Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-11
WIN, LOSE OR
tDRAW 3, FRANCE, ,rAuu
Down With the Pedestal
PERHAPS THE YANKEES are n,


season. but is Bill Werbers notion that If some people
would stop putting them pedestal the dominance
Of the Bronx Bombers would be harder maintain Some
people" includes sports writeA who "unknowmgy are
contr1butoy elements to the nadvertent brainwashing
of the local populace"
You will remember Werber Of course as the one-time
Duke star who spent full decade in the big leagues
wearing at one time another the uniforms Of the
Yankees Red Sox Athletics, Reds and Giants. He was a
highly intelligent aggressive guy who played to win.
Before the season opens the local fan knows more
about the eccentric genius Of Casey Sengel and the
ncontestabe Yankee muscle than he does about his own
oall CLUB, insists Werber, now leading Washington
insurance counselor. GAS consequence you and many
others add fuel to Yankee nvncbilty and help to
shore up the myth
"As matter of fact, stengel probably has very
ordinary 10 and Yankee personnel probably put on their
pants just like the Senators feel fairly certain in my
own mind that Stengels patoong acts adversely in his
own teams interest and that it is deserving of
criticism than praise"
ALL OF WHICH werber says brings him to point:
IF as much praise and color could be built around
our local TALENT the boys would undoubtedly do better
And concentrated dose Of debunkng could be leveled
against the Yankees it could conceivaby little gloss
from their confidence"
About stengels platooning! Would Mr. werber care
to amplfy?
II simply think it's been overemphasized" Bill explains
The really great managers put only nine men on the
held played ball for quite few years and have yet
to see bapayer who worth anything, be anything
except resentfu when he yanked Of the lineup
I'm real pro there is pride of performance. I've
seen players who sick maybe running high fevers
who would force themselves to play rather than
give up their places in the lineup to somebody else.
The best managers played for were Bucky Harris
and Bill McKechne. They weren't platoon-happy l.
think Joe Mccarthy and senge and overrated
Connie Mack? great old gentleman but when played
for the Athletics he was getting old"
CYNICS MAY DOUBT that newspaper criticism affects
professional ballpayer, but you take werbers word
1t does.
Lets say Herb Pews makes bad throw and loses
ball game Bill argues. What's the use of harping
on 1t? Everybody makes mistakes. Write about some
body who did well I know that tolerant press can
help balplayer viii cite the of Billy Myers"
Myers, you may recall, the shortstop for the
Cincinnati Reds lS35194l, journeyman infielder with
lifetime batting average Of 257 In the spring Of 1899
Werber was Cincinnatis third baseman.
Some Of the sports page articles we're a bit rough
on Billy Werber relates Il began to suspect that Myers
was losing confidence when he kept yelling during the
spring for to take Just about everything that was
popped up on side.
tom Swope Frank Grayson and Lou Smith were
covering the ball club went to them and asked them
to lay OF Billy, If they could do it honestly We can
win the pennant If Myers plays WE'LL told them"
THE DISPATCHES FROM the Florida training camp
day. when Billy stepped up to bat you'd have thought it
Babe Ruth.
THE upshot was that Myers one of the National
Leagues real good shorops He boosted his average from
2SS In 1888 to 2S highest he hit and he must have
Knocked across rs which very good for Myers
"And we the pennant"
While not overlooking the basic fact that 1t takes
ability to win, Werber sets store by details The little
touches The intangbles When the old st. Louis Browns
were moved to Baltimore, the asked werber
for some advice.
Il thought one Of the first things to do was to
announce taking dead aim at the Yankees werber says
7 was even in favor Of changing the teams name from
Orioles to Rebels
Rebel is rallying word, fighting word Rebels
suggests going up aainst the Yankees. lot Of ball
players come from the South anyway. But they stuck
TO Orioles"
Webster describes the oriole: "In America any Of
various oscne birds OF family not closely related to the
Ola world orioles, the males being usually bright black
ana yellow or orange as the Baltimore orole."
TITS still Bird" Werber smiles. IAN awful lot Of
birds are plucked"