European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 13, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes Pago 23 commentary dodgers finally find Marshall plan if i were inc dodgers. I would have solved my first Haw problem years afo. I would Haw made my first baseman live and so 10 speak thrown away the key. Of course what do i know i m the go who Lold movie producer Frank Mccarthy years ago that he was crazy to make a movie about inc life of i m the Guy who liked the Vikings big in every super howl they Ever went to. I thought Arnold Palmer would never make in on tour Wilh that swing. I kind of liked Harold Slosson s chances for the presidency. To this Day. 1he Chicago Tribune and 1 think of Thomas Dewey As our 34th president. 1 predicted thai inc l9 acts would t win a game in the world series and i bal that secretarial would finish out of inc Mone in the 73 Derby. Lul Mike Marshall was going to nuke me Well my could thing of the meeting. He the House. To me Marshall was a Mo-5 shot to be the Best of the Squadron of Guys who auditioned for the dodgers first base Job after Steve Garvey left. First of All. He seemed to find the curve Bali less a mystery than sonic of those other Guys. Second he could hit left handed pitching. To be sure since tic was right handed himself this did t impress the dodger management As much As it did me. On the other hand they had a dugout full of Guys who could t hit left funded pitching if their a Ulherr was throwing. But Bt-51 of All were his dimensions. Throwing to Mike Marshall Owr there on first was like throw Anglo the Empire stale building. You could t miss him. His predecessor. Steve Garvey had made a career out of digging throws out of the dirt but part of that was because Steve Walow to the Din himself. Lots Statuti invited no to say encouraged Low throws. Infill do were afraid 1o throw Over his head. You throw Over Marshall s head. You could t throw a Bull under Garvey or Over or around Marshall. If nothing else his size14 feel made it possible for him to take a throw in Short right and still by standing on lie bag. If lie had a fault it was Hal he had Loo much strike zone. In fact at 6-foot-s and 210, he was Al most ail strike zone h was hard to throw a non strike to Mike Marshall. Mike was a will Rogers Hiuer anyway. He never met a pitch he did t like. He walked less often than a guv whose feet Hurt Only slimes All last year in More than 400 limes at Bat. He struck out a lot. He never put anybody in mind of Gene Kelly around first base or anywhere else. But Mike Marshall tried hard. He did whatever they wanted him to. He might have looked awkward even ungainly. Sometimes he caught the Ball like Aguy hanging drapes. But he got inc Job done he was Able to make a three act adventure out of catching a Al but Mike Marshall " ue-14s Are it Erst. Fly Ball. Pint he had to surround in. But he always caught it. When he did he had a Strong Arm and some Speed. Still the dodgers never did seem to figure Oul what to do with Mike Marshall. They Schleppey him around the infield and Outfield like a. Bargain rack of dresses. He had awesome Power. You could Light acuity Wilh the Force of his swings. Third basemen backed up when he came to Bat. His first at bal he hit a Home Nin. But it hit in the scats Wilh such Force that it bounced Back onto inc Field and the ump thought it was a double. He was almost too congenial. He had balled .173 and .388 and .354 and .324 in the minor leagues. He had led Law o of the three minor leagues he played for in Balling average. In i9bi. He led the Pacific coast league in average ,377 runs. 114home runs. 34, and runs batted in 134. He hit .264 with 17 Home run his first full year in the big Mike Marshall never made Waves. He walked around Camp with his head Down As if he came to fix the plumbing. Or coach third base. When the dodger suggested he go to the Outfield. Marshall said sure instead of ill have to Check Wilh my Marshall even had a rationale for his almost Over modest behaviour. You be Jot to remember we Conj first came up Steve Garvey was still around and i could t logically expert 10 take Over from he says. If he re signed with the dodgers instead of going to the padres in 1983. He would have been the first base Man All those Yean. It was advisable for me to learn a new Bui Garvey did not sign again Wilh inc dodgers. And first base went to almost everyone else but Mike Marshall Al one Lime or another Greg Brock. Sid Bream and Franklin Stubbs played first base. So did Danny a cup Len Paluszck. . Reynolds. Mickey Hatcher Pedro Guerrero and a cast of thousands. When Marshall said what about me they told him to shut up and go catch some Tome Fly balls. They asked him if he Ever gave any though to third base. He tried it. Bul pulling Mike Marshall on third base was like putting a Moose on ice skates. His size-14 feel were part Sci for first base but on third shifting his feet was like Docking the uss Ticonderoga in a Creek. So Marshall continued of slip and slide through out the lineup. They traded away Brock and Bream. Bul still they turned to Marshall and said not now year the dodgers suddenly had a surfeit of outfielders instead of first basemen. By now they had a new rap against Marshall. Plagued by a bad Back and hand and nerve injuries he missed 58 games last year. They dredged up a new rap on him he did t want to play this for a Guy who had played out of position for seven years. Marshall a non fiery Type did t Psi indignant enough he did l summon a press conference or take out full Page ads or Knock inc manager or kick the cat. He Jusi returned to the lineup when inc Piaster cast came off played is of the last 27 games and hit .294. This year they re trying something new Wilh mar shall. Or rather something old. They re trying him Oul at inc position nature intended for him first base. It i about time if you ask me. Four homers ,600 batting average reds Daniels surpasses Billing Kil dial Ali. Keg of dynamite by Joe Kay Cincinnati a Cincinnati Rookie third baseman Chris Sabo never has seen anything like Kal Daniels marvelled at the Way Daniels could Spray line drives around minor league Parks when they played together in the Cincinnati reds farm system. Now that Sabo has been promoted. He i had a week to watch Daniels rip up major league pitching with the same Sweet stroke. He s the Best hitter i be Ever it in and i be been idling people that for a Long Sabo said. I told i Opelc this Guy s the Best Day in and Day Oul. Unbe opened the 198 season the Way he ended inc last one with inc kind of hitting spree that leaves opponents and teammates in Awe. The left handed Hilling outfielder went i2.fc.r-20. .600 with four Home runs three doubles four walks and 10 runs batted in during the reds first five powered them to a s-4 Victory sat urday Over Houston hitting two homers and singling Home two runs in the ninth inning completing a 4-for-4 perform the reds loss on sunday he hit his fourth Homer of the season. On monday he was the obvious Choice for National league player of the week. Daniels. 24, was hobbled by a bad knee that required mid season surgery last also a As overshadowed by the out standing play of his teammate can Ter fielder Eric Davis. Balling Lead off. Daniels hit .334 in108 games with 26 homers and 64 Rubli. His .617 slugging percentage would have led the National league tit he did l have enough Al bats to qualify. His most impressive numbers came late in the season when he hit ,381 in his Las 28 a slow Spring training he has taken off again. "1 finished the season last yeas in this kind of a Groove and i be Jusi continued he said. Daniels in t As flashy defensively As Davis and won steal As Many bases Bulhe is something special with the Bat. He can hit for average and hit to All Fields with can drive an outside pitch to left Field with Power iwo of his Hryce Hom Era this season have been to the opposite s a potential Hatting Champion with a lot of Power manager Pete Rose think we be got him hitting now where he belongs in the no. 1 spot last season Daniels opened eight games with homers. With right fielder Dave Parker traded to Oak land during the off season. Rose moved Daniels to the no. 3 spot in the baiting order in front of Davis. Davis has started slowly hitting Only one Homer and driving in i rec runs in the first five games. But Rose Hikcs the Daniels Davis combination. They re like two kegs of dynamite if the Iofi one does t get you. The right one will Rose said
