Spring Training Clips

The "Hi-Lo" Game

Oaks Coach John Babich was sometimes called the Simon Legree of the Oakland training camp because he made everybody work. He used the "hi-lo" game to sharpen up the players' fielding reactions. It was a great way to deflate bulging "corporations."

In the photo above, Coach Babich plays the hi-lo game with pitcher Will Hafey on February 25, 1948. In the photo below, he inflicts the game on (left to right) Les Scarsella, Nick Etten, and Ralph Buxton on March 12th.