Evening star., 1962-09-19
HE6H AT LARGE
Houk on Mantle:
He Lights Us Up
By MORRIS SIEcH

BY THIS TIME Ralph Houk has grown accustomed
to having his brains picked by baseball writers He handles
them well He is unusually adept at fielding questions
which might provoke the slightest bit Of controversy
Ask him something about Mickey Mantle however,
and the Yankee skipper unwinds After observing Mantle
for several years a coach and currently his
ager Houk naturally qualities as an expert Mickey
Last nights little poser this: Outside of his phys
cal constitutions to the team, what else does Mickey
to the Yankees?"
Houk shrugged his shoulders 81 can't really pinpont
it. he said But do know lights up Maybe it's
cause our players feel that in him we've got fellow who
can do more things better than anybody in the game
We've seen him do 1t often.
Watch him. If he gets us three quick runs weT score
six That's the way 1t with him He doesn't say
anything particularly to spark he does with his bat
his glove, his arm, his speed"
HoUK SELDOM HAS BEEN wrong on Mantle, but
never was he to be correct quickly than last
night at D. C. Stadium Scarcely 20 minutes after Houk
had spoken Mickey converted his managers prophecy into
an excruciatng realism for the Senator's
He got those three quick runs for the Yankees in his
very first time at bat with walop against
the rghtfied wall Two innings later the Yankees had
those six runs Houk said they would get If Mantle got
em started Mickey himself provided two more of them
with another home
Houks esteem for Mantle has been no secret However
this latest admission sounded like personal cam
paign to see that Mickey named the most valuable player
although Houk didn't say in many words In the first
place 1t wouldn't have been diplomatic And in the second
place. Houk has another red-hot candidate in Second
BaSeman Bobby Richardson
FORGETTING HIS OWN YANKEES Houk did mount
the stump for another eligible His No choice of
Yankee Bob Rodgers, the fine young Los Angeles
catcher Hes had helluva year." Houk said Caught
most Of their games they bated him fourth and fifth
handles their pitchers well and he's been consistent all
the way
"Ie's been so outstanding" Houk continued 'I don't
even know the Of the other Los Angeles cachers
Who are they anyway"
Houks view from the top appreciated On the
other side of the field Mickey Vernon whose teams
position dictated that he could look up all the way up
suggesting his choices for the MVP award.
Mickey had one decided "up" on Houk, an advantage
he obviously wishes he didn't have Vernon could talk OBJ
ecvely He didn't have to fear offending any Of his
troops when to discussing candidates for the MvP
award
MICKEY LISTED THEArin this order: Rich Rollins
If the Twins win the pennant Leon Wagner of the Angels
Billy Moran of the fraternity; and Bobby Richard
of New York
mo Mickey Mantle?" Vernon asked.
"No" the other Mickey responded "but it's not be-
cause don't think Mantle a heluva lot to the
Yankees Just think the winner has to come off the
Angels Twins They had to have somebody doing
thing real big for them to account for the they've
hung around all year.
Somebody told me Mantle missed SO games for them
this year. They're still leading the league aren't they? As
valuable Mantle is to the Yankees, still think they
could win the pennant without him. Don't you?"
This was too good question for bystander to an
swer better reply could be gotten from qualified
source, Houk.
Gould we win the pennant without MickeyP" Houk
asked with look of horror Il get sick just thinking
about It,"