Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-14
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAW BY FRANCIS sTANN
Of Stan the Man

ST. PETERSBURG FLA, MAR. AT is generally
conceded that except for Ted Williams nobody playnl
ball today knows about the art of hitting than Star
Musia This day, while The Man sitting in the Card
nails dugout reporter facetiously said:
"stan, it's too bad you aren't switch hitter. wher
play the Los Angeles Dodgers you could take dead ain
at that 25O-oo efted fence by batting righthanded"
"oh intend to reach the fence" Musia said quietly
Not batting righthanded, though think efthandec
hitter can clear, Or at least hit, that fence.
Good hitters," he explained. "can adjust to playing
conditions They pull the ball they hit to the
opposite Held What's the of hitting to dead center ir
big ball park hitting ball nine miles, that is? It's
only big out"
"You do that even against good pitching?"
"Not all the time" Stan smiled "I wish could but
there's certain drectiona element hitter control
Like when you always pulled the ball at Ebbets
Field?" reporter asked
well, tried to pull in Brooklyn The Dodgers fence
in rght1eld awfuly inviting to lefthanded hitters-
and to righhanders, too Now it's lefted in Los
Angeles that's so inviting"
jim TooMEY, director of public relations for the
Cardinals had been distributing the 1858 sketchbook put
out by the ST. Louis club CHANGING through it. visitors
were impressed anew at Musals accomplishments There
too many to list Maybe the first sentence by Mr.
Toomey will suffice: "San (The Nam MusaI probably the
greatest player in National League history added to his
collection of records -"
of all, he places high up. No other MI lefty
batting championships and if he wins more ties
Honus Wagners record of eight titles The next triple
homer he hits will put him top of Mel OFT for total
bases. And only OFT has hit more homerS.
an catch OFT in homers" Stan said "You know
what I'd like to do to winning another batting
pionship? I'd like to get 43 hits quick reach
5000 wsh he added impishly, they counted the hits
down here in exhibitions"
"Are you conceding the altime National League home
run record to Ott?" an interviewer asked
with his Slip How many does the book show that
I've got?"
at says $751;"
THE BEST KEPT and possibly the richest balplayer in
the business sighed
Even if I could hit rs or 80 home runs season, I'd
have play five years to catch Ott he estimated
I'll never make it. I've got couple of years maybe
three. You never can tell when you reach my age.
"Tell you what. If get 400 homers for my career
that would be pretty good for little old singles hitter
don't overpower pitchers, you know In fact, hit
than 10 in until after came out of the
Navy"
What did the Navy have to do with it?"
Nothing really Stan said. when I was young
bapayer used to punch lot of hits to left incidentally
what does the book say about two-base hits?"
"You stand next to Wagner with CO." reported the
man with National League Green Book wagner has 651
Musia nodded 81 getting singles and doubles" he
said after the began to for distance although
I'm not really home-run hitter"
MUSIAL JUMPED FROM 10 homers-his biggest out
put in his six 80 hoers in l94S And he's kept
In the 30 bracket most of the time since then.
II changed my stance and my general style little
Stan revealed Il used to crouch lot and, like said
punch the ball Then began stand staigher and swing
little harder Not too hard mind you If you overswng
you won't get your quota of singles
Johnny Mize hitter to study think Mize had
the best pair of eyes For a giant Mze was
extremely quick If he tempted by a pitch that
wasn't really to his liking Johnny could check it.:
"A good batting eye like Mize's is Unborn, guess But
the stroke that's something good hitter acquires
never saw Mze swing hard that he lost his cap like
many other ong-bal hitters. Big John smooth He
kind Of sroked the PITCH and when he played in the Polo
Grounds he sroked to ghtfeld and when he batted
Fenway Park he stroked to left"
1t STAINS turn to hit in the cage and he left Red
Barber said, There's of the remarkable ball
players I've He's 81 and looks 81 It's hard to
believe that he's played in the big leagues for 16 years
You know his secret? It's because Musal fighting
Musal. He's balanced man and balanced man is a
happy If he's put the oued Stan does his job
he's moved to first base thing. kind of like his
q ances Of sticking with this ball Hub"