Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-19
Senators Merr|y Leave Gals Country
Three HRS
Help Ridzik
Get Revenge
By MERRELL WHITTLESEY
star staff Writer


star staff Writer
KANSAS CITY, Aug. 19-.
Last-place ball clubs don't
make much money. but at
times they have a lot of fun.
For two straight years the Sen
ators have been in a merry
mood in taking leave on Min
-neSota.
Last season the Twins were
only two games out of the lea
que lead on the Senator's last
visit on August %. But Wash
ington swept a double header
and the Twins were never that
close again. 4
No pennant race was in
volved, but this years parting
was equally as sweet. Steve
Ridzik got even with the Twins
yesterday, Don thinner hit a.
pair of homers and Don Lep-
pert blasted a tape-measure job
as the Senators Won, 7-3. That
came on top of Bonnie Daniels
two-hit shutout of Saturday.
Atmosphere Changes
This made it a week end that
was particularly satisfying to
members of the present organi-
cation who had been connected
with the old Senators. The
Twins are leading the league
in attendance and in home
runs; Calvin Griffith spent the
week end negotiating for the
richest radio contract of his
career; and the Twins had won
II out of IL from Washington
prior to Saturday. .~.'
After the Senators won two
in a row the atmosphere
changed. Harmon Killebrew.
0-for-11 in the series, was
booed and so was Manager
Sam Mele, who used eight
pitchers in the last two games.
The Senators have an open
date today before winding up
their affairs here with a twi-
night double header against the
Athletics tomorrow and night
games Wednesday and Thurs
days. Should Charley Finley
obtain permission to move the
franchise to Oakland, the
Senators may be saying fare
we'll to K.C. for good.
Ridzik, beaten Ill earlier by
the Twins, permitted only two
hits for six innings yesterday
both home runs. He struck out
seven.
Key Play on Bunt
He also made the play that
may have won the game when
he came off the mound to snare
Zoilo Versailles bunt and force
Earl Battey at third in the
fifth inning when the Twins
had two on and nobody out.
1t was a % tie at that point.
Ridzik has won four games
since George Case recommend
ed his purchase from Toronto
July 8.
thinner, who has hit four
of his 10 homers with the Sen
ators in Minnesota, had a busy
day. After his fourth-i inning
homer into the leftfield corner,
he came up with the bases
loaded with one out in the
fifth. Gary Roggenburk and
thinner had a standoff for nine
pitches as Don fouled off four
on a 30 count before he hit
into a double play.
The next time he came to bat
the bases again were loaded.
He hit into a force play to drive
in the lead run. In the ninth
he hit his second home run.
Leppert's three-run homer in
the seventh, a 426-foot shot
high into the leftfield bleach
ers, could have been the result
Of a couple of tips from Man.
ager Gil Hodges and General
Manager George Selkirk.
Hodges has been working
with Leppert to stand closer to
the plate and to hold the bat
near his shoulder instead of
behind his head. Selkirk chat
ted with Don before the game,
and Leppert said yesterday was
the first time he tried to cut
down on his swing. He had a
single plus the homer, his first
in weeks.
Rollins, Hall Connect
Rich Rollins hit his 18th
homer and Jimmy Hall his 22d,
and the Twins scored their last