Apr. 4, 1963 - With the National League curtain-raiser only a few days away, Dodger skipper Walter Alston continues to juggle his lineup. His latest experiment is batting Johnny Roseboro in the No. 2 spot. Ordinarily, the husky catcher hits sixth or seventh. Johnny batted second today as the Chicago Cubs triumphed, 6-2. He took the collar while hitting a couple of shots, but his batting average is a lofty .409. “Johnny could be a definite asset hitting behind Wills because he doesn’t offer at many bad pitches, and he could move Maury around with his pull hitting,” commented Alston. “Now, one disadvantage of using Roseboro second is he won’t have as many opportunities to drive in runs as he would lower in the lineup.” Rosey’s sudden resurgence (he batted a disappointing .249 last year) can be traced to two factors: illness and eyeglasses. He missed most of the early games this spring because of a facial skin infection, and when he returned to action he began wearing glasses. “Since I’ve only played in 9 of our 23 games, I had more time to concentrate on batting practice in the cages at camp,” said Roseboro. “And there’s no question about it — the cheaters have sharpened my vision.”
Comments