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University Daily Kansan
Thursday, April 4, 1963
University Daily Kansan SPORTS Ruth, Foxx Praised By Hall of Famer
MIAMI —(UPI)— Neither Mickey Mantle nor any of the other current stars of baseball can match Babe Ruth or Jimmy Foxx with glove or bat, says Hall of Famer Paul Waner, although the overall calibre is "about the same."
No man sells his own era short, quite naturally. But when Waner speaks out for the superstars of the baseball past it must be admitted that the record books strongly support him.
WANER, although only 59, is a bowed, fragile seeming man who has had a long bout with illness. At his best, he was no giant physically, standing only five feet, seven and one-half inches and weighing a mere 148 pounds.
But at the plate and afield he was a tower of strength during a 20-year career in the major leagues.
He weighs only 125 pounds now, but a hint of the old steel toughness shows through when he steps out onto the golf course. The little man who batted .334 during his career and snoote the ball at a .380 clip for Pittsburgh in 1927, shoots in the high 70's.
"IM STILL a line drive hitter," he smiles slowly.
Such a one, during his playing career, who would have made a fancy salary in this day and age. But the best Waner ever earned was $16,500.
"Don't knock it," he said. "That
was a lot of money in those days. I guess if I was playing now I'd be taking down a pretty fancy salary, but I've no kicks in that department."
The new enlarged strike zone, which has been getting a lot of gripes, particularly from the hitters who have the happy faculty of judging an express train fast ball within a fraction of an inch, gets Waner's approval.
"THE SMALLER strike zone was all in favor of the hitters and they already have more than enough going for them," he asserted. "Personally, I like the pitch up high, around my shoulders. But the bigger strike zone has to help the pitchers and everybody knows how badly they needed help."
Waner's inference was that guys are hitting home runs who should have to pay their way into the ball parks.
"Roger Maris was only a one-year man," he said simply of the Yankee outfielder who in the expanded 1961 season exceeded Ruth's greatest record of 60 home runs by one. "But nobody hits like Ruth and you'll wait a long time to see one like him."
IT WAS obvious that Paul never expected to live that long.
In other words, the game may have improved. But to the man from the Hall of Fame, the players haven't.
OU Pitcher To Face KU With Arm in Cast
NORMAN — Jerry Haddock, Oklahoma's big right-hander who will face the KU Jayhawkers tomorrow, had to learn to pitch with his left arm in a cast, or quit.
And since quitting meant his collegiate career would be over (he's a senior in the business school and the cast won't come off until May 23, one week after Oklahoma closes its 1963 season), Haddock didn't like that.
So the 6-foot 5-inch hurler has been pitching, fielding and batting with his left hand and forearm heavily encased in plaster. So far, he's doing okay.
A STARTER at forward for Coach Bob Stevens' Sooner basketball team last winter, Haddock broke his wrist Jan. 23 at Stillwater when he was spilled while driving for the basket, cracking a bone in his left wrist, which ruined his final season of basketball.
And when the wrist didn't heal, it looked like Haddock's senior season
of baseball was lost, too.
But Coach Jack Baer persuaded him to throw to keep him arm in shape. Then when the doctors told him he could pitch if he could learn to play in a cast, Haddock began practicing fielding and taking an occasional cut at the plate.
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