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Show FRANK K. BAKER TELEGRAM SPORT. EDITOR li'i Big Red Ruffing kept the baseball public agog last spring by holding out until long after the major league season got under way, arguing that his value as a pinch hitter was worth a thousand dollars to the world champion cham-pion New York Yankees. Finally, a matter of $500 trifling compared to the $14,000 or $15,000 the much debated contract involved separated Ruffing Ruf-fing and the Yankees before they finally got together. As pitcher, Ruffing has done remarkably well despite his late start, twirling the Yankees to twenty victories against only seven defeats. de-feats. As a s'ticker, however, Big Red hasn't done so well. The .300 plus batter of last year is down in Lefty Gomez' class now. Gomez, regarded as one of the worst batting pitchers in the league, got 21 hits in 105 times at bat for an even .200 percentage. Two of the blows were doubles. Ruffing got only 26 hits in 129 times at bat and is barely above Lefty in the percentage table with .202. Utahns, particularly interested in how Tony Lazzerl stacks up at this advanced "age in the years, will be glad to know that Joe McCarthy, Yankee pilot, figure that Tony's hand injury this year was a blessing in disguise. McCarthy puti it this way: "Tony's broken hand was a great break for us. We didn't need his seasoning, experience experi-ence and greatness under fire out there in the middle of the campaign. His hand Injury kept him en the bench and rested those legs Tony needs so badly around the keystone sack. He's back now playing as well at ever. In fact, that rest is just what he needed." If there's one man in baseball the public must admire, it is Carl Hubbell, the famous "meal ticket" of the Giants. There's no Dizzy Dean in his makeup. No habit of making mak-ing disparaging remarks about the opposition as young Cliff Melton made in recent 'days about the Yankees being be-ing a club of brawn and not brain players. In their final workout in Yankee stadium before the series started, Hubbell talked to the press as follows: "This (Yankee stadium) is a pretty good nark for players. . .only trouble is that right field bleachers... and, of ccfurse (ironically) the Yanks haven't got anybody any-body who can hit one in there. . .Yep, I'm just as good now as I was last year. . .on the days when I have my stuff. . .But I noticed this year there were more days when I didn't have a thing than ever before. . .If I don't have my stuff, they'll beat my brains out ... if I have, I may go. pretty good . .." No wonder he's so popular with both friend and foe! The latest rumor now is that Tony Laxxeri will go to Oakland as manager next year. . . . Charley Koesis, Michigan's Mich-igan's ace golfer, was so homesick in Los Angeles that he bought a railroad ticket and was going to forfeit in the third round of the western amateur. . . . But he stuck it out and finished second. . , . Max Burnell, a Notre Dame halfback, waa born en a steamboat in the middle of Lake Michigan. |