Evening star., 1961-03-19
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV By FRANCIS STANN
The Professional


the word this way: PROFESSIONALLY person tUho en-
cages in an occupation esp sport for money rather than
for sport alone" Webster is defining Gene Woodling
Eugene Richard Woodling is the dean of the new
Washington Senators. Although he SO years old and
15-year veteran in the major leagues the first
player bought when Ed Doherty and Mickey went
to market with $21 million to spend Boston last Decem
ber They gambling that he has another so
in his system.
Il could wake up any morning and discover that
haven't got 1t any more WOodling admits IN the
first to know and the first to admit it. And you know
what I'll do I'll go right back to the farm No helos
goodbyes to anybody"
This is practical speaking professional "The
way figure it." Gene says 81 don't owe baseball thing
don't say the game hasn't been good to me- but I've
earned every cent I've taken out of it. hear ball
players say they'll have to tear the uniforms off them
before they quit Newspaper guys to them as pros
say they're lunkheads They don't have enough brains
to know when to quit"
RIGHT NOW this steely-eyed veteran, second only to
Roy Sievers as the highest saied ball player in Washing
ton history, feels up to playing full hitting
around his lifetime average Of 282. But my time is
coming" Gene confesses. when it won't try to
fool anybody in order to hang You do that you
know for while But I'll know I'm done and you can't
fool yourself"
Woodling, who is the Senator's player representative
in dealings with the owners has nothing contempt
old ball players who weep when they sold, traded
released Il don't like baseball that much" he says Gust
the money Show me any guy on this ball cub-or any
other ball club-who wouldn't take job in any other
field If he could make the same money"
This is not bitter man, only independent For a
stipulated sum he plays ball. "And go all out to
my salary Gene states But of this rah-rah stuff
any other kind of CUFF played when Frank Lane was
general manager of my club I'll say this Lane paid
well. But wouldn't want to work for him. Why should
take all that stuff he hands out"
Woodling doesn't classify himself great player or
even an outstanding But he insists he knows the
great from the phonies and his admiration for them
is boundlesS.
Joe DIMAGGIo WAS great one and smart one"
Gene illustrates HE knew when to quit Through? No,
he wasn't quite through Joe had couple years left
in him. At the time he quit he better than rs per
of the ball players in both leagues know was on the
Yankee club with him.
when DiMaggo retired he a better ball player
than wasand was pretty good and at my peak at the
time. But DiMaggio was smart He didn't allow any
foolish pride to influence him. But how many DiMaggios
are there? How many Ted Willamses, how many Stan
Musas? Now those real pros You don't hear them
talking about tearing the uniforms off them"
Theren be no bush circuits for Wooding in any capac-
ity when he finds he can't cut the mustard any longer
mo, sir" Gene speaks with finality when I'm done
become farmer again go back to Ohio and farm and
raise horses. I've saved my money and raised nice
family and there won't any of this business of sitting
around the stove and pning for the game
I'm not of these guys who eats, sleeps talks
baseball don't take it home with do my job the
best can during working hours. There's nothing
learn sitting around hotel lobby and talking baseball
You either do or you don't on the ball field"
GENE HAS PLAYED for few big league clubs during
his career :. Cleveland Pittsburgh . New York
Baltimore. He's been in five World Series and has 38
batting average to show for them He and acts like
at the plate his feet together in the then
the stride and the flick of the wrists
He tolerant and sympathetic toward inept colleagues
but not toward those he thinks needessy inept He
has patience with any experienced pitcher who can't
get the ball the plate He chews his own pitchers
when they don't throw strikes in batting practice they
don't like it, that's too bad.
He is critical of the Orioles in ways but not
because they placed him the so-caed expendabe list
They're going with younger and don't blame them,
he says Gene not easily pleased but he is glad
with the new Senators. Everything I've them the
management do has been big league"
He must realize the fledgling club faces uphill
fight to finish better than ninth but this admission you
won't get from him. What the he'll" he says, "its still
game Of nine men against nine We beat anybody
at any time"
He's professional.