Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-01
THE BASEB ALL
BE A 7
It's Time to PeddIe BIodes Again
DY SUTTON HAWKINS


everybody becomes acutely Of the sharpest
edges ever honed It's only matter of hours
the constant reminder to look sharp feel accord
ney puncuated by gmpses of various athletes caressng
satisfactorily dewhiskered features will be beaten rhyth
micay into brains from coaStto-coast The excuse for
getting everybody In luxurious aher the World Series
Around lunch time tomorrow The Citadel band hay
ing ba-roomed while the 81 900 located their perches will
be silent momentary The public address announcer will
say, your attention please ladies and gentlemen Miss
Lucy Monroe accompanied by The Citadel band will sing
the Star-Spangled Banner"
Into that hushed atmosphere Miss Monroe will voice
plea that the aSsembage join in singing an invita-
ton which largely will be ignored few moments later
the New York Yankees Milwaukee Braves blades
win take over.
STEPPING INTO FOCUS will be Red Schoendenst
the Braves eadon hitter In the picture too will be
Pitcher Whitley Ford and Catcher Yogi Berra of the
Yankees. The experience won't be new for the trio
but baplayers who have been through it say they'll be
shaking just little
1t isn't necessarily the mob now bowling its delight
that the moment has arrived Schoendenst Ford and
BeEra have played before throngs previously
times in tense situations and performed nobly 1t isn't
fear Of the foe They're skilled pros who reached
the pinnacle and they didn't get there running
It's the realization. at that moment engulfng every
player aeld and the benches that this It, This
Is the magnificent moment the dream they nurured when
they endery roked the lovely leather OF their glove
It's choke-up time. The Yankees have been through
1t repeatedly but the rivuletS of perspraton will be
dampening the Yankees well the Braves most of
whom lack World Series experience There immunity
to the thrill There's pill TO counterfeit the tingle
It's the equivalent of the seconds before a foot is
thudded into the opening kickoff with the ensuing crunch
Of bodies erasing the apprehension It's the timd soul
unexpectedly called upon to speak, trudgng toward a
dreaded mcrophone. It's the moment when the house
lights are turned down. two fighters slapped by their
seconds and turn to confront each other There is no
avenue of escape from such exquisite agony.
YOU'RE HOPING RIGHT at that time" said Cookie
Lavasetto who has been the glory boy of World
Series, that you don't make damned fool of yourself
You've made TO the World Series maybe for the first
time or maybe for the 1Oth-and you're praying you
won't be the goat
Sure you're nervous" Cookie continued only
complete idiot wouldn't be shaky under the circumstances
With me, well felt like my legs had deserted me-"
You're q glob of Jelly at that point said Bill
urges, who has been through it three times YES l
think the thought of every player that the Good Lord
VIII let him get through the series without being Ounce
not to shame himself the club disappont the fans
The nervousness vanishes maybe the pitch maybe
on the rst ball you field maybe after your swing
Them because things suddenly familiar again-this
Is your business and you know how do the job-you
settle down."
BUT EVEN AFTER the settling stage the pressure
Is excrucatng In addition TO the stadium crowd there's
the vast audience waiting see on televson
or hear via radio, the muffed pop fly, the bobbed
grounde the throw to the wrong base the wild pitch
passed ball that turned the tide
Invading the players privacy $4,000 pairs of eyes
at the scene plus the pryng Tv which are fun
neling the action to countless Millions displaying the
bushes in color There of cameras
there TO pepetuae the great play the bunder There
are the still cameramen who prove beyond doubt
that player safe although umpire called him out
And there those 400 boobS in the press section
who would second-guess a Renoir. Vultures ready to
pounce on the big mistake anayse It, dissect It, write
millions Of words about and perhaps the process
describe 1t cleverly that ridiculous phrase will haunt
player TO his grave
It's a boys game, played by men, but it's deadly
serious business, too.