Sport: Beep! Beep!

What has two golden legs, a large mouth, catches flies and answers to the call of “Beep! Beep!”? A speedy little creature called Road Runner II, that’s what. In recent weeks, however, he has preferred to be known by his real name and title: Ralph Garr, leftfielder, Atlanta Braves. That’s R-a-l-p-h Garr. If enough people spell it that way on the write-in ballot for the National League All-Star team, he may yet get the recognition he says he so richly deserves. “The rate I’m going,” he says, “I think my worth will be fantastic.”

If Garr’s sell sounds a little hard, it’s only understandable. After leading the league with a .400-plus batting average for the first third of the season, he has lately slipped into the .320s. But that’s just temporary, he says. “The way I figure, with the speed I got and the fact that I don’t strike out much, and all the good things God gave me, if anybody hits .400 this year, it will be me.”

Pitching Underhand. If he does, maybe then Braves General Manager Paul Richards will do something about the one figure that really bothers Garr: his $14,000-a-year salary, which is a scant $1,500 above the major league minimum. Richards, however, does not impress easily. In 1967, when Garr hit .568 for Grambling College, the scouts, he says, “must have thought they were pitching underhand.” When Garr’s lawyer called the Braves and said he had this $200,000 player he would “let go for $100,000,” Richards dispatched a scout who signed Garr for $5,500. “The Braves look at what I’ve done and think I’m lucky,” moans Garr. “But when I look at those figures, I’d have to think I’m Superman.”

The figures are indeed super. In 1969, Garr led the International League in hitting with a .329 average and in stolen bases with 63, then duplicated the feat the following year with marks of .386 and 39. Thanks to his blazing speed —home to first in three seconds flat —Garr is already established as one of the best “leg hitters” in the majors. Although not yet an accomplished big-league base stealer (he has been thrown out seven times in 18 attempts), he is enough of a threat that whenever he comes to the plate or reaches base, Atlanta fans cry “Beep! Beep!” So far this season he has beaten out 32 infield hits. He is also learning to apply his speed to his slightly uncertain fielding. In a game against the New York Mets—which Garr won in the 12th inning by uncharacteristically blasting an opposite-field home run—he robbed Met Shortstop Bud Harrelson of a sure triple with a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch at full gallop. “They say a man can’t outrun a baseball,” groaned Harrelson, “but Ralph Garr did.”

The only thing rapid Ralph wants to slow down is his mouth. He is now learning, he says, “not to talk so much.” But then someone asks him about his hitting and beep! beep! he’s off again. “Hey, man, I haven’t been around the league yet and seen all that great pitching. Why, I’ve just been lucky. I might go into a terrible slump and fall all the way down to .300. I’ll tell you one thing, I won’t play up here if I only hit .250. I’d be too embarrassed.”