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; : » — ■ Musial to Patrol First Base Again Card Outfielder Inherits Job Fifth Time When Bilko Is Transferred to Minors By NORMAN MILLER United Press Sports Writer BROOKLYN, N. Y., May 13.— At the risk of shortening his career, slugging Stan Musial took over the St. Louis Cardinals first base job indefinitely today for the fifth time in the past six years. The slender 31-year-old Cardinal star, who has won the National League batting championship five seasons and the most valuable playef award three times, inherited the first base job, perhaps for the rest of the season, when bulky Steve Bilko was optioned to Rochester of the International League. Although outwardly he expressed his approval of the shift, there were indications that his heart still was in the outfield, where he earned his fame and which exacts far less toll on his arms and legs. "I dont mind going back to first base," he said as he loosened his arm before infield practice for the game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Ebbets Field. "Ill say this, though,it does make me feel more tired at the end of a season. "Of course, if you play hard enough, youre going to feel tired at the end of a season, no matter what position you play," Musial, always a team player, went on. "But first base takes more out of you than the outfield." Infield Is Strengthened "Musial is my first baseman," manager Eddie Stanky announced tersely before game-time. "Hell be there today and maybe for three weeks — and maybe for five months," he added significantly. "Theres no doubt about our infield being strengthened," Stanky continued. "Hell play first as long .as we need him there." Musial, long one of the best defensive outfielders in the league, has had to answer an emergency call at first base for the Cards in every year since the war except 1948. Each year he made the shift willingly and played the position brilliantly. He first made the switch in June of 1946, the year of the Cards last pennant. Eddie Dyer, then manager of the Cards, credited Musials shift to first as the move which won the pennant. He played first for the whole 1947 season. "I dont think my shift will effecfcymy hitting much," said Musial as he pounded his fist into a stiff, new first basemans mitt. "After all, there are a lot of pretty good hitting first basemen around the league. Musial made light of his slow 1952 batting start, which find him still below the .300 mark. "Nothing to worry about," he said. "Im pressing .300 right now, and with just a fewgood days at bat, Ill be right up there again. I hit too hard in spring training and I guess I had a letdown in the first few weeks of the season. "I dont like to hit too hard in Florida," he concluded. "After all, its the regular 154 games that count."
