Atlanta Daily World

Manager Charlie Dressen of the Brooklyn Dodgers may rue the day he gave the Saturday Evening Post that interview on "The Dodgers Won't Blow It Again." The stumbling, leg-weary Flatbush Gang seem intent on losing the National League pennant again to the never-say-die New York Giants. The article in the SEP quoted Dressen as saying "The Dodgers are a better ball club." That was on July 16 when the Dodgers led New York by five games. Now, the Dressenmen are wobbling about like drunken men and seemingly hell bent on finishing second again.

"Things have happened to our pitching staff that we didn't visualize then," Dressen said when asked about the article carrying his by-line "as told to Stanley Frank" in the Sept. 13 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. "Of course, when our pitchers came up with lame backs that changed things a lot."

The Dodgers "are a better ball club." Dressen said in the article written July 16 when Brooklyn led New York by five games. "They're better because the glaring weakness that cost them the pennant last year has been strengthened-the lack of reserve strength."

Dressen pointed out that the Brooks' record for the first half of 1952 was a four-game improvement on their 1951 record and said the big difference has been George Shuba in the outfield, Bob Morgan in the infield and pitchers Billy Loes, Ben Wade and Joe Black.

Dressen listed the ailing pitchers and their injured members: Clem Labine shoulder. Johnny Rutherford stiff shoulder. Carl Erskine back and elbow, Ralph Branca back and Preacher Roe back.

"The big thing is that our pitchers haven't been able to take their regular turns due to injuries," he continued. "And we can't bring up replacements because our minor league clubs are in the playoffs."

Dressen insisted again that the Dodgers did not choke up or collapse when they blew a 13 1/2 game lead last year. "The blunt truth is that the Dodgers were overrated last year," he wrote.

The article also defended his selection of Ralph Branca to pitch to Bobby Thomson, who hit the home run which decided the pennant playoff Oct. 3 Dressen said Coach Clyde Sukeforth, no longer a Dodger, had advised him to take Branca instead of Carl Erskine as the bullpen replacement for the tiring Don Newcombe.

But there won't be another playoff this year. Dressen implied.