Evening star., 1954-09-26
Dresser, Never Unconfident,
Started Career With Gamble

WI" 0QH7OI6
his other two outfielders around
toward left.
Why did Dresser do it?
Il knew Wilson down in the
Minors" Charley said. II knew
he couldn't hit a fast ball to
right"
What if the switch had back
fired?" asked a reporter.
well. it didn't" Dresser re-
sponded. And you gotta take
chances like that-when you
know what you're doing"
Handy Man With Fists.
Only 5-foot-6 and 100 pounds,
the 56-year-old Dresser has been
noted as a handy man with his
fists He once boasted of flooring
Paul Derringer. 230-pound for
mer Cincinnati pitcher, with a
single punch.
An average player with Gin
cinnati for seven years, being
handicapped some of that time
with sore arm, Dresser was
recognized as a smart one. He
never fulfilled the promise he
displayed in 1924, when he batted
.34o and drove across 155 runs
for st. Paul.
Dresser played high school
baseball in Decatur and later
performed with the Decatur
Blues, an industrial team man
aged by Joe McGinnity. He was
a pitcher then but McGinnity
told him, you're too small ever
to be a great pitcher" and
shifted the 120-pound Charley
to third base. He remained an
infielder throughout his career
except for a few games in the
outfield.
Dresser was no sensation as a
manager with Cincinnati. He
took over the Reds when they
were in the cellar in midseason
OF 1884 and they finished in the
basement for the fourth straight
year. The following season he
lifted them to sixth, then fifth
in 1886.
MacPhail resigned in Septem-
ber and Warren Giles, now presi-
dent Of the National League
took over the Reds. He stuck
with Dresser and his Rough
house Reds for one year.
Used Roughhouse Catcher.
Not all players react favorably
to aggressive management and
some of Dressen's players NUT
tered behind his back in 1887. II
was an unusual season in which
Charley signed a catcher, Gus
Britain. who never had beer
known to accomplish much or
the field except when involved in
fights.
Built like a bull, Britain sal
in the bullpen, apparently to be
used only in case of trouble
Britain wound up in one fight
with teammate Derringer, who
ended the skirmish by banging
Britain over the head with q
mask.
| On September IA Dresser made
the mistake of asking Giles how
he figured in Giles 1888 plans
It developed that Dresser didn't
figure at all, and Giles suggested
it would be better for all con-
cerned if Charley departed I'M
mediately. The team lost its last
IA games under Bobby Wallace
and finished last.
Charley returned to Nashville
in 1888, but later bounced back
as Durocher's aide at Brooklyn
as a Bucky Harris lieutenant
with the Yankees, then returned
to manage Oakland in 1949 ant
1850.
The Dodgers named him a.
their manager in 1851 and, hi
missed winning the pennant il
the last game of the playof
series with the Giants wher
Bobby Thomson slammed hi.
memorable home run. Charlie,
won with the 1852 and 1856:
Dodgers, only to lose to tn,
Yankees in the World Serie.
both times.
| BY this time Dresser wa
weary of being needed becaus,
he was operating from year tt
year. He and his wife Rutl
wrote an ill-conceived letter t,
Walter O'Malley. club president
requesting a two-year contract
O'Malley returned the letter
contents OF which never wer
] disciosed-to Dresser and coun