Evening star., 1953-10-02

meat the Dodgers AS IN 1852, ne is
beating their brains out with hits of startling M
distance, especially when they appear @~"""~ @S"~~
necessary and he is making all the plays Francis stann
in the field
He's the kid, you may remember who may have saved
last year when the Dodgers had the bases loaded
with two out and Jackie Robinson hit high pate-sde
of the pitching box While the Dodgers running like
mad Casey tengels first baseman catcher and or two
others closer the than Martin who playing deep
around idly.
Billy gave it the big try He came like bat of
DID, established heating firm grabbed the ball at his shoetops
and saved the day.
II love that monkey" Manager stenge later underated
in probably his first complete sentence of the season
UNLESS ONE HAS SEEN Billy Martin up close the hero
is likely to be startling He is small oive-toned young
man with long, straight ideally suited for plowing
small truck gardens His teeth set in small
white like those of healthy beaver but his chin
recedes and the total effect gives Billy pxe-ish look
He looks younger than his Is More like the head
batboy. street Clothes clothes at ALL it is difficult
to imagine playing champions
Well, they kidded Kid Martin lot Even his own team
They kdded him of the he followed Joe
Diaggio before DiNag retired Billy like small
puppy, said nuzzng to who could toss him
bone. To others he "DiMag's valet"
He was "DiNaggo valet" in 1851 his first year up with
the Yankees Only rarely did Billy play in ball Jerry
Coleman the second baseman and this kid who didn't
look like ball player rode the bench.
IT WAS NATURAL that Martin should follow DNag Not
the big star however but because Daggo
poor italian kid from San Francisco too,
and they had this much in But DMag had 1t made
have made.
So Billy Martin tagged after DMaggio and there were
jbes although rarely if to Bys face because small
he appears he is solid young who spent some time
boxing in amateur rings in San Francisco and other California
spots.
81 would not want to tangle with him" Teammate
conded yesterday the dressing es got the
CUTS burglar like stevedore and footwok like
well, read in the where he fancies himself as
jitterbug Or did"
From Noren this not praise Physically, Irv is
regarded of the strongest in baseball Another
teammate Pitcher Bob Kuzava, amended what Noren had
said There's only player in our league close to Martin
dynamo Kuzava said "and that is Mnoso of the White
Sox"
ODD THING ABOUT MARTIN is that he's keeping on the
bench pretty fair hand at World busi
Meaning of course Coleman. The exMarine flyer,
already logged with too missions during World War IL
and in the late Korean affair." boysh money player
like Billy when he produced winning hits in both the
1949 and 1850 SERIES first against the Dodgers and then
against the Phis
Coleman had the job locked up, apparently, until the
Marines wanted him to fly few times in Korea.
At this point-it 1852 and DNGaggio had gone
Martin was own quickly proved could make
double play well trail Daggio Where Coleman left
off, after damaging the Dodgers and Phls in 49 and So
Martin took
Coleman back from the now but he can't play.
The little plownosed kid from California has got his second
base job Its to Jerry to win himself post AS stengel
saying the BENCH "How could play Coleman after
this little punk? like it when second basemen murder
the Dodgers like Coleman and Martin. But why don't get
much of other kind of player outelder maybe
maybe pitcher?
Hell" Casey concluded calling upon the wisdom of
81 can't do all the work If team wants little ships
like Coleman and Martin to hit their home it's all right
with me. But they better hit em :"
IN THE YANKEE DRESSING ROOM, after they made it
two in Martin drying himself after shower and
saying 81 hit ball right into slot for that home
run This the to lead off the seventh and which
tied the game, %.
Roe must have thrown the thing to Mantle the
next inning when he broke up the game reporter said
Heck, no. Martin said Mickey had his fanny stuck out
I I
barely went into the Mantle outside pitch
which wouldn't have hit out of the infeld"
Be that it may it took the initial shine off Preacher
Roe heroic deliberate figure and the matter would have
been left to rest there Billy hadn't nnocenty remarked
frankie Crosett, the coach and of the Yankees
all time great nelders) taught stance against
cutey like Roe First time Roes fast ball looked
like Mike Garcias The shadows this late terrible
"CroSetu taught you?" asked
YEAH" Martin said Anything wrong with that?"
Nothing is Indeed it follows the Yankees appar
emily have concession Italian kids
They had for instance Tony Lazzeri. And Croset and
DiMaggo And now Martin. They all grew up in the
infancy neghborhood. Some people call the slums.
u~e4,. Dad u@~lo E:~II @31A