Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-20
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW ;, FRANCE, ,rAuu



MIAMI MAR 2O-Age is the ally of the National League
clubs that ate the dust of the Brooklyn Dodgers Age
the theme of most interviews to which Walt Aston is sub
ected Time and again the question is posed do you
think your key have another year two left?"
Aston is uniformly patient, uniformly optimistic and
uniformly vague the latter probably because he doesn't
know either how much longer Jackie Robinson Peewee
Reese Roy Campanela, Carl Furllo and Gil Hodges and
a few others cut the mustard
Reese 35year-old shortstop and field captain, checked
into Beach camp and claimed he felt better
in his life few days later he pulled back muscle and
rendered hors de combat.
ut could have happened to 21-year-od, Aston de-
this clubhouse conversation Peewee broke for
ground ball and his foot slipped in the sandy ned These
diamonds down here :"
will he be all rght?" interrupted a visitor.
Aston shrugged st think So" he said.
ALsToNs INTERVIEWS COME painfully hard, both for
him and those who seek out the big Ohioan He is
naturally reticen He doesn't exactly invoke the
Fifth Amendment, but he is free-style quaifier
Of Canpanella whose book age is IS, Walt was say
ing "A that Roy stays in Shape and durable
think he give another year. maybe quite few.
You can't tell how many seasons Campy has left"
You bring the overall age of the Dodgers because
everybody else does In the camps of the Braves Reds
Phies Pirates and Cardinals the managers say IN erect
1--WE figure better and don't forget that Brooklyn is
old club Basebawise they all hope the Dodgers don't
grow old gracefully
But Carl Furio and Gil Hodges is 81 The big pitchers
like Don Newcombe, Carl Erskne, Glenn Labine and Jim
Hughes pushing 80 or have passed that milestone
Robinson 81 and Aston admits that since the acquisition
of Randy Jackson the Cubs he has definite spot IN
the lineup for Robbie.
ASTON DOES NOT DWELL the subject of Robinson.
wear ago. or weeks, Jackie quoted as
saying that wasn't playing enough He critical OF
his manager who played big league ball except for
aborve hitting appearance while in Cardinal
uniform.
Jackie is guy who can be moved around-third base
leftfed maybe second first base Walt was say
ing don't where he'll play. Let's I'm glad he's
on the club and leave it,"
clubhouse visitor tried to nail down Aston on the
question: us Reese the key of the Dodgers?"s
TT all depends on what you mean by key man. Walt
replied twisting his carpenters hands Peewee has been
a great shortstop. He still is, think.
Put it this way" suggested the interviewer VINO Is
the one player you can't afford to loSe?"
I'D say Campanela" Walt said, slowly. 1--WE don't have
much Roy. In the of Reese, we have Chico
Fernandez up Montreal and Don thinner They look
awfully good Shortstops we may have but no second
Campanella."
~t
WHEN THE SCHOOLMASTER Aston took charge of the
Dodgers they had consecutive remnants under
Chuck Dresser ebullient as Walt is reticent
Aston only finished second in his first year. 1854 and was
considered flop But last he not only
the Dodgers to another pennan but he World Series
from the Yankees, first time Brooklyn ever made it.
Walt and his Dodgers did big. They cnched the pen
nant on September g. earliest wrapup date in National
League history They in front from start to finish
once leading by Is games although the minded
could fault such statement There time when the
Dodgers ou-ths all happened during the first
five daysand the Cubs of all people, we're on top Neither
the sixth place Cubs the Dodgers had lost game
This day clubhouse Aston asked if he ever
heard of ball club that got off to such start as his
Dodgers, who 10 in row until losing finally on
April %.
"IHAD CLUB at st Paul." he said, that 10 in a
row our first 49, think. Anyway, we led from start
to finish.
do expect to get off to the same start this year?
Frankly, What happened last was something very
unusual"
In his rundown the Dodgers Walt confesses short
age of line pitchers 1--WE have Newcombe Loes and
Erskine to start" he said.
so world championship club you are little shy
of pitchers" said one who talking to Aston
Il would think So" he said Karl Spooner looked like
the answer but his is bad I've given up on him.
But later hitting ground balls to the inf1eders Coach
Billy Herman optimistic than his boss
See that kid there" Billy said, pointing with his
bat That's Sandy Kouax boy born raised and oonused
Brooklyn Shucks he throw harder than Spooner on
his best day than Newcombe, too anybody else
you
Everybody talks about the this club Koufax
20 years old. wish could be that once more"