Evening star., 1963-08-24

Rigney Brucing
For Bo's Return
By MORRIS SIEGEL

BILL RIGNEY gets a big boot out of managing the
Los Angeles Angels but September he could very well
wind up kicking himself 30 Bensky, currently separated
from the Angels by the Pacific Ocean and the inclination
of the Angels management comes home on that date
Belnsky alone will offer new menace to Rigneys
sanity Rig has had this problem before and COPIED with IL
as well any unskilled analyst could be expected W
handle an unusual
However the combination of Belnsky and Jim Pier
SAIL another celebrated nonconservatist might be TOO
much for the tolerant Rgney Before it's over the security
Council might get the issue.
Rig won't hazard guess about What mgnt hdppeh
when Belnsky buzzes in from Hawaii to become team
mate of Piersas reluctance to discuss 1t is under
standabe.
ON THE CURRENT TRIP Rigney has had much peace
of mind as losing ball club provides Belinsky still is in
Hawaii and PierSan is at home nursing an injured leg
THE only thing know for certain" Rig volunteered
last night s that won't take Bo as long to come IRON
Hawaii to Los Angeles did for him to go there Inc
trip involved a months delberation by Bo before ne
finally decided to become another statistic in HaWans
population explosion.
In Honolulu where he pitches occasionally for the
Angel farm team, Bo presumably has been behaving.
There have been reports to the contrary but this
should not be accepted gospel Communication facl-
ties with the island still not the best.
Rgneys apprehenSve attitude about the future would
be changed he could be assured that the Dalton Boys
could contribute something to get the Angels going
At this time year ago the Angels were fighting the
Yankees for the Such hardly the case today They
are ninth.
LAST YEAR SKEPTICS kept waiting for the Angels
to revert to mortas and return to the earthly con-
fines of the second division They did Instead they
won SO games and finished heavenly third
The general reaction among those who had predicted
the newborn franchise would contest Washington for 10Th
place "fuke." Rigney disagrees.
Last year." he says, apparently wishing 1t was last
year again. didn't outs This season we've LETT
something like 70 runs third base with outs or one
out"
This Of course, was before last night.
Actually" Rig continued in his tale of woe, I'VE ex
sh lower We figured Baltimore and Chicago for improved
teams, but we didn't expect anything like are now"
AS LATE AS SEPTEMBER 4 of last year Rigs unpre-
dicabes only three games behind the leading Yam
KEGS when they visited New York They split four-game
set there and returned to Los Angeles Rgney says
I'VE dropped dead"
This season they have played dead most Of the way
There have been losing reak Of and games Last
the longest string of setbacks only four Lee
Thomas and Ken Hunt aren't hitting we aren't making
the plays and we leave guys base too much Rig sighed
Even their landlords the Dodgers seem to be against
the Angels this year Recently Chavez Ravne was host to
gathering Of 10000 for Angels game the majority
lured by pre-game contest involving Hollywood stars
Beacher concession stands unnamed and what
few vendors there in other sections quickly sold out
the Angels general manager sent the fans an explana-
ton via the magic message THE concession stands here
not controlled by the Angels the sign read Patrons
didn't have to guess where Haney placing the blame
The owners, Gene Autry and Bob Reynolds, TAX
ing the collapse nicely, Rig said They learning the
hard facts Of assembling team He indicated the lessons
are likely to go on for quite some time.