The Washington times., 1937-04-28
Gotham Team
Set For FIaQ
Drive
BY FRANK BUCK" ONEILL


the Griffs, win the pennant with
out Charley Ruffing?
A dozen years ago, when the
future of Babe Ruth was placed in
the hands of New York city's most
eminent physicians, baseball fans
asked the same question. The
> Yankees won in 1885 without the
former home.run monarch, and
they probably will win this year
without the tawny-haired coal
miner.
No effort is made to discount
Rulings value to the Yankees.
He won 20 games last year. He
pitched Is complete games out Of
SO starts. If you study these fig
ures for a minute or two, the eX-
tent to which Ruffing relieved the
pitching staff of extra work will
manifest itself. There were 25
playing dayS-almost a month in
five and one half month season
in which no other pitcher had
to warm up, or accept extra as
signments.
Only two pitchers won more
games than Ruffing last season.
They were Tommy Bridges of the
Detroit Tigers, with % victories
to his credit, and Vernon Kennedy
of the White Sox, who won 81
games. Johnny Allen. currently
with the Cleveland Indians won
20 games for the Tribesmen. Yves
Terrell won 20 games for the Bos-
ton Red Sox.
Justify Skepticism
The figures establish Ruffing
among the elect of 1885. Certain
" those who question the ability
Of the Yankees to win without
him can justify their skepticism.
On the other hand, there are
figures available for those who con-
tend that the Yankees can win
with Ruffing on the side lines
providing that no truce Is ar
ranged before the team heads into
Chicago.
Let's look at the batting aver.
ages; the run-driven-in column,
and see just what the Yankees
meant to Charley Ruffing.
In the first place, the Yankees
as a team batted 300. and Ruffing
batted .291.
The Yankees batted in 995 runs,
of which Ruffing batted in % with
his 81 hits for 81 bases.
Count on HOag
Not including the pitcher, the
Yankees as they will take the field
when Joe Di Maggie returns to
action, drove in 1872 runs last year.
That is, eight out of the nine
Yankees drove in 1872 out OF the
995 runs produced by the club last
season. Myril Hoag is included
in these figures because members
of the Yankees tell me he is a
cinch to play most of She games
in the outfield, teamlng with Dl
Maggie and George Selkirk.
Hoag was injured last year and
drove in only "a runs. He is GER
tain to improve upon these figures
this season.
The waist of the Yankee order
poured a destructive rain of run
producing hits on American League
terrain last year. Five men of the
eight produced 100 or more runs.
To be exact, they produced 500
runs with hits that were good for
1920 bases. It is easy for pitcher
to win when he has men OF such
power behind him to smash the
fences.
Joe Di Maggie, the yearling SEN
sation of the American League,
drove in 5 runs with hits good
for 367 bases. Behind him was the
Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig, with 1872
runs and 403 bases. Bill Dickey,
with lot runs on hits that totaled
269 bases. George Selkirk, with
lot runs and 252 total bases. The
modest Roman of them all" old
Tony Lazzeri, pooShed them up
and knocked them down for 109
runs on hits good for 237 bases.
CrOsetti Best
And now we'll look at the head
of the order, where Frankie Gro
setti, the best Shortstop in the
American League, knocked in "a
runs with hits good for 276 bases
It will be noted that the Little
Dago" outhit the big Dago"
Chats Lazzeri) by 80 total bases
Red Rolfe, batting second. drove
in 10 runs and his hits were good
for 276 bases.
Excluding Hoag, who was in
jured, and the pitcher, the seven
Yankee regulars last year pro
duced hits good for 2,076 bases
The contention may be sup
ported, basing said contention
on the figures submitted. that
Ruffing got plenty Of worth
while support from the team
He produced up to the limit
but he wasn't playing any lone
hand.
It is the consensus among
baseball men that Rulings
method Of approach to his salary
problems with the Yankees-and
the Yankees have always paid
to the limit-places him on the
defensive. He established a pre-
cedent in demanding a bonus fol
pinch hitting. Rulings specially
is pitching, but he is signed as
q ball player. He is one Of the