Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-10-27
Pittsburgh Billy Meyer
Noses Out Southworth AS
Baseball Manager OF Year

DoSOAJolA 4'AoA10SCA
New York, Oct. 27-(P)-Wil-
liam Adam Billy Meyer today
was voted the Manager Of the
Year" in a nationwide poll con-
Quoted by the Associated Fress.
The 56-year-old freshman pilot
of the Pittsburgh Pirates nosed
out Billy Southworth, leader of
the National League champion
Boston Braves in u neck and
neck race. Meyer received SO
votes to 81 for the veteran
World Series campaigner.
In all, 220 baseball experts
took part in the voting. Be-
sides Meyer and Southworth,
Lou Boudreau, Joe Mccarthy,
Burt Shotton, Steve C'Neill,
Bucky Harris and Connie Mack
received scattered support.
Boudreau, who piloted the
Cleveland Indians to their first
American League pennant in %
years, and then led them to the
world championship, RANKED
third with 20 votes. Mccarthy,
whose Boston Red Sox bowed
to the Indians in an unprece-
dented playoff for the flag, was
fourth with 10 votes.
Harris, released manager of
the New York Yankees, was Sc
lected as the No. l pilot by three
experts. The others each got one
vote.
Meyer received the No. rat
ing because of the outstanding
job he did in leading the Pr
ates to a fourth place finish af-
ter having them in flag conten-
ton until the final two weeks of
the season. He took over a club
that finished in tie for the
cellar last year with the Phila-
delphia Phils.
Meyer is my choice" one
writer said, because of his
sound leadership, understanding
nature, his way with youngsters,
his ability to instill hustle and
drive into his charges and his
thorough knowledge of the in
side of the game"
Meyer indeed has captivatad
both the customers and players
alike with his smooth way of
handling men and his ',een
knowledge of every trick in the
game. The Pirate fans, especial
ly, fell in love with this rud-
dy-faced native of Knoxville,
Tenn, who looks like a young
er edition of Honus Wagner. A
Pittsburgh record attendance OF
nearly 100000 fans came out tc
see the suddenly revivified Bucs
last season.
They appreciated the fact that
he took practically the same eel
lar-dwelling team of AZ ane
almost pulled the miracle of al
miracles last season-the jumI
from last to first. They admir-
ed the way he handled his vet
teran pitching staff. He coaxcd
along such aging moundsmen as
Rip Sewell, Fritz Ostermucller
Elmer Riddle, Ernie Bonham and
Kirby Higbe in such splendid
fashion that each proved a win,
ner for him.
He also developed a fioe key.
stone combination in shortstor
Stan Rojek and second basemar
Danny Murtaugh, and got the
most out of Dixie Walker, aging
outfield star.
Meyer, like Joe Mccarthy, wa:
never a great ball player. He
was a catcher and while he hi
the major leagues, he wasn'
good enough to stay up long. He
started playing ball at the age
of 16 in the Florida State Lea
que. He shifted to his native
Knoxville in 1910, thence to the
Chicago White Sox in 1"'1. Fror-
there his trail coursed to 7
Moines, Ia, Winona, Mimi, Ii
coin, Neb., Oshkosh, Wise, f,
cine, Wise, and Daveport, Ia, il
the Three-Eye league.
Connie Mack had Meyer will
the AS in 19l5-16-17. From
there he became Joe Mccarthy
roommate. Mccarthy and Meye,
pretty much managed the Louis
vile club in the American AS
sociation - Mccarthy at seccne
and Meyer behind the plate
When Joe became Louisvill
, manager, Billy became his assis
tant. When Mccarthy moved ul
to the Chicago Cubs, Meyer NOV
ed in as Louisville manager, ant