Evening star., 1960-09-22
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW ;, FRANCIS ,1Auu
For How Long Nobody Knows

WELL IT'S NICE to hear that Frank Lane is very
pleased with Jimmy Dykes and has rendered him
tract to manage the Indians in 1861 very pleased
with Dykes" the way Frantic frankie put it Dykes
new pact, mind you merely calls for him to manage "n
1851 not through 1861" When Lane is boss manager
can't be sure he'll last through April player
doesn't bother to put his shirts in chest of drawers
Actually, Lane in position to allow Dykes interim
contract to expire and off looking for manager?
The Frantic One has been bit of spot himself this
The team he rebuilt a strong second to the
White Sox last year. but Lane felt the better club lost and
blamed Joe Gordon, his field manager.
After hagging with Gordon all last season. Lane fired
the oneme star the night the Indians lost the pennant
In less than "a hours he rehred Gordon Those reading
between the lines interpreted this meaning that Ceve
lands board of directors felt that Lanes creation wasn't
overpoweringly strong that bad managerial job could
have cost the flag.
FRANKIE's UNHAPPNEss with Gordon snuck up
him again this season. after Lane had spent the winter and
spring improving the team by trades Instead of getting
better and battling the White Sox and Yankees down to
the WIRE the Las Vegas money said they would the In
dians never got on the warpath.
When Lane traded home run hitter Rocky Coavto for
Harvey Kuenn early this fans in Cleveland hung
frankie in egy He eased off the hook when Kuenn
hit WELL but the team made move. This time, when Lane
proposed ackng Gordon he got the green light On August
3 he traded" his manager to Detroit for Dykes
Naturally the Round Man wanted contract extending
through 1861 the Detroit gave Gordon Lane
holdng-an interim post and hope of an extension
The extension almost had to come although under
Dykes the Tribe hasn't played 500 ball. But the Indians
less did prove that whether the be Cor
don or Dykes they didn't have 1t.
ONCE ARMED WITH his new pact, Dykes spoke up
81 think if lack anything at all it's longba hitter
Was this JmmyS impSh way of reminding Lane that 1t
would helpful to have Colavo back on the club? He
tempered it by adding, Knowing Lane think we'll have
at Tucson next spring
If Lane agrees that Cleveland needs muscle man. the
chances are good that Dykes will get his wish One thing
you can't take away from frankie is willingness to
out in the open market if it be closed to open up
There is way of knowing which way Lane will jump
either just might deal for Colavito whose 81 homers
rank him fourth in the American League,
The Indians might turn toward Washington al
though Lane and Cal Griffith do no rushing business to-
gether If it's consistent home hitter the Indians
want, Griffith is down to his last two-Jim Lemon and
Harmon Kebrew regardless of their fielding de-
1cencies Cal will be reluctant to part with either
1t took four years for the White sox to land Roy
Sievers and then he not only high but Griffith
convinced that Lemon, Kllebrew and Bob Allison could
carry the Senators relatively homerun reputa
tion
DYKES NEVER HAS finished higher than third place
in 27 years of managing with six different clubs although
in fairness to Jimmy he's had much to work with
Last spring in Florida he admitted that his Tigers PROB
ably the best I've had" Then he added loops,
said another year with another club and every
of those So and-SoS died on me-"
Jimmy could be thinking if not actually saying, the
same thing spring because the Indians potentially are
flag threats To give Lane his due Cleveland isn't as bad
the record indicates Kuenn lost by injury
time along with Woody Held and Johnny Temple.
In the middle of the Gary Bell nominal ace of
the pitching staff went home with hasn't
returned The other day Mudat Grant suspended for
the rest of the for leaving the field after bupen
rhubarb On the credit side young Barry Latman win
for other, has reeed off six in Dykes and
Bobby Locke has become another hot pitcher.
Most of ALL according to Lane it "the restoration
of club discipline" that Dykes his job, for how long
nobody knows