The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-16
Don Gutteridge, Cardinal CastOff, Browns Sensation
BY CARL LUNDQUIsT United Press Staff CorrespOndent)

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 St. Louis, June 16-(UP)-He was all washed up" when the Browns took him this spring on make good or else" proposition. But to- day, Don Gutteridge, the St. Louis Cardinal castoff Is the best "paper second baseman" in baseball, and if 1t weren't for Joe Gordon and Bob- by Doerr he might get some atten- ton.
 The little Pittsburg, Kans., scrambler has such an amazing fielding record you have to go back over 1t to be sure you didn't make an error yourself. But there 1t is, just three miscues in 60 games and 346 chances handled.
 In case those figures fail to irn- press, consider that divin' Don hasn't made an error since May 16 and that he has stretch of 176 perfect ly handled chances. The season is more than a third gone and he is SO far ahead of the all-time big league fielding record he seems a cinch to set a new one. And 1t is the first time In 10 years of base- ball that he ever played second base!
 Charley Gehringer, the old De- troiter, went through the 1883 and 1884 seasons with only IT errors in 154 games each year. No one had topped that mark since Abner Dou- bleday laid out the first diamond, Playing at his present rate, Gutter idge would finish the season with eight errors for 154 games.
 Because second basemen have tc operate in the echo of those drum beats for Gordon of the Yankees and Doerr of the Red Sox, Gutter idge has been largely overlooked, but not by his manager, Luke Sewell.
 Sewell took him in hand in spring training, when he came over from the Cardinals who said they had nc further use for him. He had been out of the big leagues since l940 and had only a fair year in 194l with Sacramento.
 The Browns bought him provision ally to use as substitute. If he failed to make good by April IS, il was no deal"
 Sewell liked his fiery spirit, his scrambling technique of going after everything, and said to him one day
 "Don, you're my new second base man."
 Gutteridge admitted he knew nothing about it, but atfer two days he realized it was the spot he shoulc have been playing all the time. H. isn't rangy enough to get all those hits into the shortfield, and thai was why he was a perfect bust" a' shortstop. He liked third base, bu found out that second was better fol his none-too-strong throwing arm.
 By April IS, Gutteridge was tn most valuable man on the team, ana Sewell said the Cards couldn't hav' him back for double the money Gutteridge made a fielding star ou of Rookie Junior Stephens, thu Brownie shortstop, according to Sew ell who says he steadied him. Th' two are road trip "roomies" anS Sewell says they ''stay up too dernes late. doping plays and just talking baseball"
 With the second base pair in ol most of them, the Browns now ar' behind only the Yankees in com pleted double plays, with 57. Steph' ems says Gutteridge is the play maker and depends on him for ad vice.
 Gutteridge, one of the fastest mel in baseball is hitting .254, but haI driven in 25 runs and stolen eigh bases. Only two players, Joe Kuhe of the White SOx and George Cas- of the Senators top him in tn league in base thefts..
 one thing more. Tn 1888 as shortstop and third baseman h. made 45 errors in i42 games witt the Cardinals.
 "That," he says twas before found out I was q second baseman.