Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-02
Downing Facing Pressure in Series Debut
Lefty to Sturt
Tomorrow
In I'd Game

| IN "a O0me
BY MERRELL wHITTLESEY
Star staff Writer
NEW YORK, Oct. 2.-World
Series pressure has been built
up to such an extent that you
can almost feel the squeeze
that will be on Yankees Al
Downing when he faces the
Dodgers in the second game
tomorrow afternoon, as though
he'll be gasping for breath.
However, Whitley Ford, who
opened the annual extrava-
CANA today against Dodger
ace Sandy Koufax, has a word
for it-'Butterflies."
Sure. Downing will have
I
them" Whitley said. I'VE all
do. But he'll get over them"
Ralph Houk, whose Yankees
are 3-to-2 favorites to beat
the Dodgers in a series that
figures to go six games, knows
Downing will be nervous. He
told Al so when he informed
the 23-year-old Negro pitcher
Monday that he'd start the
second game.
You'll be nervous but you'll
get over it," Houk told the
youngster. Just do your best"
Could Be Key Game
Ford and Koufax will meet
at least twice in this series,
and probably three times If it
goes seven games. But every
body knows what they can do.
There is the line of thought
that the key game could be
the second one. with Down.
ing against 3l-year-old Johnny
Podres, who owns three World
Series victories, two against
the Yankees.
Downing gets the second
game call because he is a left
handler, and both clubs are
using Southpaws in the first
two games in Yankee Stadium.
Lefthanded pitchers lessen the
chances of cheap homers on
the front porch in right, which
measures only 296 feet down
the foul line.
Not many recall that Down.
ing was eligible for the 1861
World Series against the Reds.
However, he didn't pitch. He
made his major league debut
in Griffith Stadium in Wash
ington in July, 1851, and lost
to the Senator'S because of
wildness. He stuck with the
Yanks the rest Of the season.
The Yankees recalled him
last year but too late for series
eligibility. He started the sea-
son with Richmond this year,
but the Yankees soon brought
him up. He won Is and lost 5,
and in a year that Bill STAFF
ford and Stan williams did not
produce in Yankee style. Down.
ing gets a series start.
/ Al Has Answer
Its a long way from Tren-
ton High to Yankee Stadium"
somebody reminded Downing
yesterday. He had a pretty
good answer. "Sixty-six miles,"
AL said, with a toothy laugh.
Bill Skiff, who secuted the
Dodgers for the Yankees, said
Podres, on given day, can be
tougher than Koufax. Podres
beat Tommy Byrne and the
Yankees, 20, in the decisive
game of the 1855 series, the
only time the Dodgers have
beaten the Yankees in six
pairings.
Downing had the second
highest percentage of complete
games on the Yankee staff this
year. going the route in 10 of
% starts. He had a one-hitter
against the White Sox, two two
hitters and four shutouts. He
is concerned about walks-he
knows he can't afford to walk
the speedy Dodgers.
Downing. who has an ade-
quate move to first base, said
the thought of Maury Wills,
Tommy and Willie Davis and
the other Dodgers stealing does
not bother him.
I've got to keep them off
the bases" he said. ELY will
keep them from moving up if
they set on
ELY is Elston Howard, who
is credited with making a
pitcher out of Downing after
AL reported from Richmond.
If Downing is shelled by the
Dodgers, Houk will be second
guessed for using a youngster
with Ralph Terry and other
veterans available. But Houk
obviously thinks Downing can
do the best job and that the
Dodgers are not as dangerous
against southpaws.
Podres is a crafty veteran
who mas won 1919 games and |
lost IS in a 1O-year career, all |