Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-01
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW }, FRANCE, STAINS.
NOTHING If Not Rnbbit

THE HOME RUN is COMING pretty cheap these days,
it would appear That Memorial Day hinge was real beaut
and some OF the boys were still carrying these lines
are written.
d They put SO of out Of the parks on Memorial Day
In doubleheader aone-Mwaukee Braves versus the
Chicago cubshey hit 49, This the League
mark OF 10, which is how many home the Cleveland
Indians and Chicago White blasted the same afternoon
The Braves were s muscle conscious yesterday when
they hit five more against the Cubs in single game The
Cincinnati Reds shut out by the ST. Louis Cardinals
until the ninth inning When they got board it
via hsmers Gus Bell Ted Kuszewsh and Frank Robinson
hitting EN- on successive pitches
1t was interesting to note that the Senator's errors
played up in yesterdays go defeat by the Only
in stride was it recorded that three homers figured
scoring.
PERHAPS THE BIG NEWS was negative. Mickey Mantle
didn't homer. Mr. Muscles went for the collar and ne
hardly does that any 1t is becoming arAre day when
somebody isn't measuring the distance Of Mckeys
clouts
Harmon Killebrew was sent up as pinch-hitter He
struck out When he isn't striking out he is hitting
runs So far this the Idaho has made three hits
all for the circuit. See how easy it is?
1t took the Incompatible Ruth the entire season of 1927
to hit 80 home In of hours the present-day
hitters slammed SO May &c. There single cne with
perhaps the exception Of Mantle who belongs with
as long ball hitter.
Now the question what again?) are the bali manu-
facturers putting rabbit product? This COMES up
from time to time Nobody answers satisfactorily The
pitchers say yes the hitters
IN WASHINGTON, OF COURSE, the fences were moved
closer to home plate The high irony that the day
opening day-the shortened walls display Mantle
teed on twice and homered completely the park
Nobody did hatwo afternoon far and beyond
the outermost reaches OF the original centered barrier
In Florida couple Of months ago Ted Williams elo-
quenty disagreed with reporter who vouched that he
could still hit as well ever
You must be losing your mind" Ted said AT my age
you can't be good when you young But I'll say
one hingthe ball today travels pretty fast when it's hit
10 1onf f,k;lo
whether the ball has been souped up It's been going on
Tor half century In 191 for instance third baseman
from Irappe Nd named John Franklin Baker hit nine
nome runs staggering the baseball world On the strength
OF this record he ceased be John Franklin Baker
he was foreyermore Home Run Baker"
WHEN THIRD BAsEMAN BAKER of the Philadelphia
Atnetcs followed up by hitting TO- IL and home runs in
the succeeding years-l912 and 9l4his place in the
sun was secure also touched of what might have been
one OF the earliest rhubarbs concerning lively" ball.
George Reach son Of the famed old AL of the bail manu-
featuring business let the ou.of the bag when he dis
closed that in 1910 the firm the World Series players
guinea pigs This the year the Chicago Cubs heavily
favored, lost to the Athletics
Those good Chicago pitchers couldn't get the AS out
Philadelphia, young, team IS runs in the
fve games and batted 3l6 as a team Baker and Eddie
Collins, rookie then, hit better than AGO.
I'VE had been experimenting with new cork -centered
ball. Reach explained long afterward "A layer of CORFU
gated rubber put the cork and with the
OF the old National Commission decided to try out in
e lSiu world series Only few were in the secret
THE NOTED BASEBALL HISTORIAN Fred Lieb supplies
the information that the baseball acted like an elixir
on the batting averages in 1911 It almost like the year
tney scored bases on balls hits Leb relates "The
American League had IS httes who topped 800 y Cobb
had 42O and Joe Jackson 4S The averages in the National
League were lower schue Of the won with SS but
Spokesman George Reach vague in his explanation
! as the so-called authorities today"
I still don't understand why averages were so much
higher that year in the American than in the National he
said The two leagues used the same ball made IN the
same factory In Philadelphia They were as alike As meas
IN poo until one was stamped National League Ba and
the other American League Ball."
- Mantle, seems like, has his stamp Now it looks
IKE tne milwaukee Braves have ideas Of their own
DDnR ADlE nIr@I1Ea@