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i — ■ — — Tebbetts Praises Brooklyn Hurlers Will Keep Dodgers Pennant Contenders for Many Years, Pilot of Redlegs Believes By JOHN GRIFFIN United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., June 10.— Some folks think the Brooklyn Dodgers pitchers should pay their way into the ball park because the Hitters do all the work, but dont try to tell that to manager Birdie Tebbetts of the Cincinnati Redlegs. ""Sure, those sluggers are great and somebody different is hitting every day," admitted Tebetts, whose Redlegs are fresh, if thats the word, from two straight losses to the runaway league leaders. "But its that pitching that really rolls over you," sighed Birdie. "Why, do you realize they have no less than four pitchers who are potential 20 game winners — Carl Erskine, Don Newcombe, Johnny Podres, and Billy Loes? They just keep rolling that staff over and throwing each of these guys at you every four days. "They didnt do much hitting against us in these last two games," Tebbetts pointed out. "Not a single home run. But Podres and ewcombe really took the bats out of our hands." Youthful Mound Staff Birdie said he was especially impressed by the youth of the Dodgers staff, which means the Brooks will have topnotch pitchers for several years to come. Erskine and Newcombe each are 28, Loes 25, and Podres only 22. Ed Roebuck, the new and promising ace of the Dodger bullpen staff, is only 24. . "Those pitchers being so young is going to help the Dodgers two ways," Tebbetts predicted. "First of all, a lot of their big hitters are getting old — theyve got a lot of mileage on them. Right now were having unseasonably cool weather and those fellows are feeling fine. But when that real summer heat sets in,vsome of those older fellows could get mighty tired. "Thats where those "young pitchers figure to take up the slack. Heat helps pitchers while it harms aging hitters. But with those young pitchers, the Dodgers are well off. "Another, thing — the Dodgers* regular team is getting old and its reached the stage where mighty soon Brooklyn is going to have to rebuild the whole regular team — fitting new young kinds into the line-up in place of some fading stars. "Most clubs go into a tailspin when they have to break up a club and rebuild. But thats just when those young pitchers will take up the slack again. "Those pitchers are going to keep Brooklyn a pennant contender for several years —even while they are rebuilding," Tebbetts insisted. "I know some people say this year could be the Dodgers last chance for a while, but I dont agree. "I have never downrated the Dodgers pitching. Its terrific."
