When Baseball Stars Talk Shop - from November 1952 issue of Sport Magazine - actual wording of tape-recording from locker room in Philadelphia Athletics Shibe Park - done right before the 1952 All-Star Game: While Gil Hodges and Ralph Kiner are comparing batting notes, another famous slugger is sitting in the opposite corner with his Cardinal teammates. Here in a row are Red Schoendienst, Enos 'Country' Slaughter, Gerry Staley - and Stan Musial. Into their midst comes Dave Grote, the National League publicity man... he shakes hands all around. Grote says: Say, Stan, I was going over the (batting) averages the other day. They're down about ten to 30 points from a few years ago. How do you account for that? Musial: Well, the pitching has shown a definite improvement the last year or so. I think there's more young good-looking pitchers coming along. You got to give those young pitchers credit. Eddie Stanky (St Louis Cardinal manager and a coach for The NL All-Star squad): How about Mizell for one? There's a boy that's got it all. Musial: Yes, Mizell. Almost every club's got two or three they're pitching regularly. You take Philadelphia (Phillies), with Simmons coming back (from the Army) and Roberts, too; and Russ Meyer's pitching good ball. The Giants with Jansen and Maglie, and in Boston (Braves) there's Spahn and Surkont. In Chicago (Cubs) there's Bob Rush. You know. All over the league there's more good-looking pitchers coming along than anything else. Grote: Last year you gave an interview just about now, in July, with a heck of an estimate on how you'd wind up in the averages. Musial: (Smiling) Yes, sometimes I guess right. I had a fairly good year last year (Stan hit .355 to win the NL batting championship)... Mainly, you just want to have a good season and do all you can, no matter what. Grote: Are you ever surprised when you get a hit? It ought to be the other way. Musial: One thing about hitting is you never know when the next base-hit is coming. And the last hit you made is always the best one. Wes Westrum (NY Giants All-Star Catcher)... nodding towards Simmons: Curt's really coming in with that fast ball now. Do you think he lost anything being in the Army? Robin Roberts (Phillies Hall of Fame pitcher): At first he wasn't as smooth as he was before he went into the Army. I don't know, he just didn't look the same. And he couldn't get past the seventh or eight innings for awhile. But now he's stronger than he was before he went away. And real, real tough... Leo Durocher (NL All-Star manager from NY Giants): Simmons starts (1952 All-Star Game)... then Bob Rush or Staley to follow. Curt Simmons looks through the window at the rain falling heavily: - Humming and says 'Pitching in the rain... I'm pitching in the rain.' baseballhistorian.com - 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers 1952 New York Giants 1952 St Louis Cardinals 1952 Boston Braves |
