Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-23
THE BASEBALL
BEAT
No Easy Task Beating the Babe
BY BURTON HAWKINS

reminded it had been Is years since John Dnger had
been killed by FBI agents Women had dipped dainty
handkerchefS into his spilled blood for souvenirs
there momentary shudder at the thought that per-
hapS these gay mementoS being displayed at cock
tail parties in an effort to stir conversation.
than 1000 filed through the morgue to gaze at the
gone gunman The morbidly curious Clipped the granite
headStone at his grave in indianapolis for keepsakes
faulty memory attempted to recall other prominent
figures of that who attained distinction with less vo
lent methods celebrities who occupied sports
while Dnger dominated the news section by refusing to
remain ncarcerated.
The one-track mind ickered back to Lou Gehrig Mel
Off, Dizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Carl Hubbel and Jimmy
Fox
There violence with a bat in the hands of FoXx.
They called him the beast In DetrotS clubhouse Jimmy
Dykes, longtime teammate recalled something of the
muscular slugger.
"HE COULD HIT BALL as far as anybody before or
snce Dykes said when you hit the roof in left
center at Comskey Park you've proved the point and
that's what Foxx did.
"Foxx had real good shot at Ruths record in 1882"
Jimmy said II think he could have hit more than so
homers if he had been willing to swing We used to give
him hell for allowing pitches to by that only
inch two off the plate He got SO hoers that year with
the Athletics and he could have hit
Sure. the pressure got him. Dykes continued There
wasn't any pressure Ruth Babe there first with his
co. but every distance hitter since who has had crack at
that record, has felt the They read
papers.
There's thing htters today have going for them
that Foxx didn't have in his favor Dykes sad reaching
for baseball Here, feel this thing. Hard rock isn't
it? Try to twist the Impossible Try to find soft
spot Impossible In those days could twist that cover
and we could find soft spot with our thumb
SURE THE BALL is LIVELIER now" Dykes con-
nued Il feel for those out there the mound
They're in jeopardy of their lives every time they throw
ball. When strong guy like Harmon Kilebrew connects
solid and drives ball back through the box it rghtens
1.-The ball leaps out of ball parks now The smallest
every club is threat to hit homer Look at Ron
Sanford with the Senators He's a lightweight, but he's
won couple of games for Washington with homers.
Il don't recall how many walks Foxx got in 1882 but
it was 14O to 4 somewhere in there They weren't giving
him chance to do any damage lot of those occasions
But there times too when Jimmy should have been
swinging.
"The only way to beat these muscle guys keep the
ball low the try to make them hit it into the ground
If pitcher makes the mistake getting the ball up he's
liable to be killed Even when they hit the ball on the
ground the nfelderS have rugged time The bali gets
them quicker than it used to-"
HANK GREENBERG WHO like Foxx came within
two homers of tying Ruts record in 1885, often has said
the Babes mark will be broken unless contender
comes into September with sizeabe bulge Ruth's
pace And he points out that isn't altogether the IT.
homer pace that Ruth set in September.
Greenberg cites couple of other factors functioning
against those advancing RuthS The frightening
shadows operate against hterS Them there's the annual
influx of young pitchers from the minors be tested by
major league teams.
Those young pitchers understandable nervous and
the menacng figure of highly pubicized big bruser
ing lumber at him isn't calculated to calm. There's wild
But there's control Greenberg points that
the unfamiliar to the hitters that there's
little opportunity to gauge their speed to their as
Sortment of pitches.
Killebrew currently running slightly ahead of Ruhs
pace is the latest in parade of puverzers create the
he he aSSed Rut he1l
be forced gather homerS in clusters between now and
September before Dykes and Greenberg among Others
will begin to cut swatcheS from his sweashrt for SOU
venirS.
Francis Siam is Uacation. His column ,uiH be
resumed on August 81