Show Ready to Win W By GRANTLAND RICE RICE- I PEERING into the the palms and pines the Casey Stengel of 1950 is an entirely different person from rom the Casey Stengel of 1949 A year ear ago alo at this time we found a bewildered baffled uncertain uncertain uncertain un un- certain Yankee v manager who o admitted admitted adhe ad ad- that he be knew few Cew answers to any questions I involving n v 0 i v I n g his team This Is now nowa y a new Casey The sun son is brighter ti the palms are greener the birds Grantland Rice sing sweeter songs and even the pelicans look more intelligent For Casey's 1950 answer is Bring ring em along Red Sox and all the rest The Yankees will be set and ready We are far better bettel off oft than we were a year ago Casey said How do you figure that tha t one out I asked You haven't added a single prayer player I 1 figure it this way Casey said Bald Joe DiMaggio reports Inthe Inthe In Inthe the best condition in many years I never saw or Rizzuto look better Joe Page is all aU set In addition to Mlle AHle Reynolds Vie Vic Tommy Byrne Ed Ed Lopat and others we have Bob Porterfield and Frank Shea two of our 1949 wounded back baek hi in harness with their bandages bandages bandages band band- ages removed Both expect tobe to tobe tobe be ready In my opinion Casey continued continued con can Reynolds is going to be a leading star this year I mean a great pitcher He could also be a relief pitcher close to Page The big fellow is a fine around all ath ath- lete He was a backfield star at Oklahoma or one of those Oklahoma colleges will be among the best again And I have an idea Tommy Byrne will soon find where that plate is planted planted and and when he does look out Hes He's got amazing stuff Heres another thing Weve We've found out we could suffer sulfer over GO 60 wounds and still win Weve We've discovered we Ve could have most of ol our team on crutches and still sUI win Did you know that DiMaggio DiMaggio Di Di- Maggio 1 lIen rich and Berra three of our top hitters were only In 19 or 19 or maybe it was games 17 together all season We are bound to have better breaks than we drew last year Lightning cant can't hit the same spot 60 times in a season This means we should have our best men in inac inaction inaction ac action lon far tar oftener than we had them a year ago That could make a big difference The 1950 50 Casey may have a afew afew few lew inner twinges tinges but outwardly outward outward- ly he fairly exudes confidence lies lie's the only manager I 9 know of who is willing to admit openly openly openly open open- ly that he expects to win nin The Yankee Bench BenchAt At that moment an look ancient ing pelican lighted for a 3 few minutes minutes minutes min min- utes not so far away I 1 only wish I was half as smart as that bird looks to be Casey said No one could be that smart In the course of punching the bag I asked Casey what he thought was the strongest feature of the Yankees last year easy he said It was our bench We always had a good goodman goodman goodman man ready for any gap No other team had a bench that matched ours Outside of first base we had Coleman Rizzuto Brown and Johnson ready for our infield Outside of ot DiMaggio and Henrich we had Bauer Woodling Mapes and Lin Lind Lindell dell ll for lor any vacant spot in our outfield The bench was ready to give us anything we needed need need- ed all ed-all all good men too It makes a abig abig abig big difference what sort of reserves reserves reserves re re- re- re serves you ou have We had good ones all the time time Bauer Bauer Mapes Woodling Woodling Woodling Wood- Wood ling Brown etc Anything happened happened happened hap hap- to Berra there Berra-there there was Silvera in 58 53 games batting Our pitching pitching anything anything happened happened hap hap- to Reynolds there Reynolds there was Page Pale Anything happened to toR R there there was Page Anything Anything Anything Any Any- thing happened to Byrne Brne or Lopat Lopat Lopat Lo Lo- Lo- Lo pat or Sanford there Sanford there was Page I guess that's our weakest spot Casey finally said Our pitchers had to be relieved too often No Noone Noone Noone one pitcher should be yanked out of the bull pen 60 or more times in a season That's almost half haU our games Too many Weve We've got to do something about that wasn't bad that way But I think you'll find Reynolds and Byrne will need less help Porterfield is sure he is OK and that his arm ligament has healed Shea says he feels fine with all his soreness gone You cant can't ask a pitcher to show you everything the first day of the spring season All in all Casey concluded We have no alibis and no excuses for what happens I think well we'll be better than we were a year ago Dont Don't forget to mention those two Yankee words words Yankee spirit That's what won for lor us a year ago ago I think it itc itcan c can n win again It will be a much tougher league this time |