Evening star., 1960-04-08
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s1Anp
The Endless Search


ST. PETERSBURG, FLA, APRIL 8.-There is an
unwritten law observed by the puseeelers permits
baseball managers to tell their little lies and delude
themselves
When dugout genius proelaims that Joe Doakes "is
young 49, the kindly interviewer does not challenge
although he knows the is talking of crow-bat
When manager in hopeless position speaks of waiting
until the other clubs panic" before making trade it
Is understood he is following the party line.
Thus it is novel to Eddie Sawyer erudite
manager OF the PhilieS He admits he has ball club
Last year we had nothing but speed" Sawyer says I
never saw guys dress and leave clubhouse so fast after
q game"
AS these lines were written the Philles had closed
camp the road at Clearwater had fed the country
Some people felt it might be permanent departure
IN MS farewell interview Prof Sawyer-who did, indeed
teach at Ithaca-vows the PhlieS will be back to play
out the National League schedule.
I'VE MAY NOT BEAT any of the other clubs" SAWYER
saying, but at least there be new faces losing
all those games Most of them will be young kids Let's
face it this club hasn't been able to hit or field
Even our pitchers fell down last year. and the modern
history of the Phies has suggested that pitching was
the strength of the club"
There is monStrouS specimen of manhood named
Pancho Herrara from Havana playing second base for
the PhlieS He belongs there like Big Daddy Lipscomt
belongs in the Scatback position in the Baltimore Colts
offensive backfeld unit Herrara is first basenan by
trade 6foot3 24Opounder who bated 1923 for Buffalo
last hit 81 home and drove 1913 Pancho
being tried at second because the only position at which
the Phillies are rich is first base
II have Ed Bouchee." Sawyer explains "All I'm try
ing to do is get Herrara's bat in the lineup.
"Il be frank" Eddie went on. This isn't much team
year two three maybe we'll have something
We've got good crop of kids, but most are season
away"
SAWYER HAD BEEN TALKING in his little office and
the Phs filed in out of the clubhouse their spikes
made noises the SCARED concrete next to Eddies
cubcle. He seemed almost to know who passing by
the tread and measure.
THAT would be Herrara he said noting particularly
heavy footstep For big he isn't bad at second
He makes the double play pretty well.
when first became member of the Phillies organ
ization Eddie mused I'VE looking for second base
I remember that it the winter of 1943 I had
been connected with the Yankees until that time.
"The first meeting attended included Bob Carpenter
and his dad plus Herb Pennock who general manager
wasn't the manager-Bucky Harris at the start of
that season and later, Freddie FtzsimmonS-but in
charge of the farm system The of the discussion
was the finding of second baseman.
Nov II years have passed and, do you know, the
Phiies haven't found honest-ogoodness second base
We try to develop trade, buy but still
second baseman. I'd guess the last pretty good
Philadelphia had FreSco Thompson (now vice pres
ident of the Dodgers) Don't hold me to it, but if it
wasn't Fresco, think it was in that era"
IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN that no ball club wins
pennant without solid second baseman. Sawyer did in
1885, the season of his Whiz Kids But his weakest
was Mike Goliat, almost forgotten Mike had
year in him., Eddie Said and at his best he
exactly frankie Frisch.
II don't know how much money the Carpenters have
spent trying to find second baseman Some clubs go
for years without catcher. Washington for example
Cincinnati hasn't had any pitching depth since the
Derringer-Walters days How many first basemen have
the Yankees tried since Lou Gehrg? Fifteen? Twenty?"
Shortages such these not easily understandable
Sawyer said There times when certain ball clubs
seem hexed by positions and money and effort go for
naught
THE Philles always seemed to have pitchers" Eddie
repeated but second baseman and hardly good
long-bal rghthand hitter Del Ennis suppose the
closest we've had to that type of hitter, and that
years ago."
ONCE ALREADY, the Phillies have been skunked-
no hits, runsand pair of Yankee rockies did them
in. visitor asked Sawyer if he had up with Camlo
Pascual of the Senators yet
mo-" Eddie replied, rbut they tell me he's the best
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