Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-14
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s1Auu
Birdie and His Little Men

MILWAUKEE,, AUG. 14.-No matter how the Cincinnati
Reds finish out the season. Birdie Tebbet has got to be in
the running for Right from
the beginning just about everybody has said the Reds
couldn't make serious pitch in the National League
But they did, and TebbettS claims his club is
live contender, despite dropping three of four here
Thanks to those Two little squirtS in my infed Birdie
says referring to Shorstop Roy Mcmillan Base
man Johnny Temple They've been wonderful just Won
derfu. guess I've been pretty lucky"
That isn't the unbiased observers look the Reds
They point out that Ray Jabonsk third base and Ted
Kluszewsk at first stationary and that routine
ground balls sktter by them for base hits They point
that Big Klu and Jabbo plus Wally Post aren't hitting
If Tebbetts agrees these shortcomings he keeps
himself For publications he counts only his blessings
THIS TEAM FOOLED ME" Birdie confessed as the Reds
wound the series here I'm the spring didn't know that
Ed Bailey was hard-hittng catcher as he is now
didn't think that Frank Robinson would grade so
early in the outied. How I to guess that
Lawrence would be my big ptcher?"
1t is tribute to the old catcher that Cincinnati has
been giving the folks back home ALL All except
three of his ptchers-Nuxha Acker Grosare rejects
The otherS-Freeman Jansen Fowler, KppSein Jefcoat
Lawrence and Blackhave time with various clubs
and all were acquired via waivers by purchases trades
a cheap level
Birdie however likes to talk of his shortstop-second
base combination Il better pair" he was say
ing, land I've been in baseball for % years now"
WHAT ABOUT JOHNNY PEsKY and Bobby Doerr at
BoSton?" visitor asked TehbettS.
Mcmillan and Temple better" he replied CLOSEST
to them saw were Phil Rizzuto and Joe Gordon Let me
tell you about Mcmillan.
IF club wanted to buy or trade for Row TODAY
and asked for reported say that physically
he is no Mr.. America year ago played with broken
thumb That's pretty well healed but he's got slipped
disc in his spine"
what else?" Birdie was asked
Hes got an unshaped ankle, the result of a bad
fracture and left shoulder that falls out place On top
OF 1t ALL Roy can't AS you know, he glasses
So" Birdie grnned "hes just the best shortstop in
the business Lou Boudreau pretty good didn't you
thinkP"
YES" the other answered
Lou never had the range Of Mcmillan And here's
funny thing He Is supposed to be weak hitter That guy
is getting better-and at stage when you don't expect it.
Last year there were only six neder in the whole National
League that outhit him."
1T is HARD TO TELL which Birdie ranks topmost-
Mcmillan or Temple. He sings in behalf Of Temple too
one hundred and fifty pounds is all he weighs and he
IS the toughest meanest unquotabe there ball field
There hasn't been one guy club he hasn't off,
including
Il remember that in 1854 we had protested game and
the order came to play out 1t right here Milwaukee
probably the only time they had three major league
on the field at the time
Briefly we were losing by 81 when the game originally
was called There were runners second third with
two out in the last inning. Temple the hitter
We were in Chicago when the word came to complete
the game Imagine whole ball club coming I'D to play for
one out On the way asked Temple how he felt
He didn't wait long" Birdie said. "He hit the first
pitch on line to center for hit to tie up the game "a
Remember Johnnys turn at bat was the only excuse
for moving entire ball from one city to another
He had two-day wait before coming bat and still he
delivered"
TE5BETTs is THINKING he may have the scrappest
club not the BEST and that's why he's not concedng the
pennant to Milwaukee or Brooklyn
II you can stand one Temple anecdote" he said
III may show how this whole club feels big tough base
runner slid into Johnny doubleplay situation and
really hurt the little When he reached the dugout he
halfcolapsed It's all right to bust up double play but
not to that extent
Its okay Skipper Temple said Let me deal with him
Two days later the same guy into second base
rms time Temple throws underhand and clips the guy on
the temple with throw fast as bullet If he hadn't
been wearing plastic helmet think he'd have been killed.