Evening star., 1938-09-17
FR|CK FINDS NONE
HECANPUT TO USE
Autographs and Air-CooIed
Hotels Among Causes
Cited for Epidemic.
BY PAUL NICHOLSON,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

Associated Press Sports Writer.
NEW YORK. Sept. l7.-Even at
this crucial time when he and his
staff worry about World Series ar
rangements and those terrible Yam.
KEGS, President Ford Christopher
Frick's fancy National League head
quarters has become a haven for
healers. quacks and snake oil gents
who believe they possess the cure-all
for the current sore-arm epidemic in
baseball.
Letters Of advice are pouring in
from the rock-bound coasts to the
sun-kissed shores. Every person seems
to have a different idea as to cause
and cure. Occasionally. whenever
Bouncer William Ezekiel Brandt isn't
on guard. q fast-talking snake oil
peddler will barge into Mr.. Frick's
private ONCE and proclaim: Here, sir,
is it. One bottle Of this oil and Mr..
Carl Hubbell will be back defending
the honor Of the National League.
Now look"
Fortunately, Mr.. Prick, who really
started all this discussion about sore
arms, is very. very fast on the draw.
His stock reply is: mo thank you.
II you've got some snake oil in your
grtpsack that I can use on q couple
OF our ball clubs. I'm In the market.
I've got World Series reservations in
four different cities already and don't
know where to turn
Frick BIames Fast Ball.
Mr.. Prick began the debate on the
cause and cure OF bum salary flippers
the day Hubbell was flown to a Mem
phis hospital to get kink removed
from his pitching arm. He blamed
the fast ball for everything. Not
only is 1t too lively" pronounced Mr..
Frick, but the umpires and players
are too particular As soon as a ball
gets little bump or a speck on it,
a new, shiny one is tossed in. Pitchers
are forced to throw new, slick ball
every sixth pitch They can't get
good grip on 1t. so they have to
snap it and their arms at the same
time. Something must be done"
Evidently. the whole Nation took
Mr.. Frick's statement as a challenge.
Instead of writing or visiting their
Congressmen, they centered their at
tention and ideas on F. C. Frick. To
date. he hasn't heard Of any likely
cures, but his office is swamped with
reasons for the epidemic. In addition
to his own, they are:
Air-conditioning. Many fans, in
cluding the bah players, blame it on
artif1cially cooled hotels, railroad cars
and night clubs. They contend. the
Hubbells. Groves, Deans and Rowes
have their arms fried in the afternoon
and frozen at night.
Some Blame Autographs.
Tie 90-pitch theory. One shrevd
observer has it all figured out that
each pitcher has 80 throws in his
system for one game-no more. After
he tosses 90 balls his arm isn't anv
stronger than the Phillies.
Autographs. Actually. some pitch
ers have claimed the autograph
hounds are the cause of the trouble
Its tougher making good with a
mob of autograph hounds than pitch
ing winning ball-and twice as hard
on the arm complains one very good
pitcher.
Al Schacht, baseballs clown prince,
and Moe Berg, the games most cele-
orated gourmand, claim much OF the
trouble is due at the wrong plate.
Too many Of our pitching hearties
strain their arms lifting such tre-
mendous loads across the dinner plate
with a fork" said AL. Then the
law forbidding slot machines hurt.
I've seen pitchers develop great
muscles in their arms pulling those
slot machine cranks. If I were a
manager that would be the first train
Ing stunt-get the boys to work those
machines for hours at stretch. They
sure develop muscle"
Right now. the big league nabobs
have their glimmers fastened on Paul
Dean. If Paul can come back with
the st. Louis Cardinals the nabobs
may decide the real cause of the
sore arm epidemic is in the head.
Paul's case is typical of the general
run OF cases, and If Paul can make
good again. you'll see all the sore
arm sufferers. except the real ones.
like Hubbell, jumping out Of the woods
and coming back strong.