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Show RUTH WOULD BE EASY FOR BOBBY Veteran of Cincinnati Reds Was First Southpaw. American league baseball pitchers may fear the mighty bat of George Herman Itutb, but in the opinion of a seventy-one-year-old veteran of the diamond, dia-mond, the Sultan of Swat would be "easy pickings" for "Bobby" Mitchell. "If I were pitching today, Babe Ruth would never make a home run olT me," is the boast of Mitchell, a member of the Cincinnati Beds in 1ST7, who is said to be the Drst left-handed left-handed pitcher in the history of baseball. base-ball. "The pitchers of today don't pitch," said Mitchell; "they throw." "They throw fast low balls to Iluth. If I were pitching I'd give hiin slow balls. I don't say I'd strike him out but he'd never hit a homer off me." Fifty years ago "Bobby" Mitchell was a big league hero. With George Miller, be formed what was nationally idolized as the "pony battery." The "pony battery" two slim lads of 20 summers broke into baseball fame with the Bods In 1S7S. Shutout victories vic-tories over the Boston Bed Sox and Chicago White Sle.kings endeared them to the hearts of the fans and brought olTcrs of the then fabulous salary of S 1.2(H). Whenever one member mem-ber of the "pony battery" was given an olter he promptly turned It down unless the same amount was offered his partner. Mit'-hell and Miller played with the Bods, Springfield. Ohio, Cleveland and Hamilton -( )!iio) teams. Mitchell left baseball In the late 70s heeaus-e of a contract litigation, lie I amp an engineer. "Bobby" Mitchell, old and forgotten. laughs today at the new baseball and the new heroes. "Their gloves are so big they can't miss eatiwng the hall," he scoffed. "We used our hare hands and we really caught the balls. Today the glove catches them. "In the old days a pitcher was required re-quired to toss the ball where the batter bat-ter requested it. Today they pilch as they want. And even then one fellow can make CO home runs in a season." Tlie "only difference between baseball base-ball today and the gam? played .10 years ago" N summed up hy "Bobby" in tore tones. "We played baseball." be says. |