Evening star., 1951-10-10

in the League After Devine signed Francis s'nn
Gill he assigned the young to Twin Falls, Idaho He
moved rapidly. With Hornsby Beaumont club
he the Texas Leagues most valuable player But
parent Yankees weren't taking the fellow seriously They
ved him to spring training but didn't think enough of
Gil to list him on the roster
ONE DAY LAST SPRING Hornsby visited the Yankees
camp asked how they liked his boy, McDougad. The
Yankee board of strategy noncommital He is
funny at that plate" of the coaches said
hat stance Feet spread apart half mile and the bat held
so low"
Leave him alone" Hornsby advised ST know he looks
funny. But he'll hit that way. If change him, maybe
he won't hit"
And McDougald did hit when he in exhibition
games And eded too Casey Sengel began look at him
with respect Although Gil had played third base
stengel him there well BY the time
Yankees home Sengel confident thing namely
that only Phil Rzzuto Of his nelders likely
action
Stengel juggler warmed up to McDougad because
the mans gifts such that he would enable Casey
to uggle better often sold
basemen Billy johnson and said, in effect: cDougad
regular Where he'll play don't know but he's regular
GIL RAN GERRY COLEMAN off second base and Bobby
Brown of third Obviously he couldn't play both positions at
the rookie played base the other depending
the rival pitcher If he right thander, Stenge
benched Coleman and McDougald played second he
lehander Brown was benched and McDougad played third
Some days he played both positions If the Yankees got
lead Stengel invariably benched Brown he at third
base McDougad to third Coleman
second for their superior defensive play Casey had
it good
McDougald retained his peculiar batting stance and
Hornsby right He could hit that way he led all the
Yankees batting The only 800 hitter Stengel had
TALL slender recked McDougald has pair Of
legs that should belong 10dayd colt because they
slim and knockkneed and ungany This does prevent
him from ranking of the Yankees best and swftes
runners
AND SO THE YANKEES the pennant and this brings
the McDougald story to this World Series in which
hitting .315 batted in for five games
and place in the record book of his grand SIAM home
yesterday
Only two other players in World Series history neither
hrst-year like MeDougad, hit home with
bases loaded Gil did in the third inning of that 13to-
affair that closed out the in the Polo Grounds
first Elmer Smith Of the Indians back in 1920 against
Dodgers The other Tony Lazer another Yankee
baseman who did it in 1886 against the Giants
MeDougald broke the backs of the Giants 1t
tie with two out and two Yankees base The batter
Johnny Mize The Giants figured would be wiser to
walk Mze fill the bases and pitch to McDougad Maybe
sound strategy although Leo Durochers pitcher Larry
Jansen had handled Mze the first time up Maybe
deer could really hit
so AfIZE WAS WALKED and McDougald blasted into
the upper left field seats and 51 After that the
gave up The Yankees cobed five pitchers for hits
to win by run margin the most onesided series contest
since 1885, when the YANKEES aso in the Polo Grounds routed
the Giants 18 to 4.
ferred group when time separate the heroes
the goats McDougad and Ed Lopa and Alvin
Irwin of the Giants in the hero department. Sal Mage
and Willie Mays in the opposite bracket.
word about Lopat Up to he's all by himself
No pitcher Two starts two wins two vehers The only
criticism of Lopat be that he's in and
debunkg the haowed theory that there's nothing better than
a good fast ball.