Evening star., 1960-08-10
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s1AAn
The Glue Man From Duke

ON THE TELEPHONE Pittsburgh operative Les
Blederan was limiting that Dick Groat was the glue man
OF the Pirates Dick Groat the glue man was the NAV
Biederman put it,
In the jargon of the baseball writing set-and the
veteran Bederman of the Pittsburgh Press is former
Baseball Writers Association of America prez-glue man
means the who holds club together Groat baldng
and slightly underszed athlete of 49, NAV be one of the
leagueeading Pirates most unspecacular regulars as
well as the most valuable
"Groats the best shortstop we've had since Arky
vaughan, at least Bederman reports Dick grows on
you There's national magazine article him that just
mt the stands 1t seems he is slow and can't throw hard
It's not bad piece of writing but actually Groa isn't
so slow and his isn't bad.
Hes the finest bunter I've ever seen-he won two
games over the week end with bunts AS hitter all
can tell you is what Willie Mays said not long ago. If
anybody beats for the batting title Willie said it'll be
guy like Groat who never strikes out and handles bat
better than anybody"
MOST BASEBALL OBSERVERS have felt there is
resemblance between Groat and Lou Boureau who
to be the best shostop in the American League
bance may be undertaking it. Both Boudreau and Groat
basketball players superb shortstops Both
were relatively slow afoot.
Boudreau had small, dainty hands, like those of an
adoescen girl who doesn't major in field hockey yet the
late Clark Griffith vowed that Boudreau in 1948-the year
Lou led the Indians to pennan-was the greatest short
stop he'd ever seen, including Honus Wagner"
Pittsburgh admirers claim that Groat is faster than
Boudreau. Hes not really swift like Pnson or Mantle"
Biederman admits but he rarely hits into double plays
none OF our guys steals much although they fast
take that extra base hit.
III tell you something about Groat the way he
sneakS up you keep pretty good book of statistics
II say so myself About three weeks ago Groat, who
hardly is the public image of great hitter, made his
1,OOOth hit as big Lacquer. Took him six years and
Dick never has made more than ITS hits per Msal
took little over five to make 1000 hits and Mays
and Williams took five and half.
Everybody KNOWS those guys hitters Groat takes
people by surprise"
IN PITTSBURGH the natives and even such case
hardened as Biederman & Co., taking Buc pennant
almost for granted I'VE have conveniently short memories
and lots of OPTIMISM they report milwaukee, we are
not afraid Of But the Dodgers :"
The reference to short memories mainly regards the
1888 season. when the Pirates seemingly had the flag in
the bag They games in front early Septem
ber. Vaughan rocking the ball and the two Waner
brothers-Pau and Loyd-stl the bane of pitchers
Bill Benswanger owner of the Bucs confidently built
world Series press box on top of the roof at Forbes Field
He ordered World Series press buttons and tickets and
ostrlouted them But Benswangers luck out A hur-
ricane blew several games with second division clubs
his club collapsed and the Cubs with roar to win
by three games
The 1860 Pirates their followers don't think that's
going to happen again and of the big reasons is
Groat the glue man from Duke.
WINNER HAS to be lucky as we'll as good and the
Bucs are both. They've "a games by late rallies
seVenth inning on) They've 10 in the final time at
pat, dozen after two out Pittsburgh has beaten
the San Francisco Giants six times in the final time at
pat AND the shortstop usually plays part these up
riSings F
Groat, product of SwiSSvale, Pa suburb of Pitts
ourgh went to Duke chiefly because the Blue Devils had
JACK CoomoS as baseball coach and invariably expert
oaSKetoa teams 1t was Groats ambition to become ALL
America IN both sports which he did later ambition
was TO play both games major Lacquer and Dick did
this, too. OA N1"
ie 3layed for the Fort Wayne Pstons in the NBA at
the same time he making good with the Pirates Had
ne STUCK TO basketball they say he would have been an
other Bob Cousy which is difficult to imagine sort of
Bob Cousy, let's settle for
It's enough that he's the field captain and No. l guv
OF the seemingly pennant-bound Pirates AS Manager
Fred Hutchinson of the Cincinnati Redegs so trthfuv
away" ~ Az ~