Every Sixth Hit A Homer!

Both Frick and O'Malley defensively point out that New York 's Polo Grounds , with its right field line of 257 feet and left field of 279, was almost as bad. This, of course, is not entirely true because the walls of the Polo Grounds sloped away much sooner to a respectable distance than does the Coliseum screen.

Instead of simply admitting that this is a lousy ball park but the best that they can do, both gentlemen persist in trying to improve it with words. "The fans seem to be excited by the screen," says O'Malley. "They tell me it has become quite a conversation piece, so to speak."

In the meantime there is no place else to go, and the Dodgers will play out their 1958 schedule in the Coliseum, screen and all. The sun will glare off white shirts of the assembled multitudes in the great stands, and outfielders will be unable to get a good jump on the ball. Puny right-hand hitters will bash more home runs than ever before in their lives. The fans will cook in the sun and Snider will suffer and the pitchers will cringe, and perhaps the major league record for most home runs hit in one park in one season will fall (at the present pace it will reach 240 compared to the record of 219). But since this is something like the record for most home runs hit by a left-handed right fielder on the Fourth of July, no one really cares.

Mr. Frick says the situation has been overexaggerated. It is his privilege to take liberties with the language, but he shouldn't underexaggerate them when they are taken with the game.