Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-06
Series Sweep Confronts Yankees
Unless Ford Delivers at Stadium
A. L. Champions
Locking Excuses
For Sad Showing
BY BURTON HAWKINS
Star stan Correspondent

NEW YORK, Oct. 6.-The
lordly Yankees, accustomed to
crushing World Series opponents
consistently. and sometimes con-
temptuously, may be enroute to
their most humiliating expert
ence in 90 of these annual ex-
cuses for hySteria.
Whether they'll be subjected
to indignity depends chiefly on
Whitley Ford. their accomplished
lefthander, who found life I'M
hearable at Ebbets Field in
Wednesdays opener. AS the
teams returned to Yankee Sta
dunn today. Ford will be OPP
Grating in a park more to his
liking, but he'll be confronted
by five Brooklyn regulars who
are batting 300 or better against
New York pitching. All that.
plus Roger Craig. who beat the
Yankees last year in his only
World Series appearance and
who is interested in keeping his
record clear.
The Yankees have won 16 of
their previous q series. Among
the five they lost, the most en-
barraSsing was that in 1922,
when they failed to win a game
from the Giants. But they tied
one game and their four defeats
came in close, w-scoring
games. They weren't disgraced.
It's a Strange Sight
This could be different. The
Yankees top pitchers got a fear
full pounding IN the Dodgers
backyard. And Manager Casey
Stengel, looking for a quick re-
.prieve is relying on Ford to still
the rampaging Dodgers who have
clouted across 10 runs in two
games.
The picture of the mighty
Yankees being pulverized is a
strange sight. Even in losing
to Brooklyn last year, they
struggled to seven games and
then were spanked on a SUI
perb pitching effort by Johnny
Podres. Their big gun, Mickey
Mantle, was out of action, while
another old reliable, Hank Bauer,
also missed some action.
This time, there are no ex-
cuSes. The Yankees have col
lided with red hot club which
twice has spotted them runs and
bounded back to win. Before an
unbelieving crowd of 36.2l7 yes
terday, the American Leagues
perennial champions got off to
a 60 lead, yet wound up losing
1873 Their pitchers-and there
was a parade of seven of them
.resembled the Senators Connie
Grob or Hal Griggs on a bad
day.
Hodges Hitting TIA
It's sweet. indeed, for a fellow
like Gil Hodges. the Dodgers
sturdy first baseman. In the
1852 Series against the Yankees,
he set a record by failing to get
hit in 81 times at bat.
Now look at the mani He's
hitting ia, with home run,
two doubles and two singles in
seven chances. He has batted
in seven runs, only two shy of
Lou Gehrig's mark for one
Series.
Peewee Reese is hitting 300.
while Jackie Robinson and Carl
Furillo are whaling away at a
.375 clip. That trio and Hodges
have been taking care Of the
righthanded power. Duke Snider,
who hits from the other side of
the plate. is doing nicely at .429.
Ford may have to throw snow
balls to cool EN-. The Yankees
have tried throwing everything
else and they've been whacked
and furiously.
That thing yesterday was in
The Yankees picked
up a run off Don Newcombe in
the first. inning when Enos
singled, Yogi Berra
walked and Joe Collins singled.
Then they chased Newcombe,
the Dodgers 27-game winner,
with a five-run splurge in the
See SERIES. Page ALP