Evening star., 1960-06-27
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s7Auu
One-Yeor Wonders, Maybe

club on top is considered likely to 90 all the way an
oVerrated theory which has been debunked many times
But one thing certain unless the Los Angeles Dodgers
pull themselves together in hurry they are one club
that isn't going to raise any pennant
AS these lines written the Dodgers had some
tnlng In common with Ingemar Johansson namely that
they smack of oneyear wonders The team of destiny
which rose from seventh place to the world championship
IN 3d. seems headed back whence it came 1t going to
seed in a hurry
Don DrySdale the big handsome, soft-looking side
armer who was supposed to be of the good pitchers
is 4-lO Larry Sherry, the World Series hero
from nowhere, has a horrendous earned-run average
Roger Craig is nothing pitcher Sandy Koufax despite
one-hitter is 28 guy. If it not for Ed Roebuck
who came out of retirement and Stan Williams second
line pitcher, LA would be in sadder shape Between
them Roebuck and Williams have II far mostly in
relief.
AGAINST THE WHITE sox last October-and in the
dramatic National League stretch run-the Dodgers were
sort of wonderful Even Hollywood folk doubted if it
could sell cornbal movie plot improbable the rise
OF the Dodgers in real life.
Chicago supposed to have the No. second base
shortstop duo in baseball in Nellie Fox and Aparcio
In the World Series the Dodgers of Charlie Neal
and Maury Wills clearly oupayed the twin prideS of the
American League.
Behind the plate John Roseboro heir apparent to
Roy Campanella looking like the most promising
catcher in the business and hitter too Don Demeter
seemed to be coming into his in the oued and Gil
HoogeS was playing back TO some OF his old Brooklyn
Dodger form Duke Snider bated solid 312 after falling
of to IS homers and only SO RIBS in 49,
The Dodgers didn't win the pennant during the regu-
lar season. they merely tied with Milwaukee. But in the
two-out-ofthree games playof Manager Walt Alstons
destiny team beat the Braves in Milwaukee, 80, and
from behind to sweep it all in Angeles with
6-5 12-inning thriller.
AS OF THE MOMENT, however, Alstons only 800
hitter is Norm Larker, taking from the benched
Hodges whose IT'S average is approximately 80 points
less than his weight Neal who hit 379, two homers and
knocked in six in the World Series, is struggling
along with pa average
Demeter 271 at the last look and snder and Rose
boro 222 each Wills, who isn't expected to hit much, is
doing better with .279
finish lower than the Cubs and Phils but if Of
these mst clubs beats them out the world champions
will have fallen apart no other team in history True
the Washington Senators wound up in seventh in 1884,
after winning the AL pennant in 33, but the Senators
hadn't won the World Series.
Actually the collapse of the Senators great
surprise In his last notably brilliant burst of genius the
late Clark Griffith appointed young Joe Cronn man.
ager and then gamoled that the likes of Fred Schultz,
Walter Stewart, Henie Manush, OSSie Buege Sam Rice
Luke Sewe Al Crowder and Jack Russell would have
more good season in their systems
They did. Then they unraveled.
DURING THE WORLD WAR years the White sox
nant in IT but fell to sixth the following But then
the bounced back to win again in 49, the year they
threw the World Series The Cardinals in 1882 finished
seventh after two straight pennants but they getting
old.
Naturally, the old Philadelphia Athletics of 1915 come
to mind They in 1874, then finished eighth for the
next years. But in those days the AS owned and
managed by Connie Mack were far the class Of the
American League that interest ebbed and creditors
breathing Comics neck He had to sell his stars to stay
in business.
The Dodgers have such problem. Theirs could be
simple question of not having it any more which, in
cidentaly, would make prophet of Chuck Dressen who
coached for LA last year until he hired to manage
the Braves Dressen you may recall sounded off during
spring training to the effect that the Dodgers couldn't
possibly repeat
The many flaws he found in the Dodgers made for
topical wire service story, uncounted columns ano
unanimous indignation in the Dodger camp Beach
That's Old Blabbermouth for you,' the veteran Car
Furllo snapped
Dressens still in the big league but Furllo Glen
Labne and others and the exodus of last year,
heroes may not stop with these