Evening star., 1963-05-21
SEGH AT LARGE
Brosnon DOING
Double Duty
By MORRIS SIEGE

THE READING HABITS Of Jim ~Brosnan are pc
cuiarly different from other balpayers Their literary
interest lie mainly in the Sporting News daily box Scores
and an occasional comic book. BroSnan abhors each.
He never reads the Sporting News basebalTs weekly
trade paper Almost shamefuy as If 1t were some porno
graphic piece Of material Brosnan admits only to scan
ming" 1t occasionally
Box scores the mathematical lifeline Of the game,
hold less appeal for him. II quit reading them
about the time quit working crossword puzzles
he says. "There Is too much samenesS about them"
BRosNAN DOESN'T KNOW whether he is acquiring
reputation basebas most distinguished egghead, but
he offers objection. There is feeling he covets the
idea.
Last season Brosnan divided his time pitching base
ball for Cincinnati and writing about for other interests
Two weeks ago. when the Reds reevauaed their pennant
chances after slow getaway, they decided their hopes
could better be served by pitcher, not an author.
As result Brosnan was dispatched to the Chicago
White Sox who sent Dom zann pitcher with no known
literary ambitions to the Rhineland.
The trade came a mild shock to BroSnans baseball
pride He valued himself much higher.
THE MAIN REASON for the swap was rrCconCil-
able difference between BroSnan empoye, and Bill De-
witt principal owner Of the Reds about Brosnans writ
Ing career Dewitt insisted upon acting as censor
When the trade was announced, Brosnan approached
his manager and beneacor Fred Hutchinson Hopeful OF
an answer which would soften the blow Of the trade.
Brosnan asked Hutch If he would have okayed the deal
strictly on the merits Of the two pitchers involved dis
regarding Brosnan's outside activities
Hutch said he would have. Brosnan regarded Hutch'S
tactfu but not sincere. 1t took me down as
a pitcher" BroSnan said last night. Il have nothing
against zann never met the fellow, but had higher
regard for my ability"
What would his thinking have been had he been
traded for Ray Herbert, Chicagos shutout pitcher
'It would have lowered my regard for Herbert" he
laughed
BRosNANs TWO BOOKS, "The Long Season" and
1.-THE Pennant Race" both thought out while he
labored in the bulpen for the Reds.
The bullpen has stimulating effect Brosnan The
other night in Baltimore he recalls he and Dave De-
Busschere another colegebred pitcher were discussing
books
Their literary goldbricking rudey interrupted by
Manager Al Lopez who doing little reading OF his
own When Lopez saw on his lineup card the names OF
the next Baltimore batters he suddenly wanted an
other pitcher, DeBuSSchere, to go to work.
ALTHOUGH DeBusschere and Brosnan both thought
Lopez nconsiderae they nevertheless suspended their
conversation.
BROsNAN MIXES martins metaphors and pitches
with almost equal skill looks the part Of an Intellectual
certainly for a balplayer with glasses pipe and re-
laxed attitude What does he think Of the intelligence
level Of the ballpayers?
above average" he answered II In the Army for
three years. he added as an implied explanation Tor MS
answer.
II WAS while he was in the Arny-at Fort Meade
that Brosnan first got the idea he might become writ
ing pitcher we'll pitching pitcher An aptitude test
in GI classification center revealed he could make
60 Of creative writing. ....
Instead, he enrolled in night courses at Washing
ton accounting school, T wanted to be sure was going 70
eat" he smiled.
Brosnan doesn't think baseball is losing It's grip on
the public. "only on me-" he said. I'm S3"