Evening star., 1961-03-08
WIN, LOSE OR
DKAW By FRANCIS s1AAN
Maurice Morninq Wills

VERO BEACH, FLA, MAR Sin one of the great base
stealing Spurges OF all time Maurice Morning Wills Of the
Los Angeles Dodgers stole 80 bases in his last So games in
1850, giving him so for the This was the most
steals by National Lacquer since Max Carey swped 81
for Pittsburgh in 1928.
But the little Washington born shortstop would prefer
to talk about his hitting II always could steal and field
and throw" Wills saying. "Now think I've proved
! can hit"
If Dick Groat of the Pirates hadn't led the National
League in hitting and Ernie Banks hadn't hit Al hoers
for the Cubs Wills 2a might have been recognized the
No. shortstop in the circuit last season. which his
second in the majors
He led the Dodgers in hits (152 and in his final 100
games batted 316 His mark for the year 295 tenth
best IN the MI In the field there is comparison between
Groat and Wills The onetme Cardozo High pitcher
far more range and twice the And for the first
time In his life, he is starting ful-fledged
regular.
mo JOKING, I'VE BEEN knocking around in baseball
since 1851 and never had job to lose" Maury said
1--WE always had job to win," he explained, "even
in the Pony League when first started and in every other
league Western Florida, International Texas Pacific
Coast and the Natonal-snce that time.
They tell me I'm the shortstop Of the Dodgers, and
believe It,"
Two years ago the Detroit Tigers bought Wills from
the Dodger chain return- not-satised basis First
time ever was in training camp" he said "Any clubs
camp don't think got much OF look Anyway Detroit
sent me back to Spokane with Of those glove man
regulations In other words, hit"
1T IRKS WILLS TO BE labeled good field, no hit and
justifaby according to the records Maury always
has been pretty good hitter for an infielder.
If Detroit hadn't returned Wills to the Dodgers thered
have been pennant flying the Los Angeles Coliseum
in 1885, Don thinner and Bob LlS had failed and Man
ager Walt Aston scroungng desperately for shortstop
called up Maury from Spokane Not only did Wills plug
up the infeld but after shaky start he also began to
hit He was roaring at the finish and played leading
role in the World Series win the White Sox.
They didn't expect me to hit" Maury explained
because they didn't know anything about After all
those years in the chain they still didn't know me-"
MAURY, ONE OF FOUR sons and seven daughters Of
Guy o. Wills of Washington, Navy Yard worker admits
that learning to hit "took lot Of work"
Bobby Bragan helped when he was managing
Spokane" he said. Pete Reiser helped me- too. ReSer
taught me how important it to have positive
OF mind at bat. Bragan let become switch hitter"
1t was at Spokane in the spring Of SO. right after the
Tigers rejected him. I'D always batted righthanded"
Mauy explained. "One day in batting practice jumped
to the other side and smacked one. Bragan said:
"cHave you thought Of switchingT
"Yeah' told him, but no manager would let me-
"'1 WILL Bobby said Then he worked out for
three days efthanded and said You're ready Hit both
ways That the end Of seven-year slump for me"
AT CARDOzO HIGH Maury pitched and played short
STOP He thinks he had 21-2 record as pitcher IT
thought pretty good but I've never thrown one ball
in pro ball." he laughed.
He was 16 when the Dodgers signed him (the Giants
had said he too sma II reported here to camp with
all the farmhandS and they divided up according to
positions There about 100 pitchers but no second
basemen. So I said:
Hey, I play second base.'
"All right they said go ahead. You're too small to
be pitcher, anyway So began to play the infield"
About his binding speed the bases Wills has a
singular explanation. when at Cardozo wasn't
unusually fast People ask If was on the track team
couldn't have made it. Then day in tryout camp
they held foot beat everybody else from to 10
sim YNlH vlpya
could fly"