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Show RUTH WOULD BE EASY FOR BOBBY Veteran of Cincinnati Reda Was First Southpaw. American league baseball pitcher may fear the mighty bat of George Herman Ruth, but In the opinion of t seventy-one-year-old veteran of the diamond, dia-mond, the Sultan of Swat would be "easy pickings" for "Bobby" Mitchell. "If 1 were pitching today, Bubo Ruth would never make a home run off nic," Is the boast of Mitchell, a member of the Cincinnati Reds In IS77, who is suld to be the first left-handed left-handed pitcher In the history of base-hall. base-hall. "The pitchers of today don't pitch," said Mitchell; "they throw." "They throw fast low balls to Ruth. If I were pitching I'd give him flow hulls. don't say I'd strike him out but he'd never hit a homer off me." Tifty years ago "Bobby" Mitchell was a big league hero. With George Miller, he formed what was nationally Idolized as the "pony battery." The "pony battery" two slin lads of 20 summers broke Into baseball fame with the Reds In 1S7S. Shutout victories vic-tories over the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sus kings endeared thpin to the hearts of the funs and brought offers of the then fabulous salary of ? 1,200. Whenever one member mem-ber of the "pony battery" was given an offer be promptly turned It down unless the same amount was offered his pnrtner. Mitchell nnd Miller played with the Reds, Springfield. Ohio. Cleveland nnd Himiltcm (Ohio) teams. Mitchell left baseball in the late '70s hecnuw of a contract litigation lie became an engineer. "Bobby" Mitchell, old nnd forgotten, laughs today at the new baseball and the new heroes. "Their gloves ore so big they can't miss catc'ng the ball," he seoffed. "We used our bare hands nnd we really eaucht the balls. Today the glove catches them. "In the old days a pitcher was required re-quired to toss the hall where the hatter hat-ter requested It. Today they pitch ns they want. And even then one fellow can make 00 home runs In a season." The "only difference between baseball base-ball today nnd the game played .r0 years ago" Is summed up by "Bobby" in terse tones. "We played baseball," he says. |
