Show Intentional fd Ruth Is ils Hurting Baseball Fans Incensed at Overuse of called So-called Stra Stra- Play in Major Leagues es Can an baseball strategy be overplayed over over- played ed I 1 i have ave In mind the tho use of ot theP the I Intentional pass ss as a a. defensive move P For years the A Intentional pass passA passin passin i in baseball has been one of ot the most unsatisfactory tory plays from E. E the tho viewpoint o othe of tho the fan Sin Since c e pays pars the tho thol way it seems some ef effort of- of fort should be made to curtail its ilS all too frequent frequent frequent fre fre- quent use Many suggestions have been offered but apparently none has been deemed worthy of a trial Last fall the gift safety became as unpopular In football as the Intentional in intentional intentional In- In pass in baseball The wise men who make the football rules Immediately devised a a. penalty that will correct the safety evil The rule makers In baseball appear appear ap ap- ap- ap pear to be entirely too ton conserva conserva- tive Babe Ruth baseballs baseball's greatest at attraction attraction at at- traction is the player who is the chief target for th the games game's called so-called strategy the Intentional pass 1 The winning of the tho game Is of course the tho big thing Any move that will keep the opposition at bay bayis is regarded as good baseball regardless re regardless re- re of how it appeals to the fans Practically every American league i I I manager works on the theory that If It you stop Ruth you erase the Yankees' Yankees greatest threat you keep the game I buster out of the picture There is no easier way to remove the Ruth Huth menace than to order the pitcher to pass him However such a method of ot disposing disposing disposing dis dis- dis- dis posing of Ruth doesn't give the supporters of the game a run for their money since they get few tew If It any opportunities to see Ruth In his favorite specialty the making of home homo runs The Philadelphia Athletics Athletic have been very successful against the New York Americans this season Macks Mack's club has won six of the last seven games against the American league leaders I 1 I doubt if any club goes to the extreme the As A's do in curtailing efforts If doubt Ruths Ruth's batting in give him a base on balls bails is the set policy of the Mackian pitchers In a recent with the Athletics Athletics Athletics Ath Ath- RutH received nine bases basos on balls In the pinch when there thero was wasa a chance that one of his long drives would break up the ball game he was always purposely passed The Athletics won all three games gamos by the tho marin margin of one run so from the standpoint of winning baseball it was wisdom But what about the fans In several cases the Athletics In passing Ruth put the tying run on I first base Twice the winning run run was placed on first when Ruth was granted a base on balls Usually it Is not considered good baseball to do either of these things but Ruth and his big bis black bat batmale make male rival managers managers' forget About bout bast baseball precedent The Athletics are not alone In their methods of stopping Ruth by bythe bythe bythe the use of ot the intentional pass I make male comment on the tho play of or the because the tho Athletics stopped New York after the Yanks had won sixteen straight The dope was If It we stop Ruth then we have the Yanks stopped It so 80 worked out Re Recently I saw the manager of another club order Ruth passed on his first three trips to the plate despite the fact that people were in attendance and a majority of them came either to enthuse as Ruth hit a home run or razz him himas as he struck out or popped up On two occasions it w was s good baseball to pass him intentionally Runners were on the bases at the time and the game was close However I thought the other pass given him was going to the extreme With the Yankees three runs to the good Ruth Yas as the first man up in one of 0 the late innings of the game gae He was walked on four balls so wide of the plate it was ridiculous At that stage a home run by Ruth would have simply added one more run to the Yanks' Yanks margin and Ruth doesn't make a circuit drive every time he steps to the plate Naturally the fans shouted their disapproval but Bob next up made the managerial move look wise by hitting into a double play All clubs play Ruth alike few managers rr are willing to pitch to him in a pinch That is supposed to be good baseball But what about the fans |