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4 ♦ i j ; , | i , I j j , , I I , | , : j ! ; j j j • | ; , ; | j I | J ■ ; : i | j ; ; j ! 5 ■ ; 1 j i j ; i j 3 i J I I ■ j I *! j I , j , " I I | ! - — Hiring Fred Haney Smart Rickey Deal Pirate Manager Has Flair For Teaching Youngsters Without Blowing His Top By STEVE SNIDER United Press Sports Writer j NEW YORK, N. Y.. May 10— Manager Fred Haney represents one of the shrewd -jest deals Branch Rickey ever made. Fred came in two years ago and never finished out of the cellar, but he has every-I thing it takes to direct a mismatched outfit like the Pirates — patience, a sense of humor and a flair for teaching youngsters without blowing his top at their mistakes. With Rickeys player-juggling and Haney s wit the Pirates are beginning to look like a major league ball club for the first time in six years. Frequently they make the tough double play and rap the clutch hit the way the top clubs do. Tts a good feeling, of course ." said Haney on his last trip to the Big Town where the Giants finally cracked a six-game Pittsburgh winning streak, "Against the Braves at Pittsburgh one night recently, Roberto Clemente went deep for an outfield fly that figured to win the ball game for Milwaukee unless he made the tough play," said Fred. He made the catch for the last out of the game and we won it. In the same series, we had a triple play that saved us trouble." The Pirates are on the move, but the make-up of the club probably is a long way from what itll be when Rickey is finished. "In fact, said one of Haney s aides. "Fred can recite the Army discharge dates of his men still in service just as easily as he can tell you how his current team is hitting. .Young Men of Bright Promise In the meantime, the nucleus of the fin- ished product is on hand in young men of bright promise. At the outset. Pittsburgh was believed by the experts to have only a couple of real pros on the squad — out-: fielder Frank Thomas and aging Sid Gor-1 don. Neither one of those players was available during Pittsburghs recent rise and, for the moment, werent missed. "Once against the Giants I started Ramon Majias in the outfield," said Haney with a pixie grin. "He hadnt made a hit in 21 trips. I figured he was due. Turned out he wasnt, but we won, anyway. Losing 205 games in two full seasons hasnt dimmed Haney s sense of humor nor his fondness for practical jokes. Fred was in town when he learned the Dodgers had suspended pitchar Don Newcombe for "insubordination." Haney put in a call to Dodger vice-president Buzz Bavasi and. disguising his voice, told Buzz he was chairman of a powerful citizens com-j mittee for the re-instatement of Den Newcombe. "I sure must have sounded official. Haney chuckled, "you never heard such sputtering on the other end of a tele- phone." Sometimes. Fred is painfully frank about the talents of his players, although that is decreasing now that he is getting more kids who may be around a while. But a couple of years back, when Danny OConnell was just back from service and going great at second base for the Pirates. Haney refused to go overboard on his prospects. "He may develop, all right." he said. But right now Id have to say he looks so "good because everyone else looks so bad.
