Show Draft Could Leave Yankees Intact I GRANTLAND RICE RICE- By 0 LEAGUE BIG-LEAGUE 1 MANAGER A N NAG A G E R NO whether it be trouble from rom the draft craft or opposing teams can look into a more cheerful future than Casey Stengel The somewhat grizzled grizzled grizzled griz griz- Yankee manager manager mant man man- t ager has hit two pennant shots in a arow arow arow row and nothing much that happens s in 1951 can leave much of a dent in n r his fame When I rode from New York to Los Angeles with C Cas a s e c y in Grantland Rice 1948 1918 he g gave a v e complete evidence of being a a. philosopher first and a manager second You could figure from his conversation conversation conversation con con- that he intended to give the Yankees all he had and let fate and nature take their courses Well have a good year he said then a very good goad year But not everyone can win Casey says the same thing in the gray dawn of a new year year 1951 Well have another good year If It we dont don't win again well again well who can win them all UN No 0 one knows what the draft Is going to do Casey said Here is one angle about which no one can complain We have already lost a young and very promising star in Whitey Ford He lie should have been better than a game 20 winner this next season But the Phillies Tigers and others have also lost stars stars and and many more will go Good veterans can mean more to a team today than promising r rookies or younger players Casey survived a 75 game 75 game absence on the part of Joe DiMaggio in 1949 He also survived 74 serious illnesses or injuries on the part of his play play- ers S Same for 1951 He will have the same rough road for 1951 The Red Sox with Scarborough Scarborough Scarborough Scar Scar- borough and Wight added to their pitching staff will be or should be much harder to cudgel out They still have the big guns ready Their defense has been their weakness Cleveland can be better and the Tigers igers can be rough But Casey views the future as ridden fog-ridden as it is with an anun un undisturbed mind It requires a a. considerable amount of morbid detail to disturb Stengel We have something of a Camil family team earn he says Not many kids found around now Most of us are married men Tien with families Our pitchers are areno areno no 10 longer kids kids after after losing Ford aschi Reynolds and Lopat are all allar far ar past the rookie stage not so likely to be called You cant can't fill Cill Henrichs Henrich's place Tommy is too great a ballplayer But we didn't have too much of him last year We have a fine catcher catcher catcher-a a good pitching staff three fourths three fourths of a s good infield and at least a good outfield No one can say how many games Joe DiMaggio can play but buthe buthe buthe he played or more last year That's quite a bunch for a veteran around 35 Then look at our coaching coaching coaching coach coach- ing staff again Dickey again Dickey Turner and Crosetti with Crosetti-with with Henrich added Why that bunch could run two or three teams They could and could and do a a. good job fob but but Casey Is still sUU the boss One point Is that George Weiss had arranged for more farm strength than he ever drew credit for He had more than a afew afew afew few good ballplayers In the offIng offing off off- Ing when they were needed needed needed-In- In Including such people as Bauer and Coleman and Woodling It may be that Rizzuto wont won't have quite as good a year as he had last season But you can gamble gamble gamble gam gam- ble he will have a very good goodyear goodyear goodyear year just the same He was at athis athis athis his time all-time best In 1950 He Be wont won't be far away in 1951 So Casey Stengel looks out upon an upset world and an upsetting game with his philosophy in good working order He hasn't started borrowing any trouble yet Why look for it he says find you sooner or later Looking Ahead A real prophet is the fellow who can tell you what eight football teams will be in the four major bowls on January 1 I 1952 That's only a year off This time we had California Michigan Texas Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Ten Ten- Kentucky Oklahoma Clemson Clemson Clemson Clem- Clem son and Miami How many of these will be out at the next bowl chow how Michigan for tor one The Wolverine cant can't return now in the next three years At this time last year Stanford was the team named as the likely West Coast Bowl candidate for Jan 1 I 1951 But Stanford didn't come close to making it My guess for next years year's Rose Bowl would be Howie Odell's Odes Washington team with UCLA next Washington gets a flying start with a brilliant backfield headed by passer Heinrich Stanford still lacks depth U.S.C. will be a problem once more an guess Washington Wash ington has the Netter better chance out here From the Big Ten I like Illinois This team barely missed out in a snowstorm this last time Ohio State and Michigan cant can't come So the Rose Bowl looks to be Washington Washing Washing- ton and Illinois All this of course is dependent almost entirely in the course of ot the draft |