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Show Stein Song I By RECCE STEIN Chronicle Sports Editor Who was it said that pitching is 75 per cent of baseball? Well, I doubt if that statement will get too much criticism for being a liberal figure after watching the National League race come down to the wire with the Dodgers squeezing in. FOR THE NATIONAL Loop, it was the strongest finish in 30 years, with L.A. winning 14 of its list 15 to come from a 4 Vi game deficit, to win by two full games. In winning 13 straight, ' however, the Bums could muster no more than 14 runs. Until Milwaukee scored in the late innings Friday, Dodger pitchers had gone 27 innings without giving up a run. ' MUCH WAS SAID last year when Frank Howard, big power boy in the Dodger outfield, was shipped out in place of, mainly, Clade O.steen. But Manager Walt Alston is satisfied, now that its over and he has given Osteen the go for the third game and the opener in Los Angeles Saturday. Teamed with the big righthander right-hander Don Drysdale, and veteran Cy Young award winner Sandy Koufax, O.steen rounds out a pretty tough mound staff for any team to face. Columnist Jim Murray of the L.A. "Times" has made his pre-series choice for series star. He names reliefer Ron Perronoski. So it's all on the mound as far as Los Angeles goes. But it was two years ago also when the Dodgers stopped another crop of power hitters, this time from New York, in four straight games. LOOKING DOWN the Dodger lineup looks like what a freshman fresh-man football coach sees every year new names. Jim Gilliam is the last of the old Brooklyn boys and the Dodgers sport many new faces which will see their first World Series action even i 'though L.A. was in two years ago. But still Las Vegas says it's the Dodgers 13-10. And, with all respect to Zoillo Versalles, Harmon Killebrew, and Jim Hall, I have to agree. , ALSTON SAID Sunday his club has faced strain all season so the series will be no shock when it comes to pressure. The Twins had it easy: Ahead all year and no last minute drive. Some say this will make it easier because it has given chief Sam Mele a chance to rest his squad. But Dodger mound experience led by Koufax, Drysdale, Johnny Podres and Perronski, who are no I strangers to World Series tensions, should give the Dodgers the edge. So they have the experience where it really counts where as this is a first for everyone on the Twin squad. The Dodgers have another edge, too. The series opens in Minnesota. Two years ago it began in New York and Drysdale and Koufax made jelly out of the Bronx Bombers to return to L.A. and let Podres get in a boot and Koufax the clincher. This year, Twin fans will get to see the majors' two top winning pitchers and if their streaks hold up, Osteen's inexperience on the third day will have an ace in the hole with two wins behind him. NOW I KNOW the Twins have got hitting. I know they peppered pep-pered their way into the championship with the big bat. But strong hitters won't be anything new for the Dodgers mound men. Remember the Dodgers don't have the hitters, they have to face them. And they faced the majors' two top homerun hitters, Willie and Willie (Mays, 52, and McCovey, 39) of San Francisco, the majors' top hitter, Pittsburgh's Roberto Clemente (.329) and the majors' three top RBI men. And I know the Twins have pitching. So did San Francisco and the Reds. And allowing the Dodgers two or three runs didn't hurt the ERA either but the win column didn't gain because of stingy L.A. pitching. |