Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-25
WIN, LOSE OR
LNAW By FRANCIS STANN
Turning Back the Calendar

CLEARWATER, FLA, FEB 25--A photographer bor-
rowed baseball the Phillies bench tipped it to
Robin Roberts, and asked:
Robbie, stand next to Eddie, will you, like you're
showing him new pitch?"
And so they posed Robin Roberts and Eddie Sawyer,
the manager, and it if magic hand had turned
back the calendar full decade For this is how it
10 years ago when Roberts the brink of becoming
Whz Kid and Sawyer on the threshold of winning
National League pennant
In July 1948 the Phiies young owner Bob Carpenter
fired Ben Chapman and surprised by appointing Edwin
Milby Sawyer minor league manager by and a
faculty member of Ithaca College in the of-seaSon
In July 1855 another Philie manager Mayo Smith,
got the ak And came as just as great surprise when
Sawyer out of baseball for half dozen years was named
his successor.
LETS FACE IT" Eddie said here 81 love to manage
When Carpenter offered chance to come back, 1
didn't hesitate"
Sawyer hasn't changed much not nearly so much as
most of the surviving members of the Whz Kids who
the 1850 pennant Eddies hair grayer his face
less tanned his enthusiasm less evident He took
sixth place team off Chapmans hands and two
later up winner. Now he's taken ast-pace club
off Smiths hands.
"This was confused club last year." Eddie said az
by that day would get pitching but not the
hitting The next it hit all right but couldn't get any
pitching.
Most of ALL we couldn't make the double play. 1t
diScouraging 1t upset pitchers Soy HemuS tried
to make go at second base, but he was over the hill
HemuS since has become of the St Louis Cardinals
SAWYER HOPES TO PATCH UP the leaky nfield by
finding second baseman from among George Anderson,
up from Montreal Gene Freese, obtained for Hemus;
Johnny OBrien formerly of the Pirates and Bobby Young
up from Miami.
We've got some good-looking kids not even on our
yet" Eddie said They're not ready but they're
promising"
The last time Sawyer spoke this way back in February
1949, he prophet Roberts, Curt Simmons Richie
Ashburn, Willie Jones, Granny Hammer Stan Lopata and
Dick Sisler young and poisoning and Jim Konsanty
Del Ennis and Andy Semnick were ripe
Roberts became great winner of FOG games Sim
mons hasn't done much since his 1913 record in so.
Ashburn the batting champion of 1858 with $50
remains star. Jones is heavy and slow, and Hammer,
plagued by injuries looks older than his nearly 80
Lopata has been just Sser, Konstanty Ennis and
Seminick are long since gone
II DON'T THINK we're a last-pace club" Sawyer
muSed but I won't make any extravagant claims for
this season. 1t will take time and those kids mentioned
will have develop It's nice to know that fellow like
John Quinn operating in the front Office Quinn last
month resigned general manager of the Milwaukee
Braves to take the same post with the Pills
The one-time Whiz Kids appear happy to see Sawyer
back 1t was the exbology and psychology teacher
that Roberts had his first 2Ogame That was in
So when Robin 20-11
Then in succession Roberts won 81 49, g. g. % and
10 games although Sawyer replaced in 1852 by Steve
ONeiI who in turn succeeded by Terry Moore and
Smith.
Even Roberts looked washed up in 81 when he was a
mere 1922 pitcher losngest in the majors However he
wasn't done he proved by his 74 record last season
for the cellar dwelling Philes Robin indeed given
the award for the National Leagues
When the award was presented Roberts, nearly as
erudite as Prof Sawyer himself said Il don't wish to
appear ungrsteful but this one award never want
to win again."
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