Hollywood Motion Picture Review (1944)

Barney ROSS how Huggins, manager of the Yankees, rode herd on Babe. Babe got so much of the limelight. It was Babe the newspapers wrote about; Babe the reporters wanted to interview; Babe the people wanted to see; this may easily have made Huggins sore. Huggins needled him so much that Babe gave up in disgust; left the team while it was on the road and came back to New York. Of course he went back after some face-saving penalty, for without Babe the boxoffice was in for a terrific punish¬ ing. Next year they gave him $57,000. Barney Ross’ column failed to arrive from New York for our press time. When Babe Ruth Made Baseball By John Manning After the great American sport of baseball had received a blackeye and almost a knock-out blow no one did more to set it up again than Babe Ruth, the “king of Swat.” The gambling group who seemed to be running the World Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds had been doing a lot of fixing. It was exposed and people were disgusted and stopped coming to the games. It was then that Judge Landis — • Kenesaw Mountain Landis— was appointed “Czar of Baseball” and the fixing was pretty well cut out. But it was Babe Ruth that brought back the public. There was something about his mighty hitting that had a huge appeal to the imagination. If anyone hadn’t witnessed it, he must see it. The great Babe was from a Catholic school in Maryland. Then he played in one of the minor league teams in Baltimore; from there he went to Boston and into big league baseball as a pitcher. But pitching for the Babe was something of a waste, he was per¬ suaded to take the job of out¬ fielder where he had more chance at the bat. Wherever the Yankees played crowds turned out and jammed the stands to see Babe swat the ball and make home-runs. It was worth standing in line, sit¬ ting hours on the bleachers in broiling sun to see the great sight of the Babe hitting the ball, the mighty swat that sent it soaring out of field to make the home-run. Babe at the bat was the big event of the game. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him do his stuff. From the time he started hitting them out of the lot, I was crazy to see him do it, but my nose was hitched to the grindstone in a selling job and it seemed I never would get the chance, but one day it came. Ed¬ ward Waldron had the manage¬ ment of the Manhattan Casino; the Manhattan Casino was at 155th Street and 8th Avenue. I had to see Waldron, and the Polo Grounds were at 157th Street and 8th Avenue where Babe Ruth was playing on the Yankee nine. May¬ be I could make it! I finished selling the favors to Waldron and chased up to the Polo Grounds where the Yankees were playing and got a seat in the stand in right field. Several innings had been played. The Yankees were at bat. And was I in luck! The first man to face the pitcher of the opposing team was Babe Ruth! “Come on, Babe,” I yelled, “hit me a home run!” He swatted the first ball pitched, knocked it right over my head and out of the lot! May¬ be the other fans were astonished or thought me dippy, but I got up, left the park and went back to my job perfectly content. I had seen the great sight. That was what Babe did for baseball. He had to put up with plenty. We fans all remember But what Babe should have had, what he earned and deserved was the management of a Major League team, or the presidency of one of the clubs. It is hard to understand, it’s a thing that has puzzled me since I was a kid: Why the Land of the Free allows its national sport to be so run that the players who make it are prac¬ tically slaves — bought and sold and shipped around. Legion to Small Isn’t there some way that the Hollywood Legion Stadium and Charley McDonald could get to¬ gether to make the bowl larger. The past few weeks they have had to turn a few thousand people away. Dick Russell Active Dick Russell, popular Las Vegas promoter, has come up with a swell gesture to build a Memorial Arena. To start things rolling he will put on a benefit show Jan. 30, featuring Frankie Calazo and Mad Anthony Jones. Taking an active part will be the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Veterans Coordinating group. in m RE-CAP YOUR TIRES! TRUCK RUBBER NOW AVAIL¬ ABLE WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS Thousands of satisfied car owners are now driving on our re-caps. Let me tread up those smooth tires with good, tough grade "A" and "C" truck rubber — built for longer wear. All work done in our modern plant by our own re-cap¬ ping experts. No O.P.A. certificate required. Phone Rochester 1135 Listen to Jimmy Tarantino's CAVALCADE OF STARS 5:30 P.M. SAT. ON KHJ MERRILY YOU'LL ROLL ALONG SAVENICK’S 1951 W. Washington Blvd., RO I 135 -W TIRES i OW IN STOCK! Bring your certificate with you. 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