Evening star., 1952-06-10
Dresser Unworried,
Believing Miracle
Cant Happen Again
By Joe ReiehIer
Assccioted Press Sports Writer

If the Brooklyn Dodgers are
not careful, they may find them
selves 1872 games in front of the
New York Giants on August IL.
And everyone remembers what
happened to the poor Dodgers
after that date last year.
Even so, Chuck Dresser, the
dauntless Brooklyn manager, is
willing to gamble with such a
long lead. He says the Giants
unprecedented 1851 rush to the
top in a playoff victory over the
Dodgers was nothing short of a
miracle. And miracles just don't
happen twice in a row in this
modern day and age.
An Embarrassing Question.
Dresser undoubtedly recalls an
embarrassing query put to him by
a veteran sports columnist in
Tampa. Fla, last spring.
"How are you going to contrive
to blow a 131a-game lead this
year, Chuck?" the scribe asked
with mischievous twinklesin his
eye.
Dresser stiffened at the ques-
ton. He started to frame a reply,
but thought better of it, and
checked a hot retort. It was obvi-
GUS to all within earshot that the
question cut Chuck to the quick.
Referring to that incident later,
Dresser vowed grimly in the pres
ence Of intimates:
"Just give me any kind of a
lead in the middle of August and
nobody will catch us. guarantee
that right now."
Currently, the Dodgers are play
ing a better brand of baseball
than they did at corresponding
time a year ago. They're playing
remarkable .761 ball with IS vic
tories in 46 games. Last year they
were 30-16 for .652-more than
100 points lower.
They've dropped only one of
their 10 games on this second
Western swing. They lead the Sec
ond-place Giants by five games.
On May 26. after losing three
straight to New York. the Dodgers
trailed the Giants by 21a games,
So they've gained 71a games on
their chief rivals in two weeks.
Starters Don't Last.
Last nights 6-2 triumph over
the Cardinals in st. Louis ran
their latest winning streak to
eight in a row although only one
Brooklyn pitcher-Ben Wade-has
been able to go the distance. On
the other hand, none of the start
ing pitchers has been able to 60
the route against the Dodgers dur
ing the stretch.
In the American League, the
Boston Red Sox also solidified
their f1rst-place hold, opening up
a one-game margin over New York
Yankees by outlasting the Detroit
Tigers, 9-8. The third-place Cleve-
land Indians. who, like the
Yankees. were idle, are a half
game behind. The Indians have
the lowest percentage because
they have lost more games than
the Red Sox and Yankees.
| The Red Sox watched the Tigers
go into the lead twice on home
runs by Don Lenhardt and Walter
Dropo, former Boston sluggers, but
bounced back each time. The
winning run came in the sixth
when Johnny Pesky, ex-Red Sox
linfielder. committed an error, al
lowing Dom DiMaggio to score
DiMaggio had opened with a
single, advanced to second on a
sacrifice and raced all the way
home when Pesky let George Kell's
grounder go through him for a
two-baSe error.
Braves Nip Pirates.
i In the only other game in the
majors. the Boston Braves nippeo
the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2. Rookie
Ben Thorpe drove in two Boston
runs with single to back up jim
Wilson's f1ve-hit pitching. Rookie
Outf1elder Bobby Del Greco hit
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