Evening star., 1957-12-25
WIN, LOSE OR
tDRAW 5, FRANCIS s1Auu
Bobe Was q Pitcher, Too

IN MILWAUKEE,, come January 80. Lew Burdette Will
receive plaque. mainly because he became the frst
pitcher in 81 years to and three World Series
games-and the, first since Babe Ruth to turn in 60
consecutive scoreeSs innings.
Most everybody remembers Ruth a moon faced.
bare-chested who swished the biggest bat in the
history Of baseball Few seem TO remember that ne was
= great pitcher.
One of the pitching records he set still stands He
pitched and won the longest World Series game yet
played 2-l fourteennning affair the Dodgers in
1916. This his first appearance World Series
pitcher and he pitched scoreess ball after throwing
home to Hi Myers in the first inning.
He was a southpaw with good fast ball, curve and
control Babe came up to the Red Sox pitcher and
might have remained if Ed Barrow, then manager
Boston but later the brain Of the Yankee organiza
ton hadn't converted him into outhelder. Barrow
was businessman and fan. He knew that Pitcher
Ruth's sometimes swats meant box office.
Barrow also admitted that he liked to watch the big
boy belt ball out Of the park This he could try to do
SIX times week As pitcher Babe was restricted
IN THE 1918 SERIES it the Cubs versus the Red
Sox That was war year, of course. and travel was
dicu and attendance low But in the opener at Chicago
Ruth oupitched Big Jim Vaughn and took 10 victory
before than 10000 Since he previously had pitched
in World Series competition, Babe had stretch OF
% scoreless innings in that company.
Babe it to 20 scoreless innings-one more than
Chrisy Mathewson-when he registered 30 victory in
the fourth game
Even in those days, when Babe was merely a very
fine pitcher and not Mr. Baseball, the big guy did 1t the
hard way. He wasn't in shape for that 81 triumph.
On the train from Chicago he got into Pullman
scufffe with a hird-string pitcher and scraped the
knuckes Of his left hand against the steel wall Of the
car. Overnight his middle finger was swollen TO twice
normal But with this handicap Ruth pitched
Shutout ball until the eight hinnng when his fabulous
streak was ended with the Cubs scoring two runs.
MANAGER RApROw AZ this noint made a move that
today might ncongruous He relieved Ruth, placed
him In left field and called Bullet Joe Bush TO do the
pitching Squeakly, Bush prevailed and ended the
World Series
That Ruth was great pitcher be verified by the
records It's only that he later such prodigious
slugger that his pitching talents unremembered
He was only kid when he was pitching those great
World gseries games AS he grew oldef-and he played
until he was past 40-BAbe reached the top and started
dowHhiI, as do all mortais
He was 50 when he smacked those record so homers
in 1927 When he felt like IT, and when he was at his
peak, he was very surehanded and agile outheder.
His arm was strong and accurate Babe smart and
he stole bases with neat slides
-.'f, N&EE
AS HE GREW OLDER and as his bay window increased
Ruth no longer the agile ouder He rarely, II ever
threw TO wrong base. but his wasn't terrifying
to runners.
Once In a while he would play first base and usually
he was so dextrous for large person that he drew
admiration Perhaps, because he already had been a
great pitcher and sugger outhelder Babe put out
q little more effort in the inheld.
He little graceful. He all that could
be asked for in first baseman who hit only 20
But don't forget that he VI first pitcher. And a
very very gaod one.
SO is Lew Burdette.