Show LEMORE SAYS SAYS SAYS- I ahlgren Earns Credit Credity y Yanks anks Win Pennant HENRY McLEMORE y CLEARWATER ATER Fla March 14 UP UP-If UP If the switch of Joe cordon ordon from second base to first proves a success success and the thees es win the 1941 American league race to whom shall we ive iV the he credit To Gordon Well possibly j i t you are one of the great greate e ond basemen of all time I it t is an trick to adjust yourself A ft new and difficult position with with- th e space of a few weeks McCarthy McCarthy manager of Yes and no There f rno no denying that he is the man h the switch and or- or er ered d it He had to overcome a at t f opposition from the front lice fice too Brother Ed Barrow ead man of the Yanks didn't like ie idea at first Being a strictly man he couldn't quite see of gambling one of the time Mime second basemen at first To Babe Dahlgren That's the How Blow How I will have to cast my vote voter r makes a go of it L Let Iet t me explain and perhaps Ull feel the same way that I Jabout about it It is all right to say cC cCarthy made up his mind about ahlgren when he Dahlgren ade errors that cost the Yankees o games in their crucial series th Cleveland and Detroit in the ing part of the American league ce C last year The general be be- f iss IS that McCarthy said right en and there to himself of urse that Dahlgren was through first st base that come another arrand he would refuse to start ajob ejob job of rebuilding the Yankees first baseman who could thorny tonly t only and who despite his as a miraculous fielder two tr's when the lest aest lest of the blue chips were wn wn But B how are you going to get Fund Jund this angle The Yankees McCarthy sent a contract to hlgren during the winter It sa contract for 1941 and called exactly the same amount of I money that Babe got in 1940 which means it was for the delightful delight delight- ful sum of or My argument is that if Dahlgren had signed it and he must be kicking himself every hour on the hour for not doing just that he would be on first base for the Yankees Yankees Yankees Yan Yan- kees right now This is not to say that McCarthy might not have tried Gordon at first even with Dahlgren in camp He probably would have because the Yankee boss was dead set against starting a drive for a pennant with a hitter in that slot But I dont don't I think McCarthy as rugged as heis heis he is would have had the well the well you know the homely word word word-to to keep Dahlgren idle while Gordon made I the mistakes he was bound to tomake tomake tomake make as a novice at first base The specter of Dahlgren would have been too much even for Mc Mc- Carthy After all he undoubtedly would have argued with himself Dahlgren was good enough to earn the praise of every critic in the league and he was good enough to step in and fill Gehrig's shoes on ona ona ona a worlds world's championship team so soI soI soI I suppose I had better string along with him another year Moreover by holding out Dahlgren Dahlgren Dahl Dahl- Dahlgren gren gave McCarthy time to get a good look at Priddy and Rizzuto McCarthy had heard the Kansas City twins were of major majr maj r league caliber and capable of taking the places s of Gordon and Crosetti but buthe buthe buttie he tie couldn't be sure until he saw them with his own eyes By holding holding holding hold hold- ing out Dahlgren gave McCarthy 10 days to look at the youngsters at short and second and Gordon at first And 10 days were enough to convince Joe that Dahlgren or orno orno orno no Dahlgren he had a pretty good major league infield |