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Dodgers Unlikely To Blow Big Lead Strong Bench Has Carried Club Along Victory Trail When Stars Were Sidelined By STEVE SNIDER United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., June 28. The Dodgers have blown longer leads in less time but the odds are against another collapse in the stretch this year. A strong bench now is backing up the veteran varsity and theyre acting like "Dodgers of destiny" with a lead of 12 games heading into Tuesday nights schedule despite a series of crushing injuries recently. Not all these stars were crippled at once but few clubs in any year could afford to have stars like Duke Snider, Roy Campa-nella, Carl Furillo, Jackie Robinson, Billy Loes, Johnny Podres, Russ Meyer and Carl Erskine either benched or hampered by ailments. Instead of staggering home on their last road trip, the Brooks actually made up a bit of ground on most of the others with a 75 record unspectacular for Brooklyn but highly satisfactory considering the conditions. Loes, Podres and Erskine all picked up sore arms or elbows- on the trip. To help offset that, rookie Karl Spooner and Clem Labine came back with renewed artistry. Spooners Fast Ball Has Zip Spooner, victim of a sore arm ever since spring training, shook off his miseries and has been flinging his fast ball with as much speed as he showed in his two late season shut outs last year. Labine, mostly a reliever these days, came out of the bull pen for a winning start in a key game at Chicago although he needed his usual help from the seventh on. Furillo was the first injury victim in the current plague. Carls left arm was banged up during the previous home stand and Gil Hodges took over for him in right field. Gils stand-in at first base was part of the "bench" rookie Frank Kellert. Frank hit better than .330 while he was needed. Jackie Robinson injured his left knee and it didnt make much difference who subbed for him Don Hoak or Don Zimmer. Usually it was Hoak but in either case both performed in high style. Still later, knee trouble ousted both Snider and Campanella. The Duke was replaced briefly by Bob Borkowski, who started a major rally to lick the Cubs on June 23. Rube Walker replaced Campanella for five games and carried on so handsomely he. was named "Dodger Player of the Week" in a local contest. Pitching, however, is the one dark spot in the Brooklyn sky. With Loes, Podres, Erskine and Meyer nursing injuries its up to the sluggers to keep the Bums rolling during the current home stand. More often than not, the sluggers respond nobly in friendly Ebbets Field but while the odds are against another Dodger collapse remember "the, record. The Bums were out in front by 13 games on Aug. 11, 1951 and finished second.
