The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-16
BY JACK GUENTHER United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press SCaTf COrrespOnuentl
 New York, June 16. = (UP) - Advocates of the early to bed, early to rise and avoid wine when it's red etcetera philosophies are shud- dering from the tips of their blue noses to the soles of their button shoes today. For up in Boston the boys are gathered around to swear Punch Bowl Paul Waner into the most exclusive fraternity in base- ball = the 3,0O0-F1it Club.
 At last count, the small, wiry and completely convivial outflelder who was born 3S years ago in an Oklahoma town with the throat clearing name of Harrah = and it's 8 fine an ant hill as you'd hope to see = had boosted his total num- Der to hits to 2,008. Barring rain (SSH), Punch Bowl Paul has an excellent chance of climbing over the hump this afternoon.
 Then, brothers. let the roundelays ring loud and ring long.
 Tn years past, when Ty Cobb, Ed Collins, Pop Anson, Nap Lajoie, Hans Wngner. and Iris Speaker crasher the golden circle. the bards celebrated the occasion by penning eulogies of their keen eyesight, rig orous devotion to duty and complete abstinance from the liquid fruit of the grain. Not so today, however, for Punch Bowl Paul just doesn't fit that pattern.
 Sees Pay-C Check
 For instance, he can't see keenly enough to read a billboard at 20 paces or recognize Brother Llyod and hour after twilight. The only figures he scans easily are those on his pay.check or behind foot lights. It is reported his eyes have been weak for 1T years. But he didn't realize it until he left Pitts burgh two seasons ago and got a glimpse of the sun.
 Too, while he is just fair on grounders, when it comes to Hawk ing highballs he has no equal. He developed his vaunted right arm with painstaking elbow bending ex- ercises. His fluid grace at the plate was evolved after an intensive study of swinging doors. Bio-chemists, the gents woh claim alcohol Is detrimental to the human body. gave him his nickname - Big Poi- son."
 Many legends have been produced during the years since Waner. just a l4O-pound youngster with drawl and an uncanny knack of hitting a ball, came to Pittsburgh from the west coast - tales of his golfing, Of his fishing and hunting and Of his extra -curricular recreation. The only one he ever has denied was the report that he had adopted a milk diet.
 There is the story of how once, while advancing from second on a hit and run play. he put down his head, dashed madly towards third and started his slide halfway down the base path. AS the cloud of dust began thinning Waner heard himself called out. He had missed third by 10 feet and slid instead into a bare spot in the outfield.
 Then there is the Epic yarn cons ceFning the phantom fly ball. Waner was playing in the out-fieid when he htaFd A sharpcrack and saw the ball head towards his position, He carefully followed its course right up into the grapdstand and lunged desperately only to find that tIl- stead of the ball he had been pur. suFing an exceptionally large motn'
 Truly Great
 There are other tales, too, but there is a limit to this space and there are more important matters to be listed, For Punch Bowl Paul is one of the truly great hltteFs Of history. He has a life time average of .33B, is the youngest man ever to collect 5000 hits and has reached his mark four years earlier than any of his predecessors,
 WaneF has kEocked more hts than Rogers HoFTlsby, has q higher percentage than Collins, driven il 800 more runs than Cobb and slapped out more singles. doubles and triples than Babe Ruth. Only tn home runs Is his record deficient, And that's because WaneF is ( tFifle on the small side t0 be q power hitter. Another important point he has struck out only 50Osedd times | If Paul doesn't get his two hib today, he will set them tomoFTcN s,r s1s. fs8AfaFNdnw WGF uaieNa Nf