Mar. 17, 1963 - “You never can have too much pitching in this game.” This maxim, obviously, did not originate with Alvin Dark (pictured left with Harvey Kuenn), but the manager of the San Francisco Giants repeated it with fervor today. Dark, who has just about everything else a manager’s heart could desire, was counting up his newfound mound blessing. “We could have seven starters,” Alvin said. “Jack Sanford, Juan Marichal, Billy O’Dell, Billy Pierce, Jack Fisher, Bob Bolin, and either Gaylord Perry or Billy Hoeft. Our main problem, however, is to develop a bullpen stopper like Stu Miller was in 1961. I don’t know who that could be right now.” Aside from pitching, the defending National League champions hold a powerful hand. In 1962, they led the league in batting (.278) and homers (204) and tied for third in fielding. Their murderer’s row of Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, and Felipe Alou fell just short of toppling the Yankees last fall. Dark looks for another Ben Hur finish this year, with perhaps four chariots abreast. Besides the Dodgers, Alvin fears Cincinnati and St. Louis. He believes the Cardinals picked up punch in George Altman and Dick Groat that will far offset the pitchers they traded.
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