The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-12-20
GAME FADEOUT
 OF RUTH HURTS
 FIRST SPONSOR
Babe Called Stepchild of Baseball By Father
 Herman
BY ROBERT LA BLONDE

United Press StOR Correspondent
 Detroit, Dec. 20-CUP)-The man who helped Babe Ruth get started in baseball regrets that the Bam- bino has become stepchild in his favorite sport and can find no employment in the game that made him famous.
 It was Brother Herman, of the Order of St. Francis, who first en- couraged Babe in baseball, later recommending him for a place in an organized professional league. Brother Herman, athletic director of St. Joseph's home for boys, first encountered Ruth in Baltimore.
 T first saw him when I was at St. Mary's Industrial Home for Boys," he said. "He seemed to be real tough guy when he came to the home. Some of the brothers thought we would never accom- plish much with him.
 Not Good Mixer
 "At first the Babe couldn't get along with the other 800 boys in the home. But that was because he was lonely and had nothing to in- terest him. Babe used to sit around and watch the other boys play"
 Brother Herman asked him one day if he would like to play base ball with one of the dormitory teams. The man who later became one of the greatest players of all time jumped at the offer.
 From that time on he changed completely" said Brother Herman, T guess he had thought he wasn' t wanted. Of course, didn't know he had any baseball ability. But he took his place on the dormitory team with all seriousness. At first he was shifted from one team to the other as a utility substitute.
 Eager for Advice
 "It wasn't long before he was spending most of his time in the playground practicing baseball. His highest ambition then was to get place on the first team. Every day he came to me asking for pointers on hitting and pitching. He was most interested in pitch ing"
 uth showed definite signs of long distance hitting even as a youth. Brother Herman said that one of the things that helped was the limitation of the playground. The only way to get a hit was to keep the ball on the ground or hit 1t over the fence, and since Ruth wasn't much good at grounders he started hitting them over the wall.
 "One day the first team got into tight spot and I called on Babe as a relief pitcher" Brother Her man continued. "He had a lot of speed and his southpaw delivery was tricky. He finished the game without allowing a hit. He soon developed into star pitcher"
 To Orioles at IS
 The ability of his young charge was called to the attention of the Baltimore Orioles by Brother Her man. Babe joined the club at the age of IS, and the rest is history
 Ruth never forgot St. Mary's home and the brothers. Even after he became the idol of baseball fans, he visited Brother Herman often. As tribute, the Bambino took the brothers name when he was confirmed in the Catholic faith as George Herman Ruth.
 Brother Herman, a member of his religious order for Al years, has spent most of his life demon- strating his faith in boys.
 You can do lot with a fellow if you treat him right" he said.
 "I've worked with thousands of boys in the past fl years, but the Babe is the finest of them all"
 The brothers eyes shine when Ruth's name is mentioned in cas- ual conversation. His regret is that baseball has not been able to find spot for the man who was the games biggest contribution.