Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-09
BASE
BEAT
You'll Really Need q Proqrom
By BURTON HAWKINS

MAYBE They LII SUMMCN Ine next OF KIN 10 loenuly
the Senators Opening Day From Louisville. Nashville
Toronto Mobile and Denver strange to blend
with cellar club scorecard will become necessity.
Without it. who separate Teebach from Chrisley Grob
from Clevenger Brodowski from Plews?
Vanished in the three-month reign of Calvin Griffith,
familiar figures Bob Porterfeld Mickey Vernon
and Maury McDermott Enter the mysterious unknowns-
Lou Berberet Al Curtis, Bob Wieser and Karl Olson.
This is shooting at the moon, in a sense OF course,
there's the accepted idea that when team is eighth in
eighteam things can't deteriorate It's faacy for
bad club get and Cal Griffith has taken
the big gamble. The man merits pat the back for
attempting to crawl from the gorge.
NINE STRAIGHT YEARS in the second division appar-
emily young Griffith in full command that radical
revsons imperative He could have played 1t midy,
hoping improvement from the cast Instead, he
elected to create upheava clean and to absorb
the abuse 1t took courage.
Thus far complaints have been scattered Generally,
fans to be sympathetic. After ALL who beef too
fervdy about somebody who trying? That's the situation
BY mid-June Griffith may be sitting duck for the
pellets Of the popuace Or the guy could be established
shrewd operator.
Who knows? Who predict whether Wieser will
shake of his wdness and proceed toward the greatness
that could be his with harnessed fast ball? Who knows
the sturdy Olson buoyed by steady play again will learn
to pull ball? Who knows whether Chrsey Tettebach
future major league stars like the once heralded
Lou Noviko, merely confirmed minor leaguers? Nobody
CAL DID KNOW though that the Senators of 1855
incompetent unexcting continuation Of such drab
play would ALLEVIATE the most loyal Of the clubs steadily
dwindng supporters From his scouts from friendly con-
tacts appraised Of promising youngsters The result
has been two whoppng deals involving 16 players which
have overhauled the team.
DiSilusionment in a heaping bitter DOSE inflicted
the Senator'S brass last year They discarded gentle
Bucky Harris acquired the struttng Chuck Dresser and
Rla~fu Cd fha al idYf
develop The club burowed deeper into the dank
OF the American League all but ignored in their home
This time the manager stays backed firmly by the boss
Porterfed didn't like Dresser. Out! McDermott didn't
like Dresser. SO long, Maury!
This isn't to say that isn't dandy little
ager With his constant enthusiasm his ceaseess quest for
improvement his suspicious concerning the nightly activities
of his athletes his endless clubhouse meetings his violently
different approach, his IT did this did that" routine
WELL it has to CRATE on sensitive nerves.
$500
BUT DRESSER KNOWS baseball knows how he wants it
played Frequently his planned execution jumps ahead
of the opposition BY the TOKEN the strategy too
often Is five jumps ahead of his own players.
Dresser is in his element when surrounded by the
calculating daring type personed by Jackie Robinson and
Billy Martin. Robinson and Dresser NEEDED like polished
dance Dresser speaks of Jackie only in glowing terms
Jackie recently said Chuck the best he
played o-and presumably, heck with the feelings Of
Walter Aston, who currently directs him.
Cal has remodeled the Senators. the limit of his
be the material Chuck DESIRES it's the best Cal
could obtain under the circumstances He has gone all
for his manager.
INTEREST IN THE Senators spring training activities
figures intensified poor record in exhibition games
could little to the Yankees Dodgers employing such
affairs Of testing lesser lights Everybody starts
Opening Day, with exhibitions suddenly relegated to
history. Not with the Senator's!
With Washington it will be different. succession Of
defeats in Florida would be greeted here with disappointed
mutterngs Same old Senators" Dsllusonment could
increase before the club breaks camp debating the
hopes Of potential customers.
It's a distressing thought. but the Washington club
starts the with three games against the lordy
Yankees This could promote sputterng in the machine
The Senators well could start where they finished last
in the cellar and quite get chance to catch
with fans.
Contrastngy, If the Senators get hot at the outset,
the momentum is calculated to carry them awhile They
could take their customary skid later but for time they'd
generate whoop in the village. Those early games
could mean the difference between boredom and eaton in
this vicinity.