Evening star., 1952-10-08
Teammates Recognize
Kuzaya as Key Man
In Series CIincher
BY q stofs Correspondent Of The Stor

BY q Sioff Correspondent Of The Stor
NEW YORK. Oct. 8.-Bob Ku-
zava. the Yankees f1re-balling re-
lief specialist, was the key man in
the World Series clincher yester-
day. and although the name"
players got most attention after
the game. it was Kuzava who was
selected for the back slaps and the
rib punches Of his celebrating
teammates.
THAT fella really took me out
Of JAM" Casey Stengel said.
THAT Kuzava was burning his
fast ball in there" said Chuck
Dresser. manager of the Dodgers.
HE was very quick"
The game was far from won
when the former Mats and White
Sox pitcher-a hungry" player
who has never cashed in on his
ability-relieved a wild and tired
Vic Raschi with one out in the
seventh and pitched hitless ball
the rest Of the way to slam the
door on the Dodgers.
Snider Up With Bases FUN.
The Yankees led, AZ. Raschi
had walked Carl Furillo, retired
pinch-hitter Rocky Nelson on a
pop to short. yielded a single to
Billy Cox and walked Peewee
Reese to load the bases.
Kuzava came in to pitch to Duke
Snider. the slugger Of the series.
Stengel knew the selection was a
big gamble-Kuzava had the
speed but had been wild all sea-
son.
Kuzava got Snider to pop up
on a 80 pitch. And he got the
dangerous Jackie Robinson -
again on a popup. to end the in
ming.
In the eighth, he famed Roy
Campanella and Andy Pafko and
got Furillo on a fly, although
Hodges got a life on an error.
And in the ninth he retired the
side In order on a routine 1nfleld
grounder and two flies to left.
So Kuzava wrapped it up when
the tension was highest, just as
he did in pitching the final in
ming against the Giants in the
1851 playoff.
Figured in Two Big Trades.
Kuzava came to the Yankees
In June of 1851 from Washington
in the deal that sent Tom Ferrick,
Fred Sanford and Bob Porter
field to the Mats. Bob Ross, who
went to the Yankees Kansas City
farm, also came along with Ku-
zava from Washington.
The big left-hander had been
only a year at Washington, and
the Mats too had acquired him in
a multi-player deal from the
White Sox. He was in the six
man swap along with Cass
Michaels and John Ostrowski that
sent Ray Scarborough, Al Kozar
and Ed Robinson to Chicago.
With Chicago and Washington
In 1850 he had a 9-10 record; while
with the Mats and Yankees last
year he boosted that to III. This
year. working mostly in relief, he
was 8-8, with three-inning stint
against the Athletics September
81. his last appearance Until he
showed up against the Dodgers
yesterday.
Up-and-Down Record.
He had been up and back to the
minors on two occasions before he
lasted out the full 1949 season with
the White Sox.
Kuzava was born in Wyandotte,
Mich, May %, 1923, and is Of
Polish Scotch extraction. He is q
big blond, standing 6-feet-2 and
weighing 206 pounds. He always
has been regarded as a classy
southpaw with a good assort-
ment Of pitches, but wildness was
his trouble. He started a pro
career with Mansfield of the Ohio
State League, and worked up
through Charleston Of the Middle
Atlantic League and Wilkes Barre
Of the Eastern League.
He was in the service for three
seasons, 1943 through 1945, and
Cleveland took a look at him for
two games in 1916. He was back
with Baltimore of the Interna-
tional League for 1947, being
voted the outstanding leftie in the
league with IA victories. The In
dians took another look at him
for four games that year, but it
was back to Baltimore in 1948
where his wildneSS-he issued 113
walks that season-handicapped
him again.
KuZava finally made the big
time for keeps with Chicago in
1949, and his first full season in
the majors was a winning one
with 10 won and 6 lost.