SCOUTING REPORTS YANKEES
HITTERS
7 MICKEY MANTLE
CF, Bats L-R, .365, 34 HR, 92 RBI
BATTING: Perhaps the most dangerous hitter in base-ball. Explosive power from either side, tremendous speed. Can hit any pitch for home run or beat out a bunt. No longer chases high inside fast ball. Use it to set him up, come back low, curve him outside, move ball around to keep him off balance.
FIELDING: Probably best straightaway speed in game when legs are sound. Very strong and accurate arm; sometimes careless, but don't run on him.
BASE RUNNING: Always goes for extra base, definite threat to steal.
8 YOGI BERRA
C, Bats L, .249, 22 HR, 75 RBI
BATTING: Has slumped but home-run and RBI totals show he is still one of the best clutch hitters around. Vicious pull hitter, can hit any pitch. Try to get two strikes tight and inside or down and out, then move ball around, break up his rhythm by mixing fast ball, changeup, slow curve. Use high outside pitch with extreme caution.
FIELDING: Smart, experienced receiver, good arm, reacts well despite bulk. Throws to second are accurate and quick.
BASE RUNNING: Surprisingly fast, runs bases well but no threat to steal.
12 GIL McDOUGALD
SS Bats R, .294, 13 HR, 60 RBI
BATTING: Outstanding fast-ball hitter, dangerous in clutch, good hit-and-run man. Not a slugger but has good power. Tough competitor. Use fast ball only as waste pitch, curve him, change up, move ball around.
FIELDING: Helps make Casey look like a genius. Highly skilled and versatile infielder. Can play short, second or third. Strong arm, wide range, very good hands. Great student of hitters, has amazing ability to sense situations.
BASE RUNNING: One of the best. Always takes the extra base, will steal.
14 BILL SKOWRON
1B, Bats R, .304, 17 HR, 88 RBI
BATTING: Great power and strength, can pull inside pitch or hit outside pitch into right-field seats. Determined, does not give an inch at plate. Real good fast ball will frequently overpower him if thrown right in on him; keep it away from outside corner. Good curve-ball hitter. Sometimes swings wildly; work the corners low, occasionally throw one in the dirt.
FIELDING: Only adequate; catches ball, but not too agile, doesn't react quickly.
BASE RUNNING: Good speed for big man, but not a threat to steal.
9 HANK BAUER
RF, Bats R, .258, 18 HR, 61 RBI
BATTING: Aggressive and determined. Good power; good fast-ball hitter, has improved steadily against breaking stuff, now bothered only by right-handed curve. Pitch him fast and tight, try to get him to chase curve ball down and away.
FIELDING: One of the best. Covers ground, superb at pulling down fly balls, has strong and deadly accurate arm.
BASE RUNNING: Most aggressive and daring Yankee on bases. Has speed, gets good jump, will steal. Always goes for extra base, always runs hard.
34 TONY KUBEK
IF-OF, Bats L, .294, 3 HR, 37 RBI
BATTING: Seldom hits the home run but lines ball sharply to all fields. Fine bunter. Likes to hit fast ball up high. Hard to fool with changeup. Curve him, keep him off balance. Good left-handed curve will get him out.
FIELDING: A bang-up shortstop in minors, has played four positions in rookie year with Yankees. Polished infielder; quick, smooth, has good arm at third or short. Needs experience in outfield but has speed to cover lots of ground.
BASE RUNNING: Very fast, takes the extra base and can steal. Gets a good jump.
36 HARRY SIMPSON
OF-1B, Bats L, .267, 12 HR, 57 RBI
BATTING: Good hitter with power; will pinch-hit against right-handers when not in lineup. Can pull but likes to hit outside pitch to deep left center. Keep the ball in on him, crowd him; he likes anything on outside. You can change-up on him effectively, fool him with slow curve.
FIELDING: An average outfielder. Covers ground with deceptive lope, catches the ball, has a fair arm but won't rob you of any base hits.
BASE RUNNING: Has some speed, but not a good base runner, seldom tries to steal.
17 ENOS SLAUGHTER
LF, Bats L, .254, 5 HR, 33 RBI
BATTING: At 41, still tough at the plate, determined and dangerous in clutch. Line-drive hitter with enough power to reach short right-field stands in Yankee Stadium. Good fast-ball hitter, will wait for it. Will pull high inside pitch, punch outside pitch to left. Keep ball low, curve him.
FIELDING: Just adequate defensively. Has lost some speed, no longer makes the spectacular catch, arm only average.
BASE RUNNING: Hustles as hard as ever, still moves pretty well. Will go for extra base, but seldom tries to steal.
29 BOBBY RICHARDSON
2B, Bats R, .262, 0 HR, 19 RBI
BATTING: Midseason slump and injury hurt him, but average not indicative of ability. No power but very steady, hits everything sharply through middle. Good curve-ball hitter. Pitch him low, keep fast ball tight. Good hit-and-run man, good bunter.
FIELDING: This rookie looks like one of the best. Lightning reactions, wide range and great hands; gets ball away very fast. Works beautifully with either McDougald, Kubek on double play.
BASE RUNNING: Fair speed, very quick. Good base runner, smart, may try to steal.
PITCHERS
16 WHITEY FORD
Throws L, W-10, L-4, 2.57 ERA
PITCHING: Missed half of season with sore shoulder but now rounding into top shape. Very determined, throws good fast ball, fast and slow curve, puzzling change-up slider. Studies hitters, almost never comes in with a fat pitch. Control can sometimes be a problem. Pitched opening game of last two Series.
FIELDING: Quick, handles ground balls well. Has very good pick-off move to first; base runners should be careful.
BATTING: A good hitter. Gets good wood on the ball, shows some power.
47 TOM STURDIVANT
Throws R, W-14, L-G, 2.67 ERA
PITCHING: A real battler who seems to improve every year. Wicked assortment of pitches. Throws good fast ball which tails away from right-hand hitter, knuckler, slider, curve. Control very sound and does good job keeping everything low. Beat Dodgers in fourth game last year to square Series at two all. This season has been most dependable Yankee pitcher.
FIELDING: Very good. A former infielder, he really takes care of his position.
BATTING: Bats left and can rip the ball. Good hitter even among Yankee pitchers.
19 BOB TURLEY
Throws R, W-12, L-5, 2.43 ERA
PITCHING: Big and strong, he always had ability to become a big winner; lack of control and confidence were his problems. Now appears to have them both licked, is leading league in ERA. Still throws with blazing speed and has finally developed good curve to keep hitters off balance. Don't worry about changeup; he does not get it over with consistency. Always expect fast ball, protect against curve.
FIELDING: Only adequate, not quick.
BATTING: Not a good hitter but occasionally connects with lots of power.
30 BOBBY SHANTZ
Throws L, W-11, L-5, 2.50 ERA
PITCHING: Made great comeback this season but has slowed down in last two months, appears to be tired. Throws a little of everything: several types of curves, sneaky fast ball, knuckler, very good changeup. Pitches to spots, so control can be a problem; when it's off, he is in trouble.
FIELDING: Probably best in baseball. Very quick and will go for lead runner in bunt situation whenever possible.
BATTING: Dangerous hitter. Bats right and can pull sharply; hard to fool. Watch him on the bases; he can run.
18 DON LARSEN
Throws R, W-9, L-4, 3.92 ERA
PITCHING: Hasn't looked like no-hit pitcher this year, but then he didn't until fifth game of World Series last year either. Could come through with big game. Biggest pitcher on Yankee staff, throws very good fast ball, excellent slider, uses indifferent change-of-pace for third pitch. Highly temperamental, he is erratic and control is streaky. Has been hit hard most of season, walks too many on his bad days.
FIELDING: Too slow, not a good fielder.
BATTING: Very good hitter for a pitcher, with above-average power.
55 BOB GRIM
Throws R, W-12, L-8, 2.69 ERA
PITCHING: Will probably be Stengel's No. 1 short relief man. Can throw the ball very hard for a few innings, which is the way he likes to pitch. Very aggressive and highly determined, always confident he can beat you. Throws very good sidearm fast ball, good slider and curve; motion is deceptive and one of his biggest assets. Can be expected to have good control.
FIELDING: An above-average fielder with no weakness. Handles bunts well.
BATTING: One of few weak hitters on Yankee staff. Don't worry about him.
BOARD OF STRATEGY
Leathery, wrinkled, double-talking CASEY STENGEL (37) has had unparalleled success in the World Series, both as player and manager. A National League outfielder from 1912-1925 (.284 lifetime average), Stengel batted .393 in three World Series with the Dodgers and Giants, hit two home runs for the latter in 1923, thereby accounting for only two games they won from Yankees that year. As a manager, Stengel failed to finish higher than fifth place in nine seasons with Dodgers and Braves, but as Yankee manager since 1949 his teams have won eight pennants and six World Series. Blessed with the best talent in baseball, Casey can do no wrong with his daily and sometimes confusing juggling. His moves may look daring at times, on re-examination prove to be based on sound theory backed by a vast knowledge of game, FRANK CROSETTI (2). Stengel's right-hand man, was star Yankee shortstop in '30s, veteran of seven World Series as player; this will be his ninth as third-base coach, CHARLIE KELLER (33), another fabled Yankee, was part of slugging outfield of DiMaggio, Henrich and Keller in early '40s, left his Maryland breeding farm this spring to replace ailing Bill Dickey as first-base coach. JIM TURNER (31) pitched 14 years in minors, nine in majors, was 20-game winner in rookie season with Braves in 1937. Has been Yankee pitching coach since 1949, has long been a key factor in their success.
THE BENCH
Typical of versatility to be found on Yankee bench is ELSTON HOWARD (32). hard-hitting No. 2 catcher who also does a good job in left field. A good breaking-ball hitter but weak on high fast balls; runs well but doesn't get good jump on fly balls. Has a good strong arm and, when catching, a very quick one. If Berra's injured thumb fails to heal sufficiently, Howard will move in full time behind the plate, JERRY COLEMAN (42). a wonderfully smooth and polished defensive infielder at any one of three positions, is not a strong hitter, does not run bases too well. JOE COLLINS (15) is a superior first baseman, does only adequate defensive job in right field; a dangerous left-hand clutch hitter despite low average, he murders low balls, can run the bases. Third basemen include not only Kubek, Coleman and McDougald but the two more-or-less regulars in the Stengel system: husky blond veteran ANDY CAREY (6) and slender blond rookie JERRY LUMPE (11). Both make all the plays at third, have good arms, can run and like to hit the fast ball. Good breaking stuff down low will get them out. DARRELL JOHNSON (39), NO. 3 catcher, is smart, handles pitchers well, has a good arm; a sharp hit-and-run man with little power. JOHNNY KUCKS (53), an 18-game winner last year, has been hit hard on occasion this season, now seems to be used mostly in relief; throws good assortment of pitches—sinker, slider, changeup, good fast ball—with sharp control, keeps them all low. ART DITMAR (28). a fine fielding pitcher and a good hitter, has quick but not overpowering fast ball, sinker and slider but only fair control. Aging left-hander TOMMY BYRNE (23) has lost big fast ball, now primarily junk pitcher with good curve. Very good hitter. Rookie ALCICOTTE (24) throws sinker, unlikely to see action.
FIFTEEN PHOTOS
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STENGEL
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CROSETTI
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KELLER
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TURNER
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HOWARD
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COLEMAN
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COLLINS
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CAREY
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LUMPE
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JOHNSON
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KUCKS
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DITMAR
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BYRNE
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CICOTTE
ILLUSTRATION