Evening star., 1939-03-24
Elbow Incisions
10 Steady
Vet Hur|ers
Carl Seems to Have
Benefited More by
Operation Than Hal
BY GAYLE TALBOT.


BATON ROUGE, March 24.-Not
In my experience as a combination
consulting surgeon and sports writer
down here this spring have run
into a couple OF finer scars than
those being exhibited by Carl Hub
bell and Hal Schumacher of the
New York Giants.
OF course, it's a rare pitcher now
adays who doesn't like to sit and tell
you about his operation, and base
ball expert who can't appreciate
truly fine incision when he sees one
might just as well stay home. The
club with the best elbow surgeon
practically always wins the pennant.
So, when I say that Hubbell and
Schumacher got a couple of mighty
fine Jobs done on them, it's not as
though I were speaking from
hearsay.
p In some respects. Hubbell's opera
ton was the most spectacular of
them all. At least, his surgeon made
much the longest incision I've seem
fully 8 inches-and removed a hat
ful OF spurs, whereas some of the
convalescentS who talk loudeSt of
their experiences on the table didn't
boast more than one or two spurs
to begin with.
Hubbell Not Optimistic.
AS BELTS one of baseball's truly
great pitchers, Hubbell was modest
about the epic proportions of his
operation as he. Schumacher and
sat and swapped our experiences
under the knife. Each of them just
had given his healing flipper
three-inning trial against the Phila-
delphia Athletics, and Carl was not
too sure how 1t had gone.
MY operation was different from
Halls" said Hubbell. He opened my
elbow up down the outside, as you
can see, and then scraped clear
around to the sides of my arm, get
ting out those pieces of bone that
caused me terrific pain last season.
Nov, Halls operation was more
like Johnny Aliens. from what I've
heard of Aliens. It was on the in
side, see, and didn't require but
about a 2-inch incision.'
Carl Awaits Real Test.
Though hated to change the SUBJ
ject, I finally had to ask both of
them u they thought their opera
tions had cured their salary arms.
This is fairly important in a base
ball way, because if Hub and Hal
can come back and pitch like they
once did the Giants will be a real
factor in the coming National League
race. Otherwise you can forget
about them.
ITS a hard question to answer" p
said Hubbell. Il felt pretty good out
there today, but of course I wasn't
cutting loose and really bearing
down. Yeh, I even threw three or
four screwballs, but I wasn't snap
ping 'em of the way have to dur
ing the season when the batters have
caught up with us.
I'll say this much: It's silly to
think that you can cut open any,
bodys arm and scrape around and
take out a lot of stuff and still have
as good an arm as 1t ever was. It
doesn't make sense. I'll be happv
If can get back in there regularly,
but I'm not counting on 1t until I
try bearing down for the first time"
Schumacher Not Certain.
Hub, fortunately, doesn't have to
brood about it. He's been making
big money for long time and
doubtless is comfortably fixed if he
doesn't throw another screwball,
He's IN business now in Fort Worth.
But it probably is different with the
younger Schumacher. They tell me
he needs the work. Also. he knows
he must regain all of. his former
speed If he is to be effective, be-
cause he's that kind of pitcher,
whereas the canny Hubbell might
win lot Of games with only part
Of his former equipment.
II felt great today" said Schu-
macher. mot bit of pain. 1t was
all I could do to keep from cutting
loose with my fast one"
Frankly, it hadn't looked that
way. The boys who have watched
prince" Hal burn them over for
the last seven years shook their
heads and said they thought he had
lost his speed for good. It was a
splendid operation, but.