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l ■ Veterans Still Holding Down Many Jobs in Major Leagues Pilots Depend on Oldsters t ► For Team Balance Despite Noticeable Youth Movement By MILTON RICHMAN United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., May 23.— Whaddya mean "old?" Many big leaguers, 35 years • and older, are just getting their second wind today. Take ancient Ellis Kinder of the Red I Sox. Hell be 39 in July, but manager Lou Boudreau insists, "hes the best relief 1 pitcher in the league. If anything happens i to him, were sunk." i Pittsburgh is playing nursemaid to sev- I eral bonus babies but the Pirates are bank- | ing most heavily on a pair of 37-year-olds, . Murry Dickson and Johnny Lindell, to buoy their pitching staff. Despite the noticeable "youth movement" among the Cardinals, 37-year-old Country Slaughter and 38-year-old Alpha Brazle are still vital cogs in the St. Louis machine. Even the world champion Yankees would be hampered if they lost two of their "old men" — 40-year-old Johhny Mize, pinch hitter deluxe, and 35 -year-old Allie Reynolds, pitcher par excellence. At 36, shortstop Eddie Joost and second baseman Pete Suder still are functioning far- superior to players 10 years their junior, but the title of*old folks" on the Athletics is the exclusive property of 44-year-old Bobo Newsom. Born Week Before Paige According to the records, Newsom was born exactly one month before Satchel Paige of the Browns, making him the oldest active player now in the Majors. Bald but hard-muscled Emil "Dutch" Leonard of the Cubs admits to 43 but many of his Chicago teammates insist hes 45. Anyway, Leonards knuckler still baffles enemy batters. Time was that when a ball player reached 3P, he was back on the farm where he was born and people didnt remember him anymore, but Harry "the Cat" Brecheen of the Browns, Bill Nicholson of the Phillies and big Walker Cooper of the Braves all are 38 and still going strong. Conrado Marrero, Washingtons Cuban-born "junk ball" pitcher, insists hes 38, too, but they say in the dugouts he quit counting his birthdays five years ago. There isnt a ball club in the Majors that 1 doesnt boast at least one 35-year-old on its roster. Ted Wilks, 37, Hank Majeski, 36, and I Barney McCoskey, 35, are Clevelands entrants while the White Sox have 37-year-old Eddie Stewart and 36-year-old Joe Dobson. Jim Konstanty of the Phillies is 36, the i same age as Sal Maglie of the Giants. • Preacher Roe of Brooklyn, Ken Raffens-berger of the Redlegs and Pat Mullin of • Detroit are approaching their 36th birthdays, • also. Sure, baseball is a young mans game, . but therell always be enough room for some able-bodied "old men."
