Show Bench Talk BY KOH TATAI What about this hefty smash Ernie former Cincinnati Boston and New York smote a couple of months ago while the was a member of the Sacramento Solons in the Pacific Coast Lombardi's prodigious Ruthian rap cleared the left field wall at Edmonds field in Sacramento some feet away from the The ball soared over the wall at a tremendous height and went If this blow is the longest wallop in diamond Big just turned 40 years was sold to He latched on to the ball against the Seals in a recent series for a foot home-run There is no doubt of its being one of the hardest balls hit in any but it's difficult to judge just how far it did travel the Edmonds field fence isn't nearly as deep as some big league left One's perspective can be deceiving in the respect although the ball did sail a great how far would it have looked if the left field wall were some feet The longest hit I ever beheld with mine own sans was by Babe Ruth the of his prowess when he and Lou Gehrig were touring The Babe unveiled his bulging biceps to bust one over the deepest part of center-field at Wrigley field in Los the point of departure from the park being The ball must have traveled feet before striking the controversial patented pavement on Avalon But that is a lot less than Still it lingers in the mosaic of memory of all living Long range isn't a rarity with the who has unloaded quite a bit or artillery during his 22 years in the 17 of which were in the He led the National league in batting two in 1938 with a average for and in 1942 belting for a percentage for the It isn't always that the club leading the field on July 5 that wins the In the last 15 only six National league clubs accomplished the though in the American an even dozen Independence day pace-setters wound up with the The Dodgers eight times in front on July won only twice-ill 1941 and In they wound up in a tie but lost a playoff series for the title to the The cards won five flags in the past 15 years but came from behind three times to turn the On the other the 10 times ahead of their field on Independence went on to eight The Tigers overtook them on the other two in 1934 and |