Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-26
WIN. LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS srANN
Ku to the White Sox

AL LOPEZ, when he was putting the White Sox
through their training PAGES in Florida last March,
quietly but persstently maintained Chicago could win
the American League pennant Hardly anybody else
thought so but Lopez kept saying You'd be surprised
what man could mean The trick is finding and &C
quiring him."
At the time Lopez admitted that he thinking
of Roy Sievers of the Senators But any hitter to help
Sherm Lollar give the long ball and play first base
would help" Al emphasized.
There's possibility the White Sox up with
Lopez man with the waiver transaction of Harry Simpson,
plus farmland for Ted Kluszewsk Of the Pirates This
is not the Kluszew of DID, perhaps but he might do the
Job Johnny Mze did for the Yankees some years ago.
did Johnny Hopp and Pitcher Johnny Sain.
Mze, like big Klu was waived out OF the National
League Despite his advancing years and big salary the
Yankees picked him up and regretted 1t. Used
sparse but wisely Mze helped to lock up remnants and
win World Series
AS RECENTLY AS 1856 there would have been no
chance of getting Kuszewsk out of the National League
He was playing Cincinnati and rated of the hot
test properties in the game In successive start
ing 1885, hit 49, 49, At and IS home and drove
in 108, 141, 113 and 102 runs.
back ailment which threatened his rendered
Kuszewsk the exIndiana football STAR almost useless
in 1857 That winter Birdie Tebbetts who was managing
the Reds traded him to Pittsburgh for First Baseman
Fondy Fondy wasn't in the same class with Klu at
his BEST but Tebbets had begun to despair about Mr.
Muscles.
ordered Kluszewsk to Georgia to train with Cincinnati
farmhands when the parent club broke and headed
home He's not swinging Birdie explained, land m not
sure he can't"
But Kluszewki wasn't swinging much for the Pirates
in 1885, either although he played IN 100 games ana
bated 1892 But home total dropped to four and
the Pirates began to look elsewhere for regular first
baseman
THIS SPRING THE BIG GUY, who will be IS on
September TO- looked healthier than at any time since So
He was swishing his bat in training But by this
time the Pirates successfully had converted Outeder
Dick Stuart into first baSeman and, in addition had
acquired Rocky Nelson the perpetual minor league SEN
saon Klu reegated to the BENCH $4,000 salary and
all
Kluszewskfs name on the waiver list had to be an
invitation for the White Sox to swing into action Earl
Torgeson and Rookie Norm Cash had helped here and
there the season, but neither the zone man.
Lopez seeking. If Ku u.s. Lopez can be thankful the
other three flag contenderS in the National LeagueSan
Francisco Los Angeles and Milwaukee, deep in first
basemen.
Otherwise Klu would have been waived out of the
league Bad back ALL he still had hit 255 major league
home going into this Another Sox break
perhaps Clevelands having Vic Power on first base
the Indians might have beaten Chicago to the big
Pole from Argo, Ill.
IT'S ODD THAT Kuszewsk and Moose Skowron Of
the Yankees should be brittle Both are former Big
Ten football players big, muscular who rated
among the strongest in the game. Yet Ku has been
virtually useless for nearly three and Skowron is
so susceptible injuries that Casey Senge thinking
of converting him into outf1elder next year.
Indiana's only Big Ten title was won in 1945 when
Kuszewsk playing end and Pete Phos of the Ma
tonal Football Leagues atime great stars crash
ing fullback. Another important contributor John
Cannady who later star linebacker for the New
York Giants.
Football not baseball, won Klu his scholarship to
Indiana he played baseball too and it was because
the Reds were training at Bloomington during the war
Of hat thew uO
Reds would finish using Indiana diamond the varsity
would work out.
One day member of the Cincinnati staff remained
after the Reds workout and watched the coeganS He
saw Kuszewsh hit tipped off Manager Bill McKechnie,
and Indiana lost star end after his sophomore
He was of the real good first basemen until he
hurt his back Lopez gambling that he be again.