Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-05
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW s FRANCIS s1Ann
It's the Background That Counts
E FRANCIS sIANN

LOS ANGELES, OCT. 5-The Dodgers-and this OBJ
servaton was made in this space the day they the
playof over Mwaukee-are team of many small talents
In addition, they are lucky.
They also lead the White Sox in this World Series two
victories to doesn't possible because in the
curtain-raser in Chicago the White Sox won 11-O and
yesterday something odd happened
Dick Donovan giving up only two hits and two walks
failed to last long Don Drysdale-who yielded II
hits and four walks Donovan pitched unexpectedly
IN this circus park and Drysdae in hot water almost
every minute f.hs innings.
When the White Sox and Dodgers came back to their
dressing rooms after Los Angeles 81 win could
most read the disbelief the faces of both sets of
athletes. Drysdale was bad real bad" Coach Chuck
Dresser OF the Dodgers said. HE wild and spotty
The only thing that saved Don striking out few
key hitters in pincheS 1t good thing the kid
Larry Sherry still had his stuff"
Sherry, heroic Dodger figure these last few weeks
slammed the door the Scx in the last couple Of innings
WALT ASTON, WHO is so brilliantly managing his
team was relaxed and in high good humor. 1.-THE back.
ground in the Coliseum is terrible" Walt was saying
when you get more than $4,000 people in this stadium
practically all wearing white, the hitters don't the
ball and the helders don't see it, either
"Drysdale wasn't sharp. The background helped him
escape those bad situations But it helped Donovan too
although he pitched smarty until he got tired"
Donovan had given up only two hits until, with two
out in the seventh inning he walked Norm Larker and
Gil Hodges to fill the bases The big highlander from
Quincy, Mass who had been out of action for month
with bum shoulder, obviously had out of strength
In the heat and stress.
At this point the wheels in the heads Of AL Lopez
in the Chicago dugout and Aston in the Los Angeles
catacomb began to whr Lopez called up Gerry Staley
his ace reever and Aston beckoned to 37yearod Carl
Furilo to bat for Don Demeter.
FURILLo SENT BALL skipping past Luis Aparicio
the practically hawles Sox shortstop It scored Charlie
Neal and Larker making 20 in favor Los Angeles
The hit enough to win the game, for although the
Sox counted in the eighth a double-play ball.
the Dodgers Cancelled that with run in their own
half of the inning
unless I'm greatly mistaken" Aston said in his fat
Mdwestern twang after the game you're not going
see high-scorng game in the Coliseum. the park is
sold out for today and tomorrow like I'm told it is all
pitchers are going to get the best of it, THEY'LL be
throwing against background of white shirts For that
matter, the ineders will be suffering, too Everybodys
surrounded"
This brought up the question of Aparco's inability
to handle Furos bounder that skipped past his glove
toward the second base side, deciding the game
Don't you think" newsman asked Aston, "that
Aparcio could have handled that ball if he'd gotten a
jump it? After ALL he made tougher plays than that
look routine all year."
"Im not in position to say whether Aparcio could
field ball like that" Aston replied. "All I'm saying
is that the background all those people in white
clothes makes it real tough for everybody except the
pitchers"
JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY who played in the third
game of the series agreed that it difficult follow the
ball. ut was murder" Waly Moon of the Dodgers said
YOU'D the pitcher get set to deliver and then whoos
You see we never had day quite like this one At
night we could follow the ball better"
Somebody asked Aston who was holding court in
one Of the larger beneath the Coliseum why he
hadn't started Sherry.
Walt shook his head smlingy. "Gosh" he said "I
keep thinking about him as starter but to need
him to bail out somebody all the time"
Why" asked an interviewer, did you pick Furlo to
bat for Demeter? Why didn't you up Duke snder or
Chuck EsSegian?"
Aston, dead serious replied:
I didn't think it the situation for Snider Es-
seglan, send him up in hope of getting long ball
Furlo is my for moving runner home from short
distance"
Suddenly, stolid old-maidish Aston broke out into
laughter.
"Gee whiz, fellows" he exclaimed "do I have to
explain something that worked?"