The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1945-05-02
reg. U. S. Pat. Off.
BY JACK CUDDY

United Press Staff Correspondent
New York May 2. (UP)-Leonldas
Ernest Durocher, who makes 1t
plain there is definite connection
between his middle name and the
Nway he manages the Brooklyn
Dodgers, riffled through the roster
today and concluded that he hadn't
made change in the starting line
up since Sunday.
TT must be the schedule or the
weather. unused Durocher, who
with his boss, sooth-sayer Branch
Hickey, has collaborated to make
Ebbets field in Brooklyn, baseballs
counterpart of confusion to the
pentagon building in Washington.
The status quo of the lineup was
something rare indeed for the cur
rent edition of the "Flatbush
Floogies," who in their efforts at
diamond 'floy floy' have sent nine
different starting combinations IN
10 games against their beWildered
opposition.
But today, barring more splashy
spring weather, it will be the same
old story. When the Dodgers tee
off against the visiting Boston
Braves. Durocher will shake up the
old fedora and snatch nine more
names out for starting lineup.
No longer can the vendors at
the Brooklyn ball palace chant you
can't tell the players without
program" With Ernest Leo Ernest
at tie helm, the fans can't tell
anyway.
Actually, it isn't as bad as that
and much of the puggling has been
born of desperation. After all, the
Dodgers generally were consigned
to back row tenancy and never tlg-
ured to cause first division nous
ing problem by trying to muscle IN
among the elite first four"
The fact that Durocher, with his
Vaccinations, has managed to keep
them either in the first division or
right next door in fifth place, where
they are now seems to be minor
miracle in itself. Aside from such
oldsters as major league batting
champ. Dixie Walker, Catcher
Mickey Owen, and Pitcher Curt
(Dan1 Boone) Davis, he hasn't
much talent on hand that would
click with good minor league club
in peace time. Hence, he has had
to resort to something like a base
ball version of the Notre Dame
shift. with players going from posi-
ton to position not only in the
batting order but on the playing
field.
No player has been in the same
position in the batting order for
each ones of the Dodger game
PLAYED to date, and only two, Third
Baseman Bill Hart, and Right
Fielder Walker, have played every
game in the same spot afield.
In the batting order Durocher has
had three players in the leadotf
spot, although now he seems to
have settled on Eddie Stanky Iof
permanent occupancy there. The
little second baseman, who TOOK
over after Durocher's tWo-day
comeback experiment at the key
stone sack, not only is hitting a
sharp .345 atop the order but IN
field he has yet to make an error
with Sc consecutive chances han
died Clearly.
Batting number two in the I'M
portant spot behind the runner
Durocher has worked five players
including two catchers and in the
three and four power positions he
has had two men each. Fifth, sixth
seventh an eighth spots have been
in a continuous muddle with four
different players having worked IN
each one.
There have been three left field
ers, French Bordagaray, Morris
Aderholt, and Augie Galan, and
three center fielders, Louis DINO
Elmer Durrett and Goody Rosen-
At first Galan can have his big mltt
back after a two-day experiment
with Rookie John Douglas failed to
pan out. Stanky's spikes have prl-
GRITTY on the second sack now, but
at shortstop Eddie Basinskis field
ing gives him only a bare margin
over Mike Sandlocks hitting and
neither is secure. Owen and 42-year-
old Clyde Sukeforth, Pitcher Hal
Gregg's personal backstop, share the
catching and as for the pitching
Durocher needs another hat, a 10
gallon one for that.