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. • White Sox Replace Cleveland As Chief Threat to Yankees Stengel Admits Chicagoans Have Enormous Spirit, Lands Richards0 Ability as Leader , By FRED DOWN * United Press Sports Writer £ NEW YORK, N. Y., May 15.— The swift, aggressive Chicago White Sox replaced the t Cleveland Indians today as the No. I stum- t bling l block in the New York Yankees path i toward a fifth straight pennant — with no i less an authority than Casey Stengel con- s curring. 1 "Theyre the team thats beaten us three out c of four," Stengel said after the White t Sox i 7-5 victory yesterday. "They run and they drive. Ive warned my players to watch i their running but they run anyway. Theyre ! ! ] going to be tough all the way and maybe j theyll • be tougher than the Indians." Stengel admitted he was "blazing mad" ] at the Yankees failure to contain the White ] Sox aggressive base runners, but he did : i ■ attach one proviso to his analysis of the | I j teams ability to stay in the race all the L way. j "He Paul Richards, manager of the ] ] White Sox has been struggling with his I I ] i pitchers all season," Stengel said. "Im not j j £ sure hes got enough pitching to make a , 1 fight of it all the way." | I ] Oddly, Richards posed the same question ] about the Yankees ability to become the i first team to win five consecutive pennants. "To beat the Yankees youve got to out-pitch l them," Richards said. "How long can Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi and Ed Lopat go on? They cant go on forever, even if they do wear Yankee uniforms." - Richards Non-Commitral Richards shrugged and was non-committal when asked whether Ed "Whitey" Ford, the sensational young left-hander, could take up the slack. Stengel blamed yesterdays defeat on himself, but he could not hide his anger at pitcher Tom Gorman for failing to keep Minnie Minoso closer to first base in the eighth inning. Minoso stole second base but ; was retired trying to make third on an infield out and the White Sox did not score" : in that inning. Nevertheless Stengel seemed to feel Gormans failure to prevent Minoso , J from stealing was symptomatic of the Yan- . kees play against the White Sox. , "I warned em," Stengel said! "You tell em and then the guy goes ahead and takes the base. Im so mad I cant see straight." Casey took the blame, however, for the winning run which crossed the plate in the top of the ninth when Sam Mele singled to center and pinch-runner Bob Wilson scored from second base. , "I shoulda pulled in the outfield when he ; sent in the pinch-runner," Stengel said. "It was my fault and I admit it. He was playing to win right there and I shoulda done the same thing." The White Sox ability to rebound and come from behind was the subject of conversation in the Yankee clubhouse after the game and Stengel readily admitted that Richards team had enormous spirit, He attributed it to Richards ability as a manager. "Hes got em going and theyre never outta a game," Stengel said. "Hes got a problem at third base and he scrambles with that pitching, but hes tough." It was the White Sox third victory in four games with the Yankees this season. On the other hand, the Yankees have beaten the Indians — rated their principal contender in pre-season polls — three straight. "The club that beats us is the club to watch," Stengel said. "These guys beat us — three outta four — and its just up to us to stop em."
