Evening star., 1947-01-07
Two-Hour Operation
On Neck Appears 10
Have Been Success
By Murroy Rose
Assoeioied Press Sports Writer

By Murroy Rose
| Assoeioied Press Sports Writer
NEW YORK, Jan. always q
| tough man to beat in the clutch
Babe Ruth today appeared to have
licked temporarily an undiscloseo
ailment which necessitated a deli
fcate two-hour neck operation yes
terday.
At French Hospital, where the
operation was performed at IL am
yesterday by DR.. Hippolyte Vert
helm, with a number of other
doctors in attendance, the condition
of the Home Run King was described
as satisfactory"
That one word report, issued soon
after the operation, gladdened the
hearts of millions of the Babes ad-
mirers, and was used again and
again until the late hours Of the
night when the last bulletin was
given out.
At IL am. today Ruth's condition
was declared satisfactory by physi-
clans at French Hospital, although
he had spent an Uncomfortable
night. At that time he had tenn
perature of 99-less than half de-
gree above normal.
Condition Still Serious.
The condition of the Babe, who
transformed baseball from game
of "hold that run" to slugging bees
with his tremendous, crowd-pleasing,
home-run wallops, still was con-
sidered serious, however.
But even up to the time he was
wheeled into the surgery room for
the operation deemed necessary by
six specialists to relieve intractable
Uncomfortable neck pain, the Babe
was CHEEKY and maintained his
bluff ways.
Nurses who have attended Ruth
since he entered the hospital No
vember 26 said he had been good
patient" One said he was "a very
cheerful fellow" although he had
SuIIGT6O uluCil polii.
The only full bulletin announced
yesterday was a one-paragraph re-
port issued shortly after the opera
tion by Harry Kiely, director OF the
hospital, which said:
"Mr. Ruth was operated on at
French Hospital at II am. (EST)
today. One of the main arteries on
the left side of his neck was igated.
Postoperative condition satisfac-
tory"
Medical authorities explained Gig
ated" as meaning that it had been
necessary, to tie an artery with
ligament.
Telephone Calls Pour in.
Immediately after this announce
ment was made the hospitals
switchboard was deluged with tele-
phone calls, many of them from
distant places, for the Babes fans
are legion.
And they were all pulling for the
big guy with the spindly legs to beat
off another of the many ailments
that have beset him during his long
and illustrious career.
From the serious "stomachache"
of 1925 that drove world-shaking
news off the front pages of the Ma
tion's newspapers to his current ILL
ness, which the doctors still declined
to describe, the Babe always kidded
his visitors.
Back in the summer of 1914 the
Bambino was operated on for the
removal of knee cartilage.
"I've been in so many hospitals" :"
he chuckled at the time, that they
ought to make me doctor. Even
when I get a hangail, they say, Get
the big bum to a hospital.
Developed Slight Limp.
Thesknee operation left the Babe
with a slight limp, but he continued
playing golf and bowling. He had
to ease up on the links, however, as
SO holes a day used to mean moth
ing to him.
In golf, too, Ruth had the same
matchless grace that drew the "ahs
and "ohs" from the baseball fans,
no matter if he belted homer into
the distant stands or missed
curved ball by yard-although he
seldom missed them by that much
since he had keen eyes.
The record books are packed with
the records established by this ST.
year-old baseball great-he'n be So
in February-but those most re-
membered are his go homers for the
New York Yankees in 1927 and his
$4,000 annual salary in 1880 and
1881 and even in these inf1ationary
days the sum commands respect.
Although he was crack pitcher
with the Boston Red Sox-he still
holds the record of % consecutive
World Series scoreless innings which
he compiled in 1916 and 1918-it
was his slugging feats in 1920 which
were credited with taking the pub
lies mind from the BLACK Sox"
scandal.
Revitalized Diamond Game.
He revitalized the diamond game
and set the premium on homers.
From Ruth's time on, a new crop Of
batters came up with the sole pur-
pose of swinging from the heels and
driving the ball out of the park.
In his lengthy playing career the
Babe played in % major league CAM
paigns and 10 World Series and in
that time he poled out TIA four
baggers in regular season games and
Is more in baseball's classic. He
led the American League in homers
10 times and had lifetime regular
season batting average of .341. For
these feats, and countless others, he
was named to the Hall of Fame at
Cooperstown in 1886.
Kid Wolfe Is T.k.O.'d
Hyr,yr1hDv NJ TaO Y P-