Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-30
Conclusion

Conclusion
Casey Stengeps most anxious
moments came when he looked
at his new ball club. The YAM
KEGS still had some Of the most
famous names In haseball-Joe
DiMaggio. Phil Rizzuto. Tommy
Heinrich, Charley Keller-but
age and injuries seemed to be
stripping them of their once
wonderful skills. .t
The future of the ball club
was not especially bright. and
the Yankee empire, in the
opinion Of many baseball men,
faced certain collapse unless
Weiss Immediately began a Wig
orous rebuilding job.
The Red Sox. with their dew
astating attack, seemed about
to usurp the Yankees position
as the aristocrats OF baseball.
= &&*
1t wasn't until he saw his
team on the field at st. Peters,
burg that Stengel knew with
what slender threads It was
held together.
There were a number Of can
didates for first base, but none
was promising and it grew more
apparent as time went on that
Casey might have to have Hem
rich, his best outfieldeg aside
from DiMaggio, play that posi-
ton, Rizzuto, the great little
shortstop, was seriously handi-
capped by Q shoulder injury.
The Yankees unlikely look
ing young catcher, Yogi Berra,
could hit, but he was an un-
believably awkward receiver.
II Heinrich moved in to play
first base, Stengel's outfield
problem would be further COM
plicated. DiMaggio had under
gone an operation for the re-
moval Of a bone spur from his
left heel, and the foot was
alarmingly slow in healing. Joe
was "a and obviously nearing
the end Of his career.
y
The pitching staff also was
badly riddled. Joe Page, 1.-THE
Gay Reliever," had been out
Of shape in l948. Frank Shea,
a starting pitcher, also had
been out Of shape, while Allie
Reynolds, q hard working
young man for whom a fine
future had been predicted, had
stumbled through a disap-
pointing season.
Stengel knew that the best
Of his younger players was
Berra, and he gave Opera
ton Yogi" high priority at st. |
Petersburg. The homely and
powerfully built catcher was
an extraordinarily gifted nat
ural hitter and he had q good
arm and quick reflexes. But his |
movements around the plate |
were as crude as his speech
Stengel assigned Bill Dickey
the task of molding q creature
Of grace and beauty from this
formless lump, and Yogi hap
pity blosSomed forth in the
hands Of his Arkansas Pygma-
lion. |,
Almost So now, Casey re-
allied he was facing his one
chance to go down in baseball
history as something more
than a clown. He saw nothing
funny in the various tribula-
tons which confronted him in
his new job. For perhaps the
only time in his life he was
deadly serious about himself,
his team, and all of his prob
lens.
Casey's friends among the
writer's were genuinely sorry for |
him. The old man. out in the
cold so long, had been invited
in after the fire had. gone out. |
AS he brought his crippled team |
north for the start Of the sea-
son. DiMaggio was being exam
ined at Baltimore's Johns Hop
kins Hospital. No one knew
when Joe would be able to play
again.
When the Baseball Writers
Association was polled by The
Sporting News for its pennant
selections. only six of the 206
writers thought that the
Yankees would win. Cleveland,
defending its world champion
ship, was picked for first place.
The Red Sox, managed now
by Joe Mccarthy and boasting
a lineup which included the
great Ted Williams. were placed
second.
~ $50
As the season began the play
ers had little confidence in their
grim and, at times. apparently
bewildered manager; and. the
fans and writer's had little con-
fldence in the team. Visions of
sugar plums danced only in the
head of Stengel.
II won't fall" he told a
friend. II never had so many
good ballplayers."
Heinrich opened the season
playing in the outfield and bat
ting in DiMaggio's old cleanup
position. AS he was to do SO
often during the l949 season,
Tommy came through with the
hit necessary to keep Stengel's
opening day at Yankee Stadium
from being ruined. The Yanks
were trailing. 81, going into
the last Of the ninth inning.
With one man on Heinrich hit |
a long home run into the right
centerfield hleachers and Casey
won his American League de-
but, 80.
This sudden turn Of the tide
IN the opening game gave the
Yankees a tremendous lift.
Rizzuto's shoulder trouble
disappeared and he quickly be-