Evening star., 1960-04-13
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAW By FRANCIS s1ANN
Snake Is a S. Word

WHEN LAST SEEN and heard Mr.. James Joseph Dykes
still was manager of the Detroit Tigers although one
member of the Detroit press corps virtually fired him. or
predicted that President Bill Dewitt would do it. I've
been fired before Dykes testified this day in Sarasota
Fla, but never quite this early Once fired myself"
Dykes was treating the rumor, before it was
denied by Dewitt very casually. Managing is very
precariouS way to make living" the Round Man said
but If I am tossed out in the future predict
very busy year for myself. will be spending a good
deal of time at the horse tracks and the golf
and collecting my salary checks the 1st and 18th,
too. You know, do have contract"
Jimmy seemed concerned about eliminating the
word snake" from the Tiger clubhouse conversation
Snake" is nasty, IS word among Dykes troops.
"I called meeting" James revealed. II told
the guys, The next hear say snake is fined S.!
sick to death of listening about rattlesnakes and
half of my players turn green whenever the subject is
mentioned. And it's all Luke Appling's fault"
AS THE STORY IS TOLD, Appling, the Georgia
Cracker who was Dykes old shortSop when jimmy man
aged the White Sox began talking of fabulous ratters
to be found in Florida six feet long this thick"
Luke drawed forming circle with his thumb and middle
fingers
"Appng used to tell more tall stories than any ball
player ever knew" Dykes said He also denied lot
of stories about himself like old he really
he's coach and he's telling the stories he used
to deny.
Talking about newspaper stories think the Chicago
papers used to keep two headlines in type One said
When Is Dykes Going to Quit Playing? and the other
said, How Old Is Appling? Every few weeks they'd pull
out one of these headlines and write words under
em to ft
But this snake bit of Appngs got everybody in an
uproar on this club and might mention it also drew
some attention from the Yankees Because, enough
they found rattler in Tgertown (Detrots farmland
tenement in Lakeland) and killed it. The damn thing
measured 6-1 and Apping beside himself. All full
Of I-told- -you-sos.
80 NOW LUKE REALLY starts talking about snakes
he deod
nail but looking like it's alive and scare the hell out of
everybody Then Frank Larry thinks it would be a good
oea TO put the snake the Yankee bench We are playing
the Yankees this day
We'll, they coil up the snake and Larry puts it where
he figures Casey stengel will sit. told Frank Casey
won't like you And he said: He don't like me now and
know hes right because Larry has heluva record for
beating Caseys team.
"Stengel doesn't get to the bench in time IN oet ord
but his first baseman Kent Hadey did He came ying
out OF the dugout white as sheet
NOW the snake is getting little ripe, so Appling
cuts on the raers and em and he begins to shake
them like castanets in the clubhouse Well some neonle
are SqueamlSh about snakes including baplayers and
SO barred the dried rattes and put in that IS fine for
anybody who even mentions snake If you don't think
I'm squaring with you there's Appling hitting fungoes
Ask him."
The suggestion was duly carried out I'VE did have
some discussions on the matter of reptiles Luke con-
IeSsed Reptiles" is not IS word yet They're cagey
those Crackers.
DYKES WAS REMINDED that earlier in his CONVEX
Saton ne mentioned that he fired himself The Pond
Man. who has managed the White sox Orioles Redegs
AtneucS ana Tigers qualified his explanation I fired
myself out not as manager" he began
III was back in the times 1 mentioned-when tho
Chicago papers were wondering if I'd ever quit and how
OLD Applng really was think 1885, Harry Grsbiner
was running the White sox and the day before cutting
ooWn ume ne called me on the phone and said Jim were
w payer over tne limit we've got to get rid of somebody
u know it, Harry, said and I've got the man,
Wen Just tell me his name and I'll send him down
Ito the minors)' ~ ~
His name, told him. is Dykes'
I'D just taken look at the lights that were beino
put up at every park, including our own and figured
that I'd been beaten up enough as player So Harry
took me of the active list
But I'll say this much for Grabner He let me
remain the manager. That's more than the Detroit
Times is letting do"