Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-08
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV By FRANCIS STANN
Ruth Had 1t in September

DUKE SNYDER, A NICE guy and top-fght ball player,
sounded sincere when he said he hoped Babe Ru
of go home would be broken anyone does
hit than &c. naturally would like it to be me- But
I'd hate to that record co. Brookyn fine oueder said
Well, right both snider and the sensational Ernie
Banks Negro shostop of the Cubs running ahead of
Ruth's pace of 1927. This however is unique situation
Many in the past including Kuszewsk Kiner Greenberg
Mathews Hack Wilson Gehrg matched or bettered
Ruth at this stage OF the us
But the gimnick is that in September 1927, the Babe
hit II homes six in the first week. regardless whether
the ball is veer the home plates moved closer to the
fences that is quite trck-17 homers in month
AN oDDITY IN CONNECTION with Ruth's record year
Is that fans wondering not the Babe could hit
many as co. but whether he could beat out his teammate
Lou Gehrg for the home title late as September
5, they were tied at A apiece.
Gehrig who had hit only 16 homers in the previous
season. was red hot from the start in 1927 and
Ruth A for LOU during the first week of the final
1t was on September that Ruth lost his rival While
Gehrig was hitting homer in doube-header against
the Red sox in Boston, the Babe three The next day
he hit two more. In short Ruth September hit as
many homers as Gehrg hit the rest of the year.
Going into the final series of the season. agaist WASH
ington at Yankee Stadium Ruth had ST homers con-
nected for two in the first game Against Tom Zachary
IN the second game he made it the historic so.
THE TENDENCY OVER the years sometimes has been
to reason that Ruths so homers Gehgs Al heraded
the of the rabbit baseball records reute the theory
That was no wid-hittng year-l927 The home run
specialist another Yankee Tony and he had only
49, Only five other American Leagues hit 10 or more and
two who didn't Cobb and George Ser ho settod
for five homers each
Gehrig was perhaps the uckess great hitter in
history "hen you consider that he drove home 1891 runs
in his tine with Ruth batting ahead of and Outlines
clearing the bases get idea the devastating
power Lou packed Yet he led majors in home runs
All OF which brings up the Lyn Larry incident which
nappend right here at Griffith Stadium Easter Sunday
IN 1881 Larry fancy fielding shorsop who later was to
come to the Senators in the deal that sent Joe Cronn to
Boston was on first base with two out when Gehrig came
to bat \ ~
JOE MCCARTHY, MANAGING the Yankees for the first
time that year. coaching third when Lou coued
long, high drive cenereld Larry took off because there
were two out and anyhow figured the ball headed
for the bleachers, at it
Passing second base and his way third Larry saw
out OF the corner of his that Harry Rice who playing
centered that day for Washington the ball in his glove
What had happened that the ball bounced of
the bleachers and Rice caught it on the fly.
So Larry crossed third base and, instead of continuing
home troed to the Yankee dugou past the startled Nc
Carthy Gehrg who because of better vantage point
knew the ball had into the stands numbered around
the bases and of passed Larry by then was
having drink of the dugout fountain Since two were
out the inning technically Lou touched third
and all he got was triple
1T WAS WHAT THE stage people call boo-boo and
for period the newspaper folks made Joke of it, But
months later when the homers added up Gehrig had
Al homers did Ruth And in the National League the big
gun Chuck Klein, with Al.
Thus Gehrig lost home 10 that would have
been No 48, than Ruth hit.
Larry quite got his boner. When he to
Washington in the Cronin deaLyn plus $2500o0 Cronn
he reflected often the play. Just at the wrong
lifted my head while running and Rice with the ball
in his glove assumed he'd made the catchn Washngton
big park they made all sorts of catchesand headed for
the dugout.
II douby sorry that winter when discovered it
had cost Gehrig the home championship He should
have several"
Incidentally that marked McCarhys final appearance
the coaching line. He stayed around long time and
many championships but he managed from third
base any more.