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Dick Stuart says isn't either the most bungling first basemanBy MILTON RfCHMAN UPI Sports WriterNEW YORK (UPI) -Sinceeveryone points at him as the most butter-fingered bungler in baseball, Dick Stuart did a little pointing back today to prove half the lies they tell about him aren’t true.One allegation which particularly rankles the big Met first baseman is that he’s always agood bet to knock in 100 runs a season with his bat and let in 200 with his glove.“Never happened,” he said coldly, referring to the secondpart of that . contention, of course.“I can never remember when an error I made was responsible for losing a ball game. What’s more, I challenge anyone else to remember when I did.”The one redeeming virtue about Stuart is that he is not overly sensitive to criticismalthough, naturally, it bugs him to a degree. He never claimed he was a Hal Chase around first base but he is equally insistent that he isn't the worst defensive first baseman in the majors.“Take Lee Thomas (of Atlanta),” Stuart said for example. “He’s a very good friend of mine and I don’t mean, to single him out, but since we’re on this subject, I don’t think he’s better than me defensively. Neither of us is ever gonna win the Gold Glove Award.”Thomas’ reply to Stuart’s statement was a masterpiece of brevity.“I have only one comment,’’ declared the Braves’ first baseman.He thereupon made his two-word comment but they don’t permit it in this newspaper.“Then there’s Boog Powell of Baltimore,” Stuart went on.“He also is a good friend, but he’s no better a first baseman than I am. In fact, I think I cover more ground than he does.”Stuart excused himself a moment and reached into his locker for a pill which he gulped down after first removing the cigar from his mouth.“It’s for my sinus,” he said. “I had it so bad I almost died as a kid.”Due to his habit of kicking balls around first base, Stuart inherited the name “Dr. Strangeglove” although heclaims he doesn’t hear it somuch anymore.“Hank Aaron hung that name on me,” he recalled. “We were playing an exhibition game up in Cooperstown and he said, ‘how you doing, Strangeglove?’ A Boston newspaperman heard it, used it and it stuck.”Stuart knows a good defensive ballplayer when he seesone and it’s a measure of the man that he names Bill White, the player the Phillies obtained to supplant him. as the finest fielding first baseman in the big leagues.The others who Stuart feels are tops at their individual positions, defensively speaking, are second baseman Bill Mazeroski of the Pirates; third baseman Brooks Robinson of the Orioles; shortstop Bobby Wine of the Phillies; center fielder Willie Mays of the Giants; left fielder Carl Yas-trzemski of the Red Sox; right fielder Roberto Clemente of the Pirates; catcher John Roseboro of the Dodgers and pitcher Bill Monbouquette of Lhe Tigers.Stuart says if you keep watching him, you’ll see him turn in some fine fielding plays, too.He’s right. All you need is a pair of high powered binoculars and plenty of patience.
Newspaper Details
Redlands Daily Facts
Redlands, California, US
Tue, Apr 19, 1966
Page 18
Full Page
Clipped by
William R.
CT, USA 14 May 2019
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