| Show FRANK K BAKER TELEGRAM SPORTS Like his predecessors Leo Ernest Durocher otherwise known as Lippy has promised to begin his managerial career career with the die Brooklyn Dodgers by building the Flatbush clan into a fighting scrapping hustling baseball team All of which is fine spirit but nevertheless a somewhat aimless aimless aimless aim aim- less promise unless the Dodger front office does something about providing the new skipper with some ball players The owners may eventually get around to that in which case the Dodgers may begin to make some sense providing of course that Durocher is of major league managerial caliber Specifically he needs at least two pitchers one outfielder who swings from the left side of the plate a catcher who can catch eatch and an infielder preferably a second baseman One wonders too if Charlie Dressen once pilot of the time Cincinnati Reds and current skipper for the Nashville club in the Southern association and Bill Killifer who has had managerial experience with the Chicago Cubs and St. St Louis Browns will be of great help as Durochers Durocher's coaching assist assist- ants After all they too wanted the managerial post Durocher will be the fourth manager of the Dodgers f since the late Wilbert Vilbert Robinson resigned after the 1931 campaign Robinson was replaced by Max Carey and Carey was followed by Casey Stengel and Burleigh Grimes who as s Durochers Durocher's immediate predecessor was released at world series time Although they finished seventh this year compared to sixth last year the Dodgers were 1 15 games nearer the top than they were they were in 1937 The Dodgers haven't been in the first division since they finished fourth in 1930 and 1931 and won only two National league pennants 1916 and 1920 Regarded as one of the best defel defensive sive shortstops in the major leagues Durocher went to Brooklyn this year from the St St. Louis Cardinals and was made field captain lie He played in games and batted A product of Springfield Mass he had a brief tryout with the Yankees in 1925 He was sent back to the minors spending a year each at Atlanta in the Southern association and St. St Paul in inthe inthe inthe the American association He played a full season with the Yankees in 1928 and during 1929 he was bought by the Cincinnati Reds in the National league on waivers He stayed with the Reds until 1933 when he was traded on May 7 1 to the St. St Louis Cardinals He stayed with the Cards playing in the 1934 world series until last October 5 when he was traded to Brooklyn for James Bucher Johnny Cooney Coopey Roy Henshaw and Joe Durocher was one of the original members of the famous St St. Louis Gas House Gang and was regarded as a bulwark r J on the Cardinal infield during their flourishing days Most baseball men think however that friction between the shortstop and Manager Frankie Frisch was behind his de departure departure departure de- de from the Cardinals which marked the beginning of bf l serious infield troubles for the St. St Louis crew Over a period of 12 years in the major leagues Durochers Durocher's batting average has ranged around but he has been known ns as a dangerous batsman with men on bases He has played 1433 games in the big leagues scored runs made 1158 hits for 1501 bases and batted in runs He has appeared in two worlds world's series with the Yankees and Cardinals In 1928 for the Yankees he failed to hit safely in four games but in 1934 with the Cardinals he had an average of for seven games |
