Evening star., 1946-10-03
Durocher Called Pilot Of Year for Surprise Success
No One Thought Team
Could Be Pushed So
Far With So Little
By Murroy Rose
Associated Press Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports Writer
BROOKLYN, Oct. 3.-The palm
for manager Of the year will have to
60 to Leo Durocher, the brash, bald
ing pilot Of the hustling, scrapping
Dodgers, who is the main reason for
the Brooks success this year.
No one, not even Durocher or Club
President Branch hickey figured in
April that the Dodgers would climb
so high. And, as q result, Brooklyn
inaugurated youth movement"
calculated to bring the Brooks into
the contention by '48 and maybe
by At.
Such unknowns as Outfielders
Carl Furillo and Dick Whitman,
Pitchers Joe Hatten, Ralph Branca
and Hank Behrman and other CAL
low youths were put in there regu-
larly with a sprinkling of veterans
such as Dixie Walker, Pee Wee
Reese and Pete Reiser and, to the
surprise of all the outfit clicked.
Once Durocher saw that the Car
dinals were faltering and that his
patchwork team had q chance, he
got that wheeling diamond machine
working for all its possible mileage.
Durocher Couldn't Miss.
A cocksure, aggressive character
on and of the playing field, Du-
rocher has acted this year as If he
had sixth sense. One ball and a
pitcher would be yanked out of the
game. And most of the time his
actions proved successful. Derricking
pitchers, shaking his lineups, nine
third basemen, three first basemen,
no matter what he did, Lady Luck
took care of him. He couldn't miss.
But for all of his success. Duroch-
er is one of the most cordially dis
liked managers in the business. He
hobnobs with high society. Broad
way, Hollywood and Radio Row
luminaries are his friends, and yet
in baseball the 41-year-old pilot who
came from the wrong side of the
tracks has at least as many en-
emies as friends.
On the other hand. Eddie Dyer,
manager of the Cardinals, is one of
the best-liked figures in the game.
Frank, soft-talking and with kind
word for most, the Cardinal pilot
inherited terrific burden when he
took over in place of the resigned
Billy Southworth.
A long time member of the St.
Louis baseball chain, Dyer gave up
the sport two years ago to go into
the oil business in Houston. A
hurler for the Cards for six years
and for 16 years manager and
administrator in the st. Louis farm
organization, Dyer was placed
squarely on the spot this spring
when he succumbed to Cardinal
President Sam Breadon's pleas to
come back.
Cards Considered Shoo-in.
The Cards were considered a
shoo-in for the pennant. Ivory
material worth hundreds Of thou
sands of dollars was coming back
from the wars. The Cards had
given the Chicago Cubs a terrific
run for the pennant in As and the
Cubs were recognized as team
going backward.
So Dyer had plenty of material
on paper and so did the New York
Yankees, another team loaded with
returned war veterans, former stars
of the game. Joe Mccarthy had to
throw in the sponge when Joe
Di Maggie, Joe Gordon, Phil Rizzuto
| and others couldn't come back-this
year anyway.
But Dyer also had Breadon to
reckon with. Johnny Hopp, Ray
Sanders, Walker Cooper and Emil
Verban, vital cogs in the machine,
were traded away. Ernie White, a
star lefty, had arm trouble and was
released. Terry Moore had leg trou-
BILE, Charley Barrett found a peace
year too much, Johnny Beazley
didn't show to expectations, and
Dick Sisler couldn't fill the hole left
by Sanders sale to Boston.
No Alibis From Dyer.
Dyer patiently tinkered with his
machine and then Max Lanier, star
southpaw of the league, jumped to
the Mexican League along with
Rookie Hurler Freddie Martin and
Second Baseman Lou Klein. The
Lanier loss was a sumner. With
double stopper in Lanier and Howie
Pollet Dyer might have won the PEN
nant by Is games just as Brooklyn
might not have needed playoff If
they had the full services OF the
dangerous Pete Reiser.
There were no alibis from Dyer
while his team faltered along in
second place most of the way and
there were no rash statements when
the Cards took over first on August
%. He had job to do and he went
about it~quietly.
The 45-year-old Southeraer, how
ever, is proud Of a couple of moves
he made-changes which kept the
Cards up there. He sent Stan Musial
and Red Schoendienst from the out
field to first and second base. re-
spectively, and today they are recog-
nized as the best in the loop at their
positions, although Dodger rooters
will argue that Ed Stanky rates the
nod on second.
King Pin Mixed League