The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-03-21
TODAY'S SPORT PARADE
BY HENRY McLEMORE lIrnited Press Staff Corresnondentl

Limited Press Staff Correspondent
 St. Petersburg, Fla, March 2l. = (UP)-She's young. She's pretty, she's happily married, she has a lovely baby, and there's money In the bank.
 But there's 8 fly in the ointmen, an infield fly in the ointment-be- cause Mrs. Joe Gordon is not quite sure in her heart now her husbane Is going to handle anything hit into the air or along the ground at his new position of first base with the New York Yankees.
 President Ed Barrow of the Yankees Is sure Gordon Is going to be Q brilliant first baseman. So Is Manager Joe Mccarthy, and so Is Gordon himself. But Mrs. Gordon well, let Dorothy speak for herself.
 "Just when Joe was getting to be such @ good second baseman that I could go to the Yankee games and relax, they go and change him to first base. He's tickled to death to have Q try at the new position, but I'm not 50 sure about 1t yet. Nothing made me nervous when Joe was on second. I had seen him there so much that l knew he was capable of handling any sort of ball hit to him. Even in a world series game l was perfectly calm when he scooted to his right or to his left, or when he had a chance for Q double play, or when he went way back for a fly. Now, they have moved him to a strange place and I'll have to start worrying about him just as I did when he was learning to be a good second baseman. I'll be the most fidgety of ali the wives in the Yankee Stadium this summer, I'll bet you that"
 Dorothy said her suffering already had started down her in spring spring training.
 T saw Joe in an exhibition game a few days ago." she told me, and 1t was hard for me to believe that that was my Joe, bouncing around doing the wrong thing. I thought I would keel over when I saw him com charging in to handle a slow ball hit to the left of the pitcher, which by all baseball rights be- longed to the second baseman.
 There was my Joe racing toward the ball, and there was first base with nobody near 1t. Of course, he's learning ever yday, and I know that by the time he gets to the Yankee Stadium for the opening of the season, he'll soon be as good at first as he was at second, but just the same that's not going to keep me from being nervous. How would you like to sit with 60,000 or 10000 peo- pie and suddenly have your first baseman husband start playing sec- ond base? No wonder MT. Barrow and MT. Mccarthy aren't worrying about Joe at first base.
 'They know I'll take care of that"
 Confident
 As for Gordon himself, he is as blithe as a skylark, with a deferred draft number. Without being im- modest about 1t, the Oregon boy feels he will have the business of first passing mastered when the sea- son opens. Right now the thing that is bothering him most is the differ ence between a second baseman's glove and a first baseman's mitt. He plays catch by the hour to accustom himself to catching the ball in the webbing at the top of the mitt in- stead of in the palm of his hand. He caught @ throw to first in the webbing the other day and, not feel ing the ball hit his hand thought he had missed the throw and turned to look for it.
 Fast on Feet
 Gordon is having very little trouble in learning the footwork of a first baseman. A natural athlete, and as light on his feet as e cat. he already is making sensational stops nd stabs. What bothers him is that out of long habit he instinctively wants to go for any ball hit to his right. As a second baseman he could roam as far in that direction as he wanted to. It isn't sound baseball policy, however. for a first baseman to gall lop of toward second and leave his base unprotected.
 My advice to you. Dorothy, Is not