Evening star., 1960-10-07
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s7Auu
With Mantle Hittinq Well

NEW YORK OCT. Tin the fifth inning of that 1873
debacle in Pittsburgh yesterday Mickey Mantle finally hit
He'd been taking third strikes and generally not
helping the Yankees But in the fifth with green
kid appropriately named Fred Green pitching the Okla
homa Kid virtually goed blast into the rghtfied
at Forbes Field.
Although the Yankees we're leading the Pirates at the
tme 3d. Mantle suddenly changed the World Series
picture Wnen Mantle wasn't hitting it looked like an
even thing with maybe an edge for the Bucs because
OF reputedly better pitching speed and perhaps
superior fielding
Mantle when he hitting changes all that and wipes
out the deficiencies of Art Ditmar and Bob Turley and
some OF the other Yankees who not precisely over
Whelming Mantle, at his best, is overwhelming
The fifth inning ball he hit didn't look like any home
rum Manager Danny Murtaugh of the Pirates rueully
admitted in the dressing after the rout "I didn't
think was going to reach the wall and neither did Bill
Virdon But when it passed second base, the ball
seemed to rise, like good golfers brassie shot"
Danny shook his head in admiration
***#
MAYBE THE CoUCH-IN -INTERv1EWERs can tell YOU
Wnat happened Mickey'S homer which made it ST. may
or may not have had psychological effect on the Pirates
For example, he didn't hit it off Bob Friend who didn't
pcn beyond the fourth inning did he make any dent
IN Vern Law who beat the YANKEES in the opener These
two-LaW and Friend-are top pitchers.
He hit it off Green a "whos-he?" guy Yet ironically
When the Yankees than batted around in the sixth
inning making joke of the contest by scoring seven runs
Mantle took third strike Trey the pitcher made two
VI ouIS memorable naSco Mantle the other
But the Pirates had to know that Mantle if he swung
where the ball pitched was of Ruthan proportions
He proved in the seventh inning when lached onto
pitch by Joe Gibbon another who's hep? and hit it
country mile.
I'VE SEEN EVERY HOME RUN that was ever hit over
the centerfed wall in Pittsburgh" Murtaugh said later
Dale Long hit one and did Stan Musial and Duke
Snder But they were all lefthanded htters. Mantle is
the hrSt man batting righthanded who did. And
doubt if the other guys hits close for length"
Mante's spectacular came with two Yankees on base
and one-sided game-12 to became ISL. And it
of pitcher Gibbon, who like Green may be seen
again in what's left of the SERIES barring another catas-
rophe If it's any Soace to Pirate fans Mantle hasn't hit
one of their top flight pitchers.
And yet for distance there's nobody in the game who
match Mantle The guy faued here and there but
his only two hits in the series have been memorable
homerS Now he's got 13 in series competition, leaving
him only two behind Babe Ruth Whether the pitcher
Green or Gibbon Walter johnson, Mickey commands
respect.
IN PITTSBURGH IT'S BEEN the practice to bring the
rival managers Casey Stenge and Murtaugh to the
office cubbyhoe to talk to the press Yesterday it
Senge who arrived first Oddly he looked pale, gaunt
and more than his 10 years. commenting on
CaSeys appearance Sad Well if you have few Turleys
your staff, you've got to grow old in hurry"
But the old fnancer genius, raconteur knows his
Stengel gave patented double talk until Murtaugh
arrived and sat next to him. When reporter asked Casey
he'd ever seen longer home run by Mantle than yester-
days second one he responded quickly.
-
WELL NOW" HE SAID there were some we couldn't
This all right but recolect the ball
that my hit off that Washington feller (Chuck
stobbs), and don't think they've found it yet"
Murtaugh is too smart guy to buy propaganda, as
such, but he admitted that Mr. Mantes muscles were
impressive And he too nice to mention that SC
far Mantle hasn't tapped of his good pitchers.
got beat real good" Danny sad instead, "but I'd
lose by 1873 than by 21 One thing to say is that
able to get lot of young untred players into series
You can't teln the long just that little explosion
might mean something" -,
Actually, 1873 sounds than it In the fourth
inning, before anybody was out, Gino Cimoli Smoky
Burgess and Don Hoax hit safely off Turley who doesn't
seem to have the steam and stuff he once had The bal
See WIN, LOSE OR DRAW, Page Ca
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