Evening star., 1960-03-17
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW B, FRANCIS ,rAuu
Big Nu Miqht Have Quit

SARASOTA, FLA, MAR. 17-If the White Sox had not
acquired him last August 25 Theodore Bernard Kluszew-
SKI thinks he might not be in baseball today Instead
Ku feels that despite his suspect back and IS wears he
can play 125 games this season.
AS formidable baseball figure Klu stands alone
He is 245 pounds of muscle He take one hand of
the bat handle which he sometimes does during his swing
and still line ball out of the playing field But the
time Indiana football end just about ready to call it
quits in 1859 when he riding the bench for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
"A big mans got to play every day." Ted explains
Some fellows can pinch-hit play every in while
and do all right but mostly they're little fellows big
man can't retain his timing"
THE WHITE sOX, driving for the pennant but lacking
big run-producer learned that George Grove of the
Cardinals and Klu available They chose Klu and
aren't sorry He hit 297 during the final five weeks
while still out of condition, according to Ted.
1T was sort of like spring training for me- but a
dogeatdog period for the rest of the guys" Ku said
ut wasn't until World Series time that completed my
training"
This is not hard to believe remembering the Dodgers
White Sox series Kluszewsk waived out of the National
League. magnificent with his 39l batting average
In the six games it lasted he homered three times
across 10 runs made nine hits and scored five times
The afable giant from Argo H. put lot of his home
towns most famous commodity, starch into the White
Sox attack and he thinks he do it again, only better
and for longer The back isn't bad it used to be-"
Klu says "It still bothers me- but work out
the stiffness in half hour before game 1t used to
take three four days of rest"
SOMEBODY ASKED KLUSZEWSKI if one reason for
his apparently interest in baseball the fact that
he happier as White soxer than a Pirate.
Lets say a bit happier" Ted grinned, uttering
of the understatements of the spring This is about
as close Mr. Muscles to being vindictive.
Until he hurt his back in 1857 and spent month on
the disabled list Klu of the spectacular
sugges in the His forte the line drive but he
powerful that over four-year stretch ne53-s)
he vUh bOr1e
The one-tme clumsy kid from Indiana, signed in 1946
by the Cincinnati Reds and member of the parent team
year later holds fewer than IA Redeg records on
his and shares another His peak season was 1854
when he hit 40 home runs, drove in 141 runs and
batted 1926.
THE OTHER FIRST BAsEMAN for the American
League champions Earl TOrgeSon the sprghty
older veteran who the White Sox No l guy until
Klus acquisition. Torgy is faster on the bases and
flasher in the field than Ted but apparently accepts
his present role No. boy.
Torgy reported to camp minus his familiar eye
glasses which he has for 13 years in the major
leagues. Al Lopez the Chicago manager was mystifed
until Earl explained that he had bought contact lenses
They feel great Skip he said "and actually better
Darn he didn't look better at the plate too" Lopez
said. Now notice he's wearing his old specs suspect
he lost of his contacts"
Maybe he sneezed," bystander suggested "and it
"sneezed?" Lopez repeated PRO football players
EN- and they don't get their contact knocked
out"
$3.50
IN AN EFFORT to solve the mystery small detail
of inqustors sought out Torgy who the process
of explaining to another tidy group how the White Sox
penchant for becoming involved in games stmu
lated" the players.
1T was good for U.s." Torgy lectured "a few times
we games very handily But the next day night
we invariably got clobbered. remember beat Cleve-
land four straight Next time out the Tigers killed
"Torgy" somebody interrupted, where are those
contact lenses? Could you have sneezed 2"
"Sneezed? Oh yeah, that's right. I sneezed one
night One popped out and fell 1t dark and
couldn't find it, I'm buying set"
otherwise, you're in good shape take it?" the
other asked
Il never have any special problems" Torgy answered
AS he spoke, Kluszewski ambled past
NO other problems" he owliShy amended, except
other first basemen"