Evening star., 1960-05-12
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV By FRANCIS sTANN
Young Man Who Wants Out

EITHER DON DRYsDALE doesn't know which side his
bread buttered the big young highlander of the
Dodgers doesn't think the world champions going to
repeat Il want to be traded" Drysdale quoted This
ball park, referring to the Los Angeles Coliseum,
farce"
Drysdae 23yearold, 6-foot-6, pound sidearmer,
was in zzy because he struck out 13 Pittsburgh battes
to begin the week-alowng only hit going into the
eighth inningyet relieved by the eventual winner
Larry Sherry.
Drysdae is rated the nominal of the Dodger
pitching staff although you couldn't say that he is any
great sandout, The Van Nuys, Calf, singer 1913
last year with the fagwnnng Dodgers, and the best
thing about his record his total of 242 strkeous
Camilo Pascua with the cellar-locked Senators was
ITO and had better earnedrun average Pascual some
how endured the season without calling attention to his
plight of having to pitch for weak club Without looking
1t up, you get small bet that Drysdale is given
more runs than Pascual
DRYsDALEs BEEF is that he made two bad pitches
last Monday against the Pirates to Bill Mazerosk
and another to Bob Skinner and they for
in the Coliseum. Don is little late, however, in COM
planning Two years ago. when the Dodgers moved into
the Coliseum with its freak left field SCREEN nearly every
body else called it joke playing field.
And of course that's what it is yet more homers
were hit out of Crosley Field in Cincinnati than Los
Angeles last year And while Drysdae is peulany bemoan-
ing his fate at belonging world championship club
he oerookS the fact that the Dodgers averaged better
than homer per game in SO in the Coliseum hitting
80 in IT engagements Certainly Drysdale must have bene
htted once or twice He was in Al games.
Quite few of the Dodgers had cauStic comments to
make about the Coliseum when they moved to Los Angeles
in 1858 Duke Snder the fthanded long ball hitter looked
with aundced eyes the cockeyed layout with the pain
fully short in left and the distance in right
(Where his power ies).
Dukes homer output dwndled to IS as against the 40
or more he hit in Brooklyn from 195357 inclusive his
runs-batted-in column shrunk enormously But Snder
who can fret and stew with the best of them adjusted
himself Last year Duke got eight homers and bated
IN 80 more runs and he pretty happy about playing
before than million home customers collecting
all that loot from record World Series payoff
GIL HODGES, the big first baseman who bats right
handed also had rough SO season in the Coliseum THE
fence is so close that when first played there couldn't
watch the pitcher for the fence" Gil drawled good
naturedy when he reported at Vero Beach Fla spring
training. Il wound up with 259 average, only "a RIBS
and % home runs. had to condition myself to ignore
the screen IN left and concentrate meeting the ball.
Hodges and Snider are pros Both are time-tested
and both are moving into the latter stages of their
DrySdaleS squawk reflects certain immatury When the
Dodgers team finished seventh in 58-their first
in the Colseunl-Drysdae 13 pitcher but
he not record as having complained
Actually, Drysdale, of all National League pitchers
who to mind would appear to be best equipped
cope with the admittedly silly but profitable temporary
park in Los Angeles On the 15inch mound only go feet
inches from the plate he is formidable figure although
Don little softookng contrasted with such hard
jawed old pro as Lew Burdette. The way Don pitches
sidearmed and almost whip-like Ewel Blackwell
used to be-is another factor in his favor.
Righthand hitters-the ones who figure to profit
by the short Screenare intimdaed by his motion and
his speed. When Drysdae in Brooklyn in his only
full season there-l957he struck out 148 batters Last
year. working with that Sdearm notion the innate wdness
(heS 3and2 kidd and the background of white shirts
that hitter sees when many SO 1000 out
Don whitfield 242 to lead both leagues
MOST PITCHERS WOULD say probably that nobody
ever had it so good But DrySdae complaining and this
is the big styhy dressed kid who California
and who i'll the oSeason picks up monetary Hollywood
Nv package denied many homelier ball players lesser
clubs by putting Stetson, strappng a sx-shooter
1led with blanks and saying They went tha-a way"
He wants with another ball club? The Phllies maybe?
Or the Redlegs?
Don'S just upset" Red Patterson of the Dodgers
commented in the wake of Drysdales outburS He
deprived of victory and should be something
ne really doesn't We're going be playing in our
ball park Chavez Ravne in the not distant future
and Don will like IT. better"
He hopes.