Evening star., 1951-04-23
Dresser Hits Jackpot Three-Day Batte Of Wits With Durocher
Leo EcIipsed at Own Game;
Indians Take Over AL Lead
By Joe Reichier
Associated Press Sports Writer

One couldn't blame Leo (Tht
Lip) Durocher for talking to him.
self today. The wonder is that
the loquacious leader of the Giants
has any speech left at all.
To say that Durocher came off
second best in the much bally-
hooed battle Of wits with Charlie
Dresser, his former first lieuten-
ant at Brooklyn, is putting It'll
mildly. The new Brooklyn pilot
outmaneuvered and outgeneraledI
Leo at every turn over the week
end as the Dodgers vanquished
their hated rivals three straight at
the Polo Grounds.
The final crushing blow-and
the most humiliating-came yes
terday when the Dodgers snatched
thrilling victory from apparent
certain defeat to whip the Giants,
4-3, in 10 innings.
Dodgers and Indians Lead.
The triumph left the Dodgers
in first place in the National
League, a half-game in front of
the Pirates and Cubs. The Pirates
defeated the Reds in Cincinnati,
7-5, and the Cubs tripped the
Cards, 1915, in st. Louis. The
Phillies salyaged the last of a
three-game series with Boston,
winning an uphill 6-5 victory.
In the American League, the
Indians replaced the Mats as lead
erS by sweeping doubleheader in
Cleveland from the Browns, 1913
and 4-3. The Indians now have
won five Of six to hold half
game edge over Washington and
the White Sox. Rain washed out
the Washington game with the
Yankees, while the White Sox
edged the Tigers. 80, in Chicago.
In Boston the Red Sox pulled
up to 500 rating by winning two
games from the Athletics. SIS and
IA. They now have won three
and lost three.
Yesterdays loss to the Dodgers
was more CALLING for the Giants
than the setbacks of Friday and
Saturday. Sal Maglie, the vet
eran righthander, needed only
one more strike to record his first
victory of the season. He had a
80 count on Gil Hodges with two
out, nobody on base in the ninth
and the Giants ahead, 80.
Walk Starts Trouble.
The third strike never came.
Instead. Hodges walked, moved to
second on Roy Campanella' IS
single and scored the tying run
on another one-bagger by Pee
Wee Reese. Carl Furillo's homer
his first hit in 10 times at bat
decided the issue in the top OF
the 10th.
! Here is how Dresser stole the
show from Durocher in the de-
partment most stressed on Leo
the unexpected, the spectacular
the unpredictable, the theatrical:
In the seventh inning Friday
with Brooklyn leading 7-3, Duro-
cher sent Artie Wilson, a left.
handed hitter, to pinch hit. Dres.
sen Immediately shifted three ot
his inf1elders to the left side o1
second base and pulled in hi.
right fielder. Furillo, to play Sec
ond. This left right field wide
open, unprotected. The 10000 wit.
nesses could hardly believe it.
All Wilson had to do was TAP
the ball to right field and it prob
ably would have been a home run
Right field in the Polo Grounds
lroams $50 feet to the bullpen. But
I Wilson the southpaw, who is a
notorious opposite field hitter
tapped meekly back to the box
and was an easy out. Wilson had
played under Dresser in Oakland
for two years. Durocher boiled.
i The next day Dresser sent ur
1.-TWO pinch hitters against Larry
Jansen in the seventh and both
walked, forcing in the tying run
After the Dodgers routed Janser
in the eighth. Dresser stole q
page out of Durocher's book by