Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-08
WIN, LOSE OR
DKAW By FRANCIS s1ANN
Youth Movement in World Series

NEW YORK, OCT. 8.-This started out to be World
Series less dominated by the old folks Sal Mage
80 the opener for the Dodgers and Enos Slaughter
got the Yankees the board Now of the kids what
at 1922 has gotten into the act Meaning of course, Tom
Sturdivant.
That was pretty good ball game the young man from
Oklahoma City pitched to up the Series Nothing
down in history perhaps but it solid performance
coming at time when Casey Stenge hurting pitch
ing After using II in the first two in Brooklyn
it relief to Casey Whitley Ford and then
Sturdivant went the route.
Yogi Bera called the turn Thomas Virgil sturdvant
II on that melancholy afternoon at EbbeS Field when
Senge used total of pitchers including
Sturdivan Il caught many bad pitches in my life
in game Berra complained But gotta say thing
If get that Sturdivan make like batting
practice he'll win"
1T in the trade. In short he's got everyhing-a live
ball. cracking curve slider, change-up He pitches
batting practice Berra land it amt fun In game
ne takes something off his pitches"
IT FOLLOWS THAT STURDIvANT didn't take too much
of his pitches this year. Whereas he only single
record STILL as Berra suggests Sturdvant is not precisely
consistent
When Toms good-and this goes for Whitley Ford too
= have to spend most of my time digging pitches of
dirt Yogi saying Il don't mind it because shows
those guys have their good stuff They're owball pitchers
all good ones areand where guys mistakes
is pitching too high to Hodges and snder
you keep pitching high to those guys and soon you'll
be dead Yogi unused Even pitch that way and I'm
liable to hurt somebody" (Ths is understatement)
Regardless of whether they this World Series
the Yankees are lucky ball club The organiza
oh superb OF course but rarely does the ball bounce
the wrong in all other respects Consider if you please
more of the Sturdivant background
ORIGINALLY THOMAS VIRGIL, II was an inhelder in
the Yankee chain He played third base in 1948
with quincy OF the ThreeEye League with Norfolk in
the Piedmont in 194950. He wasn't that good and the
Yankees cut him loose Then he switched pitching Bingo
milo
rights TO the young Everybody must have been
seepngJ Anyway there he and there still may be
tme Tor Sturdvant to make another appearance this
hoe-down
Sturdvants success recalls similar tales bv others who
were frustrated at other positions and finally heroic
gureS IN the box Take for example case of Bob Lemon
OF the Indians Hitter in the American League call him
the NO. stuff pitcher When he finished the Sc cam
pagn with 20-14 record Bob became 2O1-game winner
YET ne wasted many early trying the grade
as an inheder outielder.
Jack Harshman of the White Sox is another case He
came up as frst-base candidate with the Giants and
failed to cut the mustard Then switched to pitching
and did all right He 15-game winner this season
Tor bad ball club. In ALL Harshman has won 40 games
IN three years for Chicago.
BUCKY WALTERS WAS classic case Like Lemon
ana Harshman he couldn't make it nfelder. When
ne shifted to pitching he helped the Cincinnati Reds win
two pennantS and he worked in five A-Star games One
could go and on.
Back to this World Series it looks as great deal
vi DOugerS could their
band box, snake pit. The Yankees up to now have
done no wrong in their stadium which is far more
spacious.
Ford might have been licked on Saturday if the game
had been played in Brooklyn. Two long fly balls to right
caught by Hank Bauer would have caromed off the big
TN renee at Eobes Field and Ford is the first to admit it.
I'D have been out of the game in the second inning
Whitey confessed Luckily playing the stadium"
Ford who has wry of humor obliquely excused
his opennggam rout and his big performance Saturday
putting it this way:
IN mat Brooklyn park the fans bring along feders
gloves In Yankee Stadium they bring binoculars"