Evening star., 1960-12-13
WIN, LOSE OR
UkAW 3, FRANCIS s1AAA
The Bio Records Will Survive

BOSTON, DEC. 13-Expansion from eight clubs to 10
In the American League for 1861 and for the National in
1852 seemingly invites fresh attack every baseball
record in the book This because the schedules
cessty, must be increased from 154 games to 1852
But the few baseball men who defed the East Coast
blizzard to attend omorrows drawing for purposes Of
stocking the Washington and Los Angeles franchises
not convinced that many, If any, of the important
records will be broken
Mathematically, Babe Ruth's mark of go homers set
in 1927 is fair prey. Ruths feat instantly comes to mind
because it probably is the best known If It, any others
are bettered Commissioner Ford Fck has indicated the
accomplishment will be set down separately aserisk
will identify it as "ls2-game record" eE
II doubt If the asteriSk will be widely used far the
major records concerned" General Manager Ed
Dohery of the Senators saying today True, long
ball hitter theoretically will play in eight more games-in
effect getting some "a or more times at bat-but Ruths
record has stood for 80 years. probably will take
than few more games to beat It,"
THE BABES MARK survived onsaughts by some
mighty clouterS few who came close. Jimmy Foxx in
1882 and Hank Greenberg in 1888 each hit So and
longer schedule conceivaby would have topped CO. In
the National League the threat not quite real.
Hack Wilson'S Sc in $780, Ralph Kiner's 54 in 40 and
Willie Mays 81 in 1855 came the closest.
Two factors make Ruth's feat appear out of reach
First how many hitters of the Wilson
stripe there around today? Secondly there inevitably
win be days and nights of absence 162game
schedule in these times of exhausting coast
travel and night ball
Even Ruth in '27 missed three games In view of the
statistics which reveal that Babe homeed every
times at bat Ruth probably would have picked up
four Dagger. In those days, too Babe wont to
remind the rghtfeld stands in St Louis protected
by a screen that later removed
II must have hit four five line shots off that
for two bases instead Of for home with screen"
Babe used to lament
WHEN MICKEY MANTLE hit 50 homers in 1855 he
became the first American Lacquer since Greenberg to
top the so mark Only three National Leaguers in the
And fhev,vo
had everything going for them a rabbity ball. an
alleged ban on the splitter, undistnguished pitching
The closest any American Lacquer came last season
Mantle with 40 followed by Teammate Roger Maris
with &c. The year before Harmon Kllebrew and Rocky
Coavto tied with AZ apiece For quite period Klebrew
ahead of the Babes 27 pace but Harmon tailed off,
Consistency is what the modern breed apparently
lacks Today's muscemen to be more injury prone
too They appear to far but further Ernie Banks
Of the Chicago Cubs for instance led the National League
last with Al homers 1t the fourth straight
year that Banks hit than 40 He ranged from Al to
Al, but never a serious Ruthian threat
1t will be argued that Ruth, ideally, played most of
his in Yankee Stadium with friendly barrier in
rightfield But it, the flies, soft touch
the Los Angeles Coliseum with its 250foot efeld screen?
IT WAS JOKE playground, nearly everybody agreed.
that surely would result in somebody Gil Hodges perhaps
hitting than go homers But 4-foot-high screen
turned out to be great equalizer Indeed the Dodgers
haven't had home leader since they left Brooklyn
And last season four other cubs-Mlwaukee Cincinnati
San Francisco and ST. Louis-hit homers than the
Dodgers. Yes the Giants, with that wind blowing
in the hitters' faces.
Plenty of records will set but they will fall under
the heading of trivia The so-caled modern marks that
really count the that schooboys can recite
are in no danger, 1t says here.
Who Is around today who will hit safely in Sc con-
secutive games Joe DMaggio did2 Or average 424
Rogers Hornsby? Or steal SO bases as did Ty Cobb2 O
win 511 games like Cy Young?
Or hit 300 better for % consecutive seasons like
Cobb from l9O6-1928 pitch 802 games in league
like Walter johnson, who 416 of them? Or strike
out 3497, also like Johnson?
Nobody is around, baseball feel who'll break any
of the really titanic records And won't be for some time
If ever.