The Chicago Idea

Paul Rapier Richards, manager of the Chicago White Sox, can be as sharp-tongued as his middle name, as taciturn as a Texas cowpoke, or as cajoling as a pressagent. It all depends on the temperament of the player Richards is trying to rouse to top performance. In 1951, by a combination of wheedling and browbeating, Freshman Manager Richards brought his baseball team to a fourth-place finish (from sixth in 1950). Last year the White Sox finished third, and this year, after a winter of rebuilding and trading, Manager Richards announces: "Our goal is the top." This is not, of course, the same thing as saying the Sox are going to finish on top. But it is the kind of talk White Sox fans like to hear. They have been waiting for a pennant for a long time. Their last winners were the crooked "Black Sox" of 1919.

Contented Trader. The 1953 version of the White Sox is Richards' idea of what a ball club should be: hustling, bustling and fiery. It lacks heavyweight hitting, but will try to make up for it by defensive skill, tight pitching, and speed on the base paths. Richards was more than content this winter to trade slugging First Baseman Eddie Robinson (22 homers) for Philadelphia First Baseman Ferris Fain, who hit enough singles last year to become league batting champion (.327). Fain will be Richards' "take-charge" man in a. tight defensive infield that includes Second Baseman Nelson Fox, Shortstop Chico Carrasquel and Veteran Third Baseman Vernon Stephens.

There was no individual 20-game winner on the White Sox pitching staff last year, but Manager Richards, once a canny catcher (Detroit Tigers) himself, got a lot of fine pitching out of the staff as a whole. It led the league in strike-outs (774), held the opposition to the lowest composite batting average (.238), and had the league's second-lowest earned-run average. The staff's main supports: Bill Pierce (15-12), Veteran Joe Dobson (14-10), Saul Rogovin (14-9), Reliefer Harry Dorish. "We kept the nucleus of this good staff," says Richards, "and made it stronger with trades." One trade, with Washington, brought him young (21) Cuban Mike Fornieles, who pitched a one-hitter against the A's in his major-league debut last year. Another pitching hopeful is Rookie Bob Keegan, 20-11 last season with Syracuse, where he led the International League in victories, innings pitched and shutouts.

Battles Promised. Richards' outfield is strong-armed and fast, the equal, defensively, of any outfield in baseball. It has fleet-footed Jim Rivera in center, Orestes ("Minnie") Minoso, league base-stealing champ (22) in left, Sam Mele (.259 and 69 runs batted in) in right. Catcher Sherm

Lollar is backed by Rookie Robert ("Red") Wilson, who hit .297 for Seattle. Says Richards, eying the opening of the season next week: "We are going to give them all a battle." The word "all" obviously includes the world-champion Yankees. Chicago fans hope Paul Richards isn't just cajoling them.

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