his neigh borhood team in Detroit, since he dropped Jim Braddock like c broken airplane in Chicago, June 22.
 Louis, just big kid, Is 0 softly for soft ball--would rather play it ct 10 cents than box Braddocks and schmelings ct S27.50 Q throw.
 Especially smelin's," he beams, although 1t is the Germans fault that he Is not meeting me this fall, ]"
 Louis prefers to watch baseball, particularly his pet Detroit Tigers, but the opportunity to get into games of soft ball appeals to him.
 He plays first base and goes to bat ct least once for his Joe Louis Dombers, after which he either coaches ct first base or directs the play from the bench,
 Louis .ias Just completed c three- day trip with his club, appearing in Cleveland, Toledo, and Cincinnati, The players made the trip in auto. mobiles, and the champion rode with them.
 The. Bombers drew capacity crowds everywhere.
 Louis Hasn't Forgotten
 This Is the third year that Louis has equipped the boys wiNh whom he was raised and for some of whom he formerly caught in school, Out fitting the team cost Louis ei200, and this particular hobby sets him back considerably E.ore than that annu- ally.
 But he's the same old Joe," says Thursten Mckinney, who started the Dark Angel fighting and who still Is his closest pal And the rev. erenee in which his ehums hold him Is reward enough for Smoky Joe,
 I'm not good enough to play with these fellows now" asserts Louis, "but my getting Into uniform helps them make 6 few dollars, take out nothing more than their travelling expenses,
 Another thing about this soft ball Is that it gives me something to think about besides fighting, which Is about ali 1 hear most Of the time"
 Most of the boys work in auto- mobile factories, but Joe helps those who haven't jobs," explains Mekih- hey. :.
 Louis now Is not an accomplished soft ball inhelder and he throws with 6 jerky three-quarter move He is q switch hitter, but usually hits from the right side Of the plate, and Is not 6 bad hitter.
 No Set Plan for Farr Fight
 Naturally, Louis never has seen Far, and declares that he has no one set plan for fighting the British Empires head man,
 He would battle Max schmeling differently in 6 second edition, how. ever
 "smelin' fought me sideways," re. poats Louis, which is his way Of de- Bcribing the crouch to the right which the Black uhlan employed se Successfully.
 Next time I'll straighten him up with left uppereuts," ,,
 Louis wishes to forever dbpel all doubt about bein gFeady for hls scrap with Behmeling,
 My marriage didn't soften me n the ring, as some claimed" explains the Alabama. born Negro. "f made other fights after being married,
 "The heat at Lakewood, N. J. where 1 trained for snielin', might have taken something out Of me, put 1 was good enough, 1 just got hit and licked, that's all,"
 Louis Is eager to get the Far show out Of the way, 50 that he can fe' turn and finish the campaign with his soft ball squad,
 Property acquired in Chicago real. ly demands his presence there, put Louis will continue to make hil home in Detroit during the soft ball season,
 Smoky Joe hasn't forgotten the old crowd. He's the kind Of Q bloke who gets 6 real bang out Of singing That old Gang Of Mine"