Show R CE TT IT T WAS NOT until 1920 the year Babe Ruth came to the Yankees as an outfielder that fans real realized zed the dead qualities of the ball that had been used pre pre- That was the year Babe Ruth hit 54 horn homers e r s. s where such past r c champions ham pia n s as Frank Baker had been leading the league with less than 12 The ball had been getting y faster laster In 1919 But Babe would have Greenberg Greenber led the run home-run pack even with the deader ball as he always alwa's had the greatest combination of power timing timing timing tim tim- ing and smooth swinging known to I the game Jimmy Foxx reached the 58 mark markin in 1932 and Hank Greenberg climbed to the same 58 peak in 1938 Last season Greenberg demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated dem dem- he still had 44 home runs In 1 his tall system The ball used this season Is certainly not any dea deader er than It was in past years Judging from the loud salvo of four-base four hits the 1947 19 model is flying even farther I cant can't recall another season where as many home runs have been hit in the same number of games as the new campaign has shown so far One amazing example is Eddie Miller of Cincinnati a brilliant- brilliant fielding who never has been rated even close to the power department Miller now rarely misses an a afternoon without belting one out of or the inclosure When the season opened Ted Williams Williams Wil Wil- WilI I liams Iiams Greenberg and Johnny Mize were voted the trio most likely to succeed at the art of leading the tha run home-run department Kiner and I Joe DiMaggio were Included in this list also Keller York and But early indications are that 10 or I 12 outsiders have decided to enter the long-distance long tournament There have never been as many this early in the season able to move up with the big guns The man still to beat is Williams Ted has pleasant dreams of beating the 40 mark and possibly moving up into the 50 section But as the cheerful Mr Durante puts it it- it Everybody wants to get in the tha thea a act ct In the meanwhile the early spring war cry about breaking up the Cardinals has subsided for the time being The Cardinals remind you of a 3 to 5 shot in a horse race that gets away last But it is surprising the number of things that can happen before October A pennant race is no six six- furlong sprint e The Importance o of 0 Legs Legs' Except for polo players and Jockeys jockeys jockeys Jock jock- eys legs are rated as the most important important important im im- im- im factor in competitive sport Even polo players and jockeys need strong legs The trouble Is few athletes realize the importance of their underpinning underpinning underpinning underpin underpin- ning according to most of the trainers trainers trainers train train- ers VC we have talked to to and only a asman small percentage ever get their legs in shape The only exception is the golfer goller who has to walk talk from 5 to 10 miles milesa a day through each single and double round Greatest offenders ar are ballplayers and fighters You find few who are willing to get their legs in shape through the road roadwork roadwork roadwork work needed for tor this purpose Ty Cobb lasted for 24 seasons largely because he hunted a almost most every day between seasons usually moving at top walking speed The same is true of Babe Ruth who lived on his legs in the off season either cither in the hunting field or on some golf goll course And the Ba Babes Babe's es e's slender ankles had to carry a tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- tre- tre frame around pounds The leg work worl that Joe Louis has thrown tIlro in throughout his long ring career is one of the main reasons the Bomber Is still heavyweight hea champion of the world There are too many easy ways of transportation for the youth of at to today to- to day The kids will ride four blocks when they get a chance There are not many athletes who have the incentive to give their legs enough work to get them ready for tor forthe forthe the games they play e e Supreme I This will be the first time in many I summer moons that a n battle for forthe forthe forthe the middleweight championship will overshadow the heavyweight scrap No matter how noisy the ballyhoo ballyhoo ballyhoo bally bally- bally bally- hoo nor how loudly the toms tom-toms echoed no advance hullabaloo would have made fans believe that I slow-moving slow Joe Baksi would have had any sort of a chance against I Joe Louis even had the match been arranged this year I Just how much the passing years I have taken from Louis is anybody's II guess but no one can believe Louis has moved so far down the soapy chute that he would be in serious danger of at losing his title to one of the present crop of heavyweight opponents |