Show SPORT LIGHT Kind Words for a Few Managers By GRANTLAND RICE RICE- DESIRING to walk into A ANYONE trouble up to his ears can do doso doso doso so easily All he has to do is pick the manager of the year in baseball base base- ball ball and and then prove it There have been several managers managers managers man man- agers in both leagues who have done better than a f minor job so far J y On or off oU the record record record rec rec- I n ord I would say that a few of them had turned 0 out outwork u t j work well above S the average and andrate andrate nd rate at least a aT T sprig or so of laurel laurel laur laur- el or olive Grantland Rico Rice There are three managers in the American League who deserve more than a few kind words They are Red Rolfe Rolle Casey Stengel and Steve ONeill O'Neill There are also three in the National They are Eddie Sawyer Leo Durocher and Billy Southworth This means six managers out oat of 16 starters who were above average leaving average leaving only 10 who turned out a routine Job or or ora a a triffle worse Rolfe RoUe started with what looked to toto toto toto to be the best pitching staff in the league Later on he had to use rare judgment to keep it working effectively He always had a great outfield especially on the offensive offensive offensive offen offen- sive side but only a fair infield and fair catching Stengel had to operate with his two stars Joe DIMaggio and Tommy below par physically DIMaggio was magnificent magnificent mag mag- on his big days Ordinary Ordinary Ordinary nary in others Henrich was of little help Casey had to lean heavily on Rizzuto Berra Johnny Johnny Johnny John John- ny Mize Uze a pretty fair Calr but unheralded unheralded unheralded outfield and better than thana a pretty fair Calr pitching staff starr Steve ONeill O'Neill apparently inherited disaster He took over the Red Sox when they had just lost one of the greatest managers of all time one oneat of at the star ballplayers of the decade Ted Williams and were eight games out of ot first place The Red Sox were promptly thrown overboard by the critics ONeill O'Neill applied some brand of soothing ointment that was more effective effective ef et- ef- ef than any cure Tom Yawkey's hired men had ever known In the National At this moment moment Eddie Sawyer and Leo Durocher have the call in inthe inthe inthe the National with Billy Southworth's Southworth's Southworth's South- South worth's case depending on the stretch run The affable scholarly Sawyer was far In the lead until his young Whiz Kids started skidding first losing five games In a row and then skidding a trifle in others But nut It was better than merely merely merely mere mere- ly normal to take a young team and plant It in first place by a Do margin of seven games on Labor Labor Labor La La- bor Day or shortly thereafter After all when the eight-club eight field was spread out in April the assembled experts in a 3 compact body picked the Dodgers on top A Afew Afew few scattered votes went elsewhere but the Dodgers were the people There were five clubs given a chance Brooklyn St. St Louis Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia Phil Phil- adelphia Boston and New York Sawyers Sawyer's main job once his young team moved into first place was to keep them from getting the jitters or the yips which are too often the result of inexperience roosting too high It would be dUll difficult cult to find finda a greater Job than Leo Durocher Duroch Duroch- er has given his Giants Durocher had a bad looking bad looking ball club for the first month or so The pitching was on the morbid morbid morbid mor mor- bid side The team couldn't locate itself and back in June was 12 or more games out There seemed lIttle little little lit lIt- tle chance around July Fourth that the Giants would finish in the first division They weren't any better than the Cubs or Reds The arrival of Sal Maglie and Jim Hearn was the lifesaver of course But It can also be remembered that Durocher had hada a much better looking looking looking look look- ing outfit working It was a team that had improved in every way And much credit for this Improvement improvement improvement Improve improve- ment must be handed banded to the Lip With two weeks left Leo Durocher Durocher Durocher Dur Dur- ocher could challenge Eddie Saw Saw- yer The Giant manager always a astar astar astar star field director was at nt his best after a poor start He has had his best year Billy Southworth has never been sensational this season He has given his fans a Q good year Drive Approach Putt Puff Which is the most important important- the drive the approach or the putt Johnny Farrell says We drive for pleasure but we putt for mon mon- ey Jim Barnes says The drive sets up the hole Hogan can handle all three assignments assignments assign assign- ments day in and day out Sammy Snead Is a master with wood and andiron andiron andiron iron but he only wins when he is putting well well and and he isn't as consistent consistent consistent con con- around the greens Yet he tied Hogan In the Los Angeles Open It Is seldom the average or even pretty fair golfer goller can blend his drives approaches and putts Into one good pattern Once In a while he will get two of the three big patterns patterns patterns pat pat- terns working More often only one oneat of at the three In this battle of at the three big factors factors factors fac fac- tors in a golf golt swing Ill I'll have to award the prize of importance to the approach It Is more Important than either the drive or putt |