The Lincoln times., 1955-04-21
Richards And
Dresser Will
Match Wits

Nothing short OF a miracle
would lift either Paul Richards of
the Baltimore Orioles or Chuck
Dresser of the Washington Sena-
tors into contention for the 1855
American League pennant. But
fans were served notice on OPEN
ing day in Washington, April IL,
that when jut-iaWed Paul and the
conversational Chuck meet. they
are sure to see some unusual ma
neuvers. reports The Sporting
News.
Things started popping right
away, in the very first inning.
when Richards patented pickoff
play, successful eight times in "a
exhibition games. nailed Eddie
YoSt of Washington at second
base.
The managerial brains whirled
so. 2 more in the sixth inning in
weird sequence of events that saw
Dresser insert pinch-runner for
a pinch-runner and Richards out
fox himself on a change of pitch
erS.
The pinch runner situation
evolved this way. relates The
Sporting News. Rookie Jess Levan
had Just pinch-singled a run
across the plate for the Senators
and Pedro Ramos went in to run
for Levan. A wild throw on the
next play sent Ramos to third.
Dresser flashed the squeeze sign
to hitter Bob Porterfield, but the
Cuban Ramos at third failed to
catch the signal. So Dresser hur-
riedly yanked pinch-runner Ramos
for another pinch-runner, Bob
OlGiS. BY this time, continues The
Sporting News. Richards had
caught up with the maneuvering
and Dresser was forced to change
his strategy. Porterfield swung
away and his long fly brought in
OldiS after the catch.
1t was in the midst of the same
inning that Richards outjuggled
himself. He had started with
Riehthander Lou Kretlow on the
mound. But with a Washington
rally going and little Pinch-hitter
Ernie Oravetz in the lefthanded
batter's box. Richards lifted Kret-
low in favor of Lefty Bill Miller.
Then, as Miller got set to pitch
Richards jaw dropped in aStonish-
ment. Here was Oravetz stepping
across the plate am d into the
riehthanded batter's box. What
Richards hadn't been aware of
when changing pitchers was that
Rookie Oravetz was a sWitch-hit-
ter and especially equipped for
such a pitching change. Oravet2
then drove in run with a ground
er which Second BaSeman Don
Leppert threw away.
AS The Sporting News sees it
neither Dresser or Richards is a
stickler for routine and cut-and-
dried baseball. In that respect
they resemble Manager Leo Du-
rocher of the world champion New
York Giants.
Their teams like to run and they
always are ready to pull the un-
expected. Any of the trio is likely
to bunt when the opposition least
expects it. All of them 60 in fol-
trick stuff. or trick plays. There
was a time when Durocher ever
tried to confuse the New York
writer's with his trick lineups.
In his new sphere of operations
-Baltimore-Richards will have
lot of precedent behind him il
the trick stuff department.. The
Sporting News digs into the past
to report that no team ever was
better at fooler plays than Nee
Hanlon's fabulous Orioles of the
nineties. the team of Muggy Nc
Graw, Willie Keeler. Hugh Jen-
ningS. Wilbert Robinson and Joe
Kelley. Perhaps the memories OF
these Hall of Fame immortals vii
whisper some of those old plays
into Paul Richards ears. For ne
players ever were more team
oil n,.in1nS