Evening star., 1962-08-28

Billy Hitchcock
Sweots 1t Out
By MORRIS SIEGEL

COMPARISONS USUALLY are meaningless, but in
the case of William Clyde Hitchcock the Baltimore
Orioles, scheduled for trial in October they could
whether Billy the Kid is the manager Of the Birds
season Until last Friday when Hitchcock
sight to bring the Yankees into Baltimore, gen.
orally concluded this Hitchcocks first and year
head Orole.
Now, who knows? The Yankee invasion, on paper
figured to kill off what slim chances Hitchcock had of
keeping his job The impausbIe sweep of the fvegame
series not have assured for the pleasant
Aabaman but it didn't hurt his chances In Baltimore
they view the Yankee killing job the sweetest victory
since their everovn' Colts picked Giants in that
neVer-to-be-orgotten sudden-death football classic in
1858.
Hitchcock, in his brief point to Orioles record
against the Yankees His team IL of the 18 games
That's better than anything Paul Richards against
New York in his long head of Orioles
In the last four years. speaking of the
man to man. the New Workers have some cause to
regret approving BaltmoreS readmisson into the Amer
lean League.
NOBODY HAS done as well against the perennial
winner the Orioles the four seasons Their record
stands at 41-39 thanks the five in row. 1t
hasn't been Bamores inability to lick New York that
fractured its pennant chances this year. 1t is strangely
enough the teams pitiful luck against Detroit The
Orioles have lost II of IA to the Tigers.
The Yankees have than the usual being
bitter losing five straight The Friday night licking
for example, not only cost New York valuable in
the standings but also wad of money. 1t replay
of game originally scheduled in New York, raned
out on BatmoreS last visit Of the there and trans
ferred to Baltimore part of Fridays twi- -nighter
crowd of 32,267 watched the first two acts of the
BaltmoreS end of the take 272 compared
to the $9608 the Yankees got. In other words, the
Yankees not only lost game but in the change Of
from their backyard to Bamores they also lost approx
mately $4300O the difference between being the home
end Of the boxoffice count and the visiting de Who
could blame them for asking WAS this trip necessary"
THE ANI1ABLE HITCHCOCK, holding court on the
Baltimore bench before last nights engagement with the
Senator'S didn't have to be asked how it felt to knock off
the imperious Yankees five straight He volunteered the
information. Like home cooking" he smiled. 1T
made up for lot Of heartbreakS we've had"
Many oldtmerS couldn't remember the last time any
team had won five in from New York. Hitchcock
couldn't either but history not matter Of general
interest to Billy last night He preferred to remember
only recent events beginning last Friday and ending
yesterday Hitchcock didn't think the wounds the Yankees
suffered would be fatal but he wouldn't agree that they
would still go and win the pennant.
81 can't rightfully say that" he said "Ther pitch
ing well, it's not typical Of the Yankee pitching Ford
and Terry are kay but beyond that and they have to
scratch"
Who, then, did Hitchcock think would give the
Yankees chase for the flag that his Orioles have
opened the door? OF the Angels merely said They're
something, aren't they" The Twins deep enough
in pitching according to Hitchcock They've got Pascua
if he isn't hurt but beyond that they've got nobody for
the big game Just don't know about Minnesota"
There suspicion Billy waiting to be asked
how he felt about the chances of his team games
behind New York going into last nights opener at D. c.
Stadium The question In view Of what
Tom Cheney did to the Orioles not deemed proper
to ask after the game. 1t was also deemed unsafe