Show Phillies of 1951 A year ago at this date Eddie Sawyer didn't think the Phillies would finish third He thought his youth needed more seasoning They finished first barely beating the Dodgers on the last day But Dut if Curt Simmons hadn't been called caned away for army duty Sawyer would have galloped in by five or six games In this uncertain year of 1951 Sawyer has no Curt Simmons around He lie still has Konstanty He Ho Hohas has Robin Roberts one of the best pitchers in either league He lie has Bubba Church Ken Heintzelman and others But Eddie will miss Simmons who was about due for a 20 or maybe a game 23 season Inthe In hi hithe inthe the list of winners The loss of Simmons to the Phillies Phil PhU lies Art Houtteman to the Tigers and Whitey Ford to the Yankees are the hardest blows the draft dratt has delivered so far They were all stars all important to their clubs Eddie Sawyer being a Phi Beta Kappa which means he knows more than a few answers is a pretty conservative fellow He Is ii not given to high enthusiasms or to low de de- de- de He walks a level road road road- which Is the highway of the wise He lIe is smart enough to look at the Giants and Dodgers Dodgers or or the Dodgers and Giants Giants and and know that at this point they both have better ball bail clubs than he has They are the manpower teams But the Dodgers last year had a much better ball club and he beat them them them-in in spite of Curt Simmons' Simmons absence absence absence ab ab- ab- ab sence down the stretch Sawyer has the toughest job In b baseball this season He lIe must take a 1950 pennant winner and chase two clubs that seem to have much greater strength |