Evening star., 1960-03-08
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Dykes Brings His Own Cigars

LAKELAND, FLA, MAR. s-At an age when most
baseball looking for sippered ease than
managing big league team allows James J. Dykes has
undertaken to pilot his fifth club Moreover, the Detroit
Tigers may be the hardest of all to manage The job has
chewed up six men in the last eight years
AS he prepares to open a with Detroit Jimmy
merely ended the last one) Dykes hears question
repeated dozens of times What's with the gers?"
he's asked. "All that talent but cigars?"
The Round Man, who brought along his own cigars
when he relieved Bill Norman last May g. lights up and
patiently tries to- the mystery of the cawless
Bengals ut defense mostly but left too many
runners on base" Jimmy says.
Another factor-all but II of games won by
four pitchers We should have had little help from
other than Burning, Larry Mossi and Foytack.'
THE TIGERS ARE the enigma of the American League.
Last they had the two top hers in Harvey Kuenn
(353) and AL Kaine C32 With 1913 hits and AZ doubles
Kuenn led the AL in two other departments Charley Max
WELL third member Of the crack outeld hit 81 homers
more than any Tiger since Hank Greenberg in 1916.
Unexpected help from Eddie Yost, the veteran
acquired from Washington He not only led the league in
walks and scored, but also bossomed into sugger
with personal all time high of 81 homers The Tigers
had three 17-game winners in Don Mossi Frank Larry
and Jim Burning
Yet they finished fourth after struggle with the
Red Sox and Orioles, winding up fat 1S games behind
the White sox they confident Of beating. Norman,
the ttle-known man who had done we'll after relieving
Jack Tghe early in 1853 couldn't get them rolling Detroit
lost its first six games On April 26 the Tigers were in the
cellar with incredible 1-12 record
On May the Senator'S blasting club-record total Of
five home runs waoped the Bengals in Detroit, 1873.
Norman finished before the massacre was
over, Dykes taking over 2-15 team the next day
FOR A PERIOD the Tigers promised to pull of a
miracle Under the happy go-ucky smoking Dykes,
they won 80 Of their next 46 and only half game
out Of the league lead June TO- Then they leveled Off
although the recovery was sufhcient to earn Dykes
contract for 1860.
The Round Man accepted with alacrity. After ALL he's
the big leagues since 1915 and this was no time to
retire voluntarily.
I'VE left 110O men on base" Dykes says. That's
too many We led the league here, too, and didn't want
that title But we're better know Yos had helluva
year for We picked Ray Semproch from the Philes
He could be our fifth starter.
81 know Ray Naresk figures to win more than four
games and Tom Morgan more than one And now we've
got Steve Biko"
MANY VISITORS to the Tiger camp apt to smile
when Bilkos name is mentioned The mountainous Bilko
has been found wanting by major league clubs
since l949 The st. Louis Cardinals took fve looks at
him and the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Redegs one
apiece. They wrote him of as minor league oearcat
nothing
"I don't think that's right" Dykes argues. Except
for 1853 when the Cardinals played him all season, no
big league club has looked at him for more than rev
games And then in 49, while he didn't hit much more
than ESQ., he hit more than 20 home runs ana drove IN
"a
Hes going to get full shot at first base for US.
If he can't do the job we'll look to Gail Harris to bail
out But Bko going to do most Of my spring playing
II talked to Hollis Thurston white Sox scout who
concentrates the Pacific Coast League and he told
he thinks Bko play in the big leagues He may be the
guy we're needing to drive home some of our guys who
get on base much"
ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST spots in the Tiger picture
last year was Yost the youngod veteran of SO years
from Washington who has played in 1888 games despite
spending three years in military service. Yost member
Of the in 94 obviously in rut at Griffith
Stadium.
Wearing uniform for the first time, he boosted
his average SO points to 27s Instead of eight homers
Eddie hit 21 His RBI mark jumped from 81 to 6l yet
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