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, , — — « r— " Willie Miranda Has Last Laugh Following Transfer to Yankees Sharp Fielding Cuban-Born j Shortstop Always Dreamed Of PlayincfWith Champions By MILTON RICHMAN United Press Sports writer f NEW YORK, N. Y., June 16.— They used I t to tell Willie Miranda hed never get any- v "V where because he was too small and he jj c couldnt hit hard enough to put a dent in c a a tub of butter. , sBut Willie, born in Velasco, Cuba, had n the last laugh on all of them today because I , he is exactly where he always dreamed of v j. being— with the world champion New York s Yankees. F "Ees almost too good to be true," grinned * * the happy, 150-pound, five-foot, eight-inch 1 Miranda who was purchased by the Yank- £ 4 ees from the St. Louis Browns last Friday. * "All my life I hope and theenk someday i maybe I be weeth the Yonkees and now ees j 1 hard to believe I am." Acquired as insurance for veteran Phil j ] Rizzuto, who probably will be rested dur- « j ing future double-headers, the 26-year-old ] Miranda is itching to see as much action j as possible with his new teammates. "I no like sit on bench all the time," 3 , Willie frowned. "Falla sit on bench all the time, he lose ambition. No good." There was no future in St. Louis for 1 Willie, not as long as young Billy Hunter, i the Browns 0,000 shortstop was hale and ] hearty enough to play shortstop. Miranda | got to bat only six times with the Browns i this season, collecting one hit. Outstanding Defensive Player Many American League players claim that Miranda is the outstanding defensive shortstop . in the circuit. "He made some plays while he was with lis which were out of this world," declares White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce. "Willie is the last word in fielding,/ admits Brownie manager Marty Marion. "But the big question is his hitting." Miranda, who batted .211 in 77 games last season while shuttling between the Browns and White Sox, feels he can compile a respectable batting average if he is permitted to play often enough. "Am no long deestance hitter," he explains, "but can get some singles and doubles." Since entering organized baseball five years ago, the good-looking, switch-hitting Willie has hit only one home run. But Casey Stengel figures Miranda will be an • excellent fil-in for the ?4-year-old Rizzuto. -v In obtaining Willie from the Browns, the ! Yankees beat the Indians to the punch. General manager Hank Greenberg of Cleveland was more than mildly interested in the Cuban shortstop but the Yankees spoke up first. «* [ Stengel has had an eye on Miranda since the spring. He asked Irv Noren all about. • him because Noren played together with Willie at Washington in 1951. Miranda is one big leaguer who ought to be guaranteed of rave notices in at least one newspaper because his brother, Fausto, is a sports writer in Cuba. But it doesnt ; work out that way. * "My brother never writes about me at " all," explains Willie. "Eef he writes about " me, people think he, how-you-say, prej-[ udiced. So he no write nothing about me." I Even so, smooth-fielding Willie has rated * ample praise from others during his brief but colorful career.
