The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-25
Sports Parade
By OSCAR FRALEY United Press Sports Writer

New York, May 25-CUPl-The last man from old murderers' row moved into the drivers seat today.
 William Malsolm Dickey, the big guy from Bastrop La, with the soft voice and the big stick, came came out from under the shadow of three bosses to become manager of the New York Yankees.
 Back in 1928 his last stop enroute to the Yankees was Buffalo. So it seemed like poetic justice that he should succeed a Buffalo man, Marse Joe Mccarthy, after IS years of valiant service for the Bronx Bombers he helped make famous.
 Last Man
 Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony LaEzeri and Benny BengouSal. They all were there in the Yankee line- up and since have gone their ways. The last one left was the inde- structable Dickey, at 30 still the man behind the mask as the Yankees strive for another pernant.
 Sixteen yearS-and two more spent in the Navy-and still it was Dickey back of the bat again this year after catching 1,735 games
 Here, in truth, was an iron man. He came up under little Miller Hug zine, through the short reign of Bob Shawkey and the long one of Mccarthy, the bluff Irishman from Buffalo. Through 13 consecutive years he caught 100 or more games, an all-time endurance record, un- til Yankee pitchers couldn't have thrown without him.
 T never shake off Dickey," they were wont to say. T let him pitch my game for me-"
 Lost One
 He did 8 grand job, too. Because with Big Bill holding them up, the Yankee pitchers stormed to eight pennants-and seven world champ ionships. That one they lost hurt them all, mostly Dickey. It was in 1942 when the flying Redbirds from St. Louis ran them dizzy.
 But the next year, in faded Sportsnan's Park at St. Louis, it was Dickey who gained revenge. The old man left over from mur- derers' row stepped to the plate in the fading sunlight and blasted the homer which broke up the series.
 "Tt was the greatest thrill I've ever had in baseball" he said. Mostly, suppose, because they had made the Yankees look so bad the year before" Big Bill just couldn't stand the Yankees looking bad.
 Not the Yankees or anyone con- nected with them. Which is why he was one of the first to spring to McCarthy'S aid when someone cracked that Marse Joe was push button" pilot.
 'The idea that just anybody could manage the Tanks to @ pen- nant is as false as the idea that anybody could drive g. 2O-mule team," Bill blurted.
 So now the words come home to help him.
 One of Best
 When he first came up, they hinted that Big Bill was too rangy to make a good catcher. He proved over l6 years and in the heat of eight world series that he was one of the best they'll ever see. Now, there may be some who will hint he won't be good manager. But they'll find out there, too, how per- severing Dickey can be.
 Back in those early days with the Yankees when he first went out to catch Burleigh Grimes, wizard with the spitball. Heinie Manush reached first and Bill signaled for the splitter. Grimes fondly plastered the ball with gooey coat of tobac- co juice and let fly. The ball dipped past the plate Squirted out of Dickey's glove and Manush romped happily down to second.
 Stubbornly, Bill again called for the splitter. Once more the ball slithered off his glove-and Manush gleefully galloped to third.
 With a tolerant air of 8 father trying to control his temper. Grimes 1asa AAa