This is RetroSports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history.
This is Fred Hessler presenting a parade of sports personalities with the answers to leading sports questions.
Today, Phil Rizzuto analyzes what was wrong with Phil Rizzuto.
The Quartz of the Indians and Whitey Lockman of the Giants look at the pen and fight.
While Detroit skipper Bucky Harris is optimistic about the Tigers,
Hilton Spanninger joins us at the organ for the Inside Track to Sports.
When things go wrong with a good ball player, the public is first to know,
both at the ballpark and by press, radio and television commentary.
A star ball player is in the limelight, but the high standards of play
is set for himself on performance makes it tough when he slips.
For Rizzuto, it's not a new story, but the 1954 season was a rough one and one of baseball's nicest guys.
The scooter was supposed to be washed up way back in 1949, but it didn't work that way.
1955 may disprove what they said about Phil in 54.
Navy Chief Al Spanninger asks Phil if the comments bother him.
No, it doesn't bother me. I get a kick out of it because at least this is where they know I'm around.
I've never caused any trouble or made any statements and people just took me for granted.
But this year, I don't know, not what with the new glasses and the theory that everybody thinks I'm too old
and they're going to see how I'm going to do it.
It's a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to a good battle out there for that shortstop position.
Now the glasses themselves, what do they do for you?
Well, they have sharpened up the picture quite a bit.
By that I mean, it used to be a little hazy and a little blurry.
I mean, not so that it would affect me too much, but I could notice it and these glasses have sort of sharpened everything up.
But I still have to get used to the outer rims.
Whenever I look out, all I can see is rims and they tell me that it takes constant wear.
So I'm going to use them all spring. I've worn them about six days now and I'm getting a little better feel.
They say that one of the things that makes a great ball player is peripheral or side vision.
So I guess it would hamper you a little bit.
Well, it does. I mean, I know I've always had pretty good peripheral vision.
Of course, I played a lot of basketball and in that you have to watch your man and back in on the side of you.
And in baseball too, you've got to know if your second baseman is there or the third baseman are going back for side ball.
But as I said, that is what bothers me out of the side of the eyes.
But I think I'm getting a little more used to it and I talk to fellas like Eddie Joust and Dominic DiMaggio and Jim Constanti on our team.
And they say that after a while, you don't even know you got them on.
Well, they look just like regular glasses. Actually, they must be different.
Well, they are different. They're a lot heavier. They're shatterproof and unbreakable so that you can't get blinded or something.
They will shatter, but they won't break.
And they're tinted just a little bit and they've got this frame that is a little heavier than the ordinary glass frame.
There's no protection though. It seems like jogging around, they come right off your ears.
Well, they put an extra thing that loops around and catches the bottom of your ear. They stay on pretty good.
Could you put your finger on anything last year?
Not a darn thing. I don't know. I just lost my confidence early in the year and never got it back until the end.
I dreaded going up to home play to hit. I was happy when he wouldn't play me.
But I tell you one thing, I did experiment too much with different bats.
All the years I was having good years, I used the heavy bat, Johnny Meiser's bat.
And last year, Ines Slaughter came with the club and he has real light bats that weigh about 30-31 ounces.
And I started using them at the beginning of the year and they were too light and as a result I was way out in front.
Then when I did try to use the heavy bats again, I was sunk with that. I lost the touch with the heavy bats.
Well, now your bat now is what?
Well, now I'm back to 34 ounce bats. I was using a 30 and 31 which is very light.
It makes you feel strong but it's a false strength because you're round in front and you don't meet the ball squarely.
34 ounce, how long is your bat?
35 inches. But as I said, I'd like to get back to that Mys bat which is 36 inches long and 36 ounces and wait.
That seems awful.
It seems big but when you get a bat that long and that weight is balanced perfectly,
when you get other bats that are maybe 34 inches and 32 ounces, they're not as well balanced as a long bat like Johnny Mys.
Well, could you do the things like bunt, hit and run with that other bat?
Oh yes, definitely. Even better than with the small bat because you had so much more bat to play with.
And as a result you could hit the outside pitch and if you wanted a bunt you just choke up and bunt the ball and it had more wood, more hitting certain.
Well actually Phil, that's what made you as a ball player. Was your ability to do those things, don't you believe?
Oh yes, I mean I was able to hit and run, hit and back of the runner and bunt and hit the ball, pull the ball when I had it when a third baseman was in.
It seems to me that those things would still put a ball player in a major leagues today even with the accent on power.
Yes, definitely. I mean everybody likes to see the long ball and the home run but you've got to get those men on base too and those are the kind of ball players they're looking for.
The men that get on base so those long balls hitters can knock them in.
That's the inside track to baseball with Phil Rizzuto.
Phil and Mighty Low, you did it if you were a Cleveland fan or a ball player long about October 3rd, 1954.
At that time it was doubly discouraging and Cleveland for the football browns weren't going well either.
Although the Paul Brown crew came out well at season's end.
For the Cleveland ball player it's apt to become a complex if people keep asking what happened to the Indians.
Sportcaster Mel Alberts talks to one man who did well for the Indians, Slugger Victor Warts.
I think that a lot of people talked about this club being down and knowing everything because we lost a series last year like we did but jeez the morale is high and we're looking forward to another season.
I don't think we'll win 111 games but I think we'll win the pennant.
Well it's very unusual that you have to win 111 games to take that pennant as I was saying to Al Rosen.
The Yankees with 103 ordinarily would win it. How many games you figure you'll have to go this year to get it?
Well I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we had to go over 100 again because the Yankees are going to be tough as they always have been and of course we expect the little improvement in the lower part of the league too.
With Baltimore and Washington and Kansas City we expect them to be tougher so of course they're going to take the toll out of the Yankees too along with us.
I figure about 100 wins will take this year.
Well one break the Indians have this year that the Giants might not have is that is the Giants are going to have seven clubs pointing at them but it's going to be two clubs in the American league that are going to have the other six clubs pointing at them.
Even though the Yankees didn't win it the conjecture of opinion seems to be that you got to beat the Yankees and the Indians this year.
That's the way it looks Mal and of course we always figure the Yankees are going to be tough because in the past they've proven they're going to be tough and we have a good fight because I think the White Sox will be up there.
Giving a pretty good account of themselves too.
Well the White Sox are always tough especially when you have to play them at home.
Vic last question is there anybody that you've seen somebody that we haven't heard a great deal about that looks like they might break into the statement lineup.
Well I'll tell you a fellow we have here young left handed pitcher Herb Scoria read a lot about him.
Oh he looks great.
He won twenty two games last year I understand and that's up type of record on an earned run average basis.
Isn't that correct. That and he also set a record I think it was standing for 50 years striking out 330 men in the association.
That's a lot of men.
That's pretty far country pitching.
You think Herb might break into that starting assignment.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised Mal that he'll be number four pitcher.
Well how much good pitching can the Cleveland Indians use with this pitching staff.
Boy this staff has loaded.
I've never seen so much talent in one camp in all my life believe me.
Tell me something. Well the world is a young rookie goal to break into a starting lineup like these Cleveland Indians.
Well I'm afraid that's the position that I'm playing right now.
Dale Mitchell and I are holding down first base and I'm afraid that would be a good spot for young fellow to start.
But we're not encouraging anybody.
That's the inside track to the Indians with Vic Wirtz.
In the world of baseball being young at heart isn't quite enough.
You need the young physique to go with it.
But if young bodies can win pennants certainly the Tigers have them and it's a novel experience for Bucky Harris.
Harris again back at the Detroit helm after terms in Washington New York San Diego and Washington hasn't been blessed with youth until his current engagement.
Kyle Spanger talks it over with Harris asking first about his relief car.
Would you say that any pitcher you pick up can be a good reliever.
Well no that's a little bit of a specialty in itself such as a good pinch hitter and a good relief pitcher.
And of course they're both valuable.
As of now I haven't picked what I call a specialty.
Getting to the rest of the positions on the Detroit ball club I think you've got the youngest team in the major leagues haven't you.
I think someone has pointed that out that averages twenty five point one.
There's some pretty good young ones too.
If they happen to improve a little this year and catch fire they're not telling what can happen.
Well the the question that comes to my mind with such a young team are you still teaching them.
Oh yes you've got to pick a little flaw here and there and brush it up just like you put polish on a pair of shoes to make it look better.
And do you think you're teaching major leagues more now than you used to.
Well you have not anymore except that the more useful ones playing now and as a result they need a little bit more than the ones of years ago that played in the minor leagues several years and were pretty pretty well set when they came up here.
How about the infield Bucky.
Well a thing of course his knee is sound and he is of the feeling that it will be will be the first baseman.
Hatfield at second Keen at short and Boone at third.
The outfield looks a little bit like it'll be Porter.
Tuttle and K-line.
Porter's come on in great style.
He really is.
He's what I would call a good prospect.
It seems to me also that that your bench is stronger this year.
Oh a little bit.
Yes you have those like Delfty and Bob Phillips who just returned from the service.
Maybe we could stand next to in a reserve infield.
And the catching staff I think is one of the best in the major leagues.
It's adequate.
The House and Wilson are very adequate.
Of course they're not a hitter like Barra but who is as far as that goes.
It seems to me that the difference between catchers would be in the hitting.
Do you find that that's true?
Pretty much so yes.
Most most enemy major league catchers are good receiver and thrower and the one with the big edge is the guy that can hit that ball the best.
Well just two other things to get to the strongest point on the Detroit Tigers team and the weakest.
Well I guess the strength of the club is the fact that it's got good young ball players that should improve.
Blended in of course with a little experience such as Stain and Boone.
Right now I can't see any outstanding weakness.
I think we're pretty good.
And that's the inside track to the Tigers with Bucky Harris.
In the world of baseball one of the state of North Carolina's gifts to the New York Giants is first baseman Whitey Lockman.
Whitey has been one of Lio D'Rosha's more dependable guys even though his 54 season didn't show it.
Lockman known also as old cotton top has been around the league a half dozen seasons and knows the personnel and what to expect.
So here is the Whitey Lockman outlook on the National League race.
I think the league will be overall a little better balanced than it was last year and we look to have a real tough fight all the way with particular trouble from Brooklyn and Milwaukee and Cincinnati probably in St. Louis.
It looks like a tough league and in few words.
Certainly is.
What kind of shape are you in this year? Whitey how do you think things are going to go for yourself personally?
Well I am in tip top shape physically and I just certainly hope I can have a little better year at the plate than I did last year when I hit 250.
So I've been taking quite a few extra batting practice sessions and I think I might be able to hit a little more than that.
So I'm going to go ahead and get back to the game.
And that's the inside track to baseball with the Giants Whitey Lockman Detroit manager Bucky Harris Cleveland's Dick Warts and the Yankees Phil Rizzuto.
Hilton Spanninger was at the organ.
This program was produced by Frank Sealy and Fred Hessler who invites you now to join us again for the answers to leading sports questions with the men who know those who make the sports headlines for this is.
The inside track and original production of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.
.